Filed under: Latest News, Consumer
Hyundai went through all the trouble of making its new coupé-hatchback, the Veloster, a lovely combination of quirky and good-looking...then nearly ruined it by giving it one entirely inappropriate engine. Like filling a doughnut with mayonnaise.
Finally Hyundai has realised this, and so has put a straw in its doughnut, sucked out the mayonnaise, and blown in some lovely raspberry jam.
That jam is...a different diesel engine. Hmm.
Not to worry though, because it's got 184bhp and 199lb.ft. And it's that last figure that's important, because the extra torque will make this Veloster feel a lot quicker.
The engine is actually a turbocharged version of the 1.6-litre GDI unit already found in the Veloster. It still doesn't make the asymmetrical car quick by hot hatch standards - 0-60mph takes 8.4 seconds rather than around ten - but it's an improvement, and shouldn't affect fuel economy too much.
The Veloster Turbo gets a quicker steering rack, too, and revised suspension - again, both in response to criticism of the car at launch. The setup is "tuned to match the expectations of European drivers," a group assumed to be different to those of the rest of the world, who don't necessarily require their cars to be very good.
The exhaust is louder now, too, and the gearbox is changed to accommodate the engine's extra oomph, by spacing out the ratios.
It will be officially launched in Geneva tomorrow, but almost certainly overshadowed by newer stuff. It goes on sale in a couple of months' time - expect prices to be announced soon.