LIKES
- Weirdo body (we approve)
- It’s track-suited
- Standard safety equipment
- A performance value
- Practical for two, despite the fun
DISLIKES
- Maybe you don’t like weird?
- Slim back seat space
- The door situation
BUYING TIP
The 2022 Hyundai Veloster N continues to take up rent-free space in the Civic Type R’s head—for now.
What kind of car is the 2022 Hyundai Veloster? What does it compare to?
Like our worst-best friend, the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N goads us to drive faster and corner harder. We’re a sucker for it, every time. It’s quirky, quick, and quintessentially...something. It’s still a lovable oddball after all these years, which means the Veloster N is sort of but not exactly like a VW GTI or a Honda Civic Type R.
Is the 2022 Hyundai Veloster a good car?
It’s all about a good time, too, and its TCC Rating of 6.8 out of 10 comes without full safety scores, a good back seat, or a passel of options.
What’s new for the 2022 Hyundai Veloster?
Hyundai has dropped all versions of the Veloster except for the N for 2022. Time, parenthetically speaking, could be off its side, so if you’re keen on this four-door hatchback (hang on), better act soon.
The Veloster does have four doors; it just so happens that one opens in back (the hatch), two open for front passengers (got it), and one opens for the rear-right passenger (OK, you lost me). It’s been that way through a couple of generations and we’re convinced now that it’s about 99.8% gimmick, but the Veloster’s door situation does give it a janky, weird look we like, without interfering with its driving experience.
That driving experience has been given the silent upgrade: Hyundai’s dumped the other versions, and now proudly and only offers the 275-hp Veloster N with a choice between a 6-speed manual (yes! Sign us up!) and an 8-speed dual-clutch automatic (you know, actually, we’ll go with that one). So configured it can zip to 60 mph in less than five seconds; shod with performance tires and endowed with crisp and precise steering, the Veloster N knows the same dance moves as the VW GTI and Honda Civic Type R, though they differ in visual execution, from the bold to the not so beautiful.
The short ’n rorty 2022 Veloster N lives a fractional existence (it’s literally one-third of the car lineup it once was), but it remains as useful for two people as ever, with super-snug sport seats and a vast cargo space that rivals that of a Tucson, if you’re willing to fold down the skimpy rear seats. (We are.) It’s safe (the IIHS nods yes, the NHTSA still hasn’t answered our voice mail) and it’s outfitted with automatic emergency braking.
How much does the 2022 Hyundai Veloster cost?
About $35,000, give or take $1,500 for the available dual-clutch transmission. Every Veloster sports automatic emergency braking, grippy sport seats, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Where is the 2022 Hyundai Veloster made?
In South Korea.
Styling
The Veloster’s an acquired taste, but we like weird.
Is the Hyundai Veloster a good-looking car?
It’s a personality statement, even before you put its four-door body through the convention-ometer. Asymmetric and proud of it, the 2022 Veloster N knows it’s one of a kind and plays that role with gusto, from the broad straked grille to the swept-back headlights that imply its front-drive layout, all the way around to its quirky body sides and its function-friendly hatchback.
Inside, it’s less of a reach, though just as expressive. The Veloster wears plastic like it’s on-trend (isn’t it always, in economy cars?) and keeps it tightly grained to give the appearance of nicer stuff. It’s entertaining, thanks to an 8.0-inch touchscreen. And it’s tactile and easily understood; there’s nothing so inscrutable as a bank of pictographic buttons that get between the driver and the road ahead.
Performance
The Veloster N threads the performance needle when it spins the needles on its gauges.
Is the Hyundai Veloster 4WD?
No, all versions are front-wheel drive.
How fast is the Hyundai Veloster?
Forget the former base Velosters with their pedestrian powerplants. This one’s tuned to 275 hp and 260 lb-ft from its 2.0-liter turbo-4 to uproarious output; it’ll hit 60 mph in under five seconds. Given the choice, we’d pick the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic over the 6-speed manual, but either’s a fine-shifting gearbox that won’t get in the way of a good lap.
The Veloster N has the hardware to tackle the track with the zeal of other hot hatchbacks like the Civic Type R and VW GTI/Golf R. Compared to the now-pruned base Veloster, it’s shod with performance tires, bigger brakes, firmer and quicker steering, a stiffer suspension, and an electronic front limited-slip differential that limits power to the inside wheel for more crisp cornering. It also gains a synthetic soundtrack with engine noise pumped into the cabin; we prefer to hear the tires sing, not the speakers, so we shut it off.
So equipped, the Veloster N runs ’Rings around any Hyundai you can name, perhaps all of them. Its steering feels a little synthetic, as it gets more heavy in its higher-aspiration drive modes, but it’s still precise. The N’s tack-sharp in all: it’s easy to place on the apex of any corner, even if it’s just the corner of Third Ave. and Main St. It’s as buzzy and delightful as that Honda or that VW over there—and maybe even more entertaining to toss around, given its newly discovered zest for high-speed driving.
Comfort & Quality
The Veloster makes the most of its unusual four-door hatchback.
The Veloster earns a 5 for utility, though it does the most with its off-the-wall door layout. Two front doors and a hatchback? We’re with you. A second, smaller door on the passenger side? Wait, what?
That’s what it is, and the Veloster gambles that the vestigial fourth door will be useful enough to overlook its small seat. It’s not, really. The back seat’s easier to get in by dint of that portal, but it’s not big enough for medium-sized people in back.
In front it’s a much better story, with the Veloster N’s grippy sport seats hugging those passengers for the needle-threading handling on tap.
The Veloster N’s sporty soundtrack bleeds in through its well-padded interior, but it’s a dressed-up compact car, so hold those visions of quilted nappa leather for another day. Hyundai lets drivers dial down the piped-in engine noises, which we’ve found to be a small blessing.
Safety
Safety’s good, so far.
Is the Hyundai Veloster a safe car?
We give it a 7 for safety, thanks to good standard safety gear and a Top Safety Pick award from the IIHS. If the NHTSA gives it a good score someday soon, we’ll upgrade it accordingly.
Along with automatic emergency braking, all Velosters come with active lane control, adaptive cruise control, and blind-spot monitors. Outward vision to the rear quarters is abysmal, thanks to its trick hatchback bod.
Features
The Veloster N screams performance value.
Which Hyundai Veloster should I buy?
We give the 2022 Veloster N a 9 for features. It racks up points for its standard equipment, its infotainment, its exceptional warranty, and for value. If it offered more options, it’d be a 10.
Every Veloster comes with sport front seats, adaptive cruise control, premium audio, and wireless smartphone charging. Joyful drives come standard too, and for about $35,000 all-in, the Veloster N’s a legitimate performance bargain.
Add another $1,500 to the base price of about $33,500 for the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic, and we’re sold.
The Veloster carries a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty with three free years of maintenance, a deal unrivaled in its class and in a few price niches above it (except by other Hyundais, natch).
Fuel Economy
The Veloster N isn’t very efficient—not the way we drive it.
Is the Hyundai Veloster good on gas?
The high-output Veloster N earns lower fuel-economy ratings than all the former models that have been discontinued. It’s a 4 here, thanks to its best EPA ratings of 22 mpg city, 28 highway, 25 combined when fitted with the manual transmission. With the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic, it’s rated at 20/27/22 mpg.
0 comments:
Post a Comment