While our focus was on the c, Dart, Elantra, Fusion and Jetta in no particular order, other fuel efficient new models generated interest as well.
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - Jan. 12, 2011
The 2013 Hyundai Veloster turbo in Matte Gray looked
hot!
At the 2012 NAIAS, Hyundai not only earned the North American Car of the Year award with its extremely well received Elantra, they released another interesting addition to the lineup in the form of a turbo equipped Veloster.
Some may remember the
It's Official – The Veloster Turbo Is Coming news that provided some excitement from the then just recently released Veloster. While the 40 mpg highway number did not hold, a loss of 5% for an increase of almost 45% more HP may just bring a few more to the fold that would have thought about a much less fuel efficient offering from somebody else.
The all-new 2013 Veloster Turbo is not just a turbo by name but a turbo by performance as well with 201 HP on tap to please those that believe they need more.
At the 2012 Veloster press launch last fall, Brandon Ramirez, Hyundai’s Senior Manager of Product Planning said the following:
Quote:
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The role of the Veloster is to attract a new generation of Hyundai customers into the Hyundai brand and is intended to be a “Reverse Halo” or gateway product for the next generation of Hyundai buyers. The Veloster was purposefully differentiated from other core vehicles in Hyundai’s lineup with a unique style and advanced technologies.
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What I do not think Hyundai expected is that the Veloster with its exceedingly excellent value proposition would provide more than just an attraction for new buyers. By adding a turbo based 1.6L T-GDI fire breather under the hood, Hyundai’s Veloster is now challenging Sports Coupe stalwarts including the VW GTI, Honda Civic Si, Mini Cooper/Clubman S, Scion tC and even Honda’s CR-Z hybrid with far better power-to-weight ratios and far lower pricing. Adding a new sports-tuned steering and suspension setup may actually reveal that Hyundai has the making for not just an entry to the brand but an icon amongst rivals.
The Veloster Turbo Highlights- Powered by a new 1.6L Turbocharged-Gasoline Direct Injection (T-GDI) engine and in-house six-speed automatic or manual transmission.
- 201 HP@6000 RPM
- Best-in-class highway fuel economy estimated at 38 mpgUS for the MT.
- Best-in-class weight to power ratio of 14 lbs/HP
- Sport-tuned steering
- Hyundai-first Matte Gray paint <-- You have to see it to believe it
- Projection headlights with unique LED headlight accents
- Turbo exclusive Graphite Black interior with Blue accents and headliner graphics.
What is even more interesting is that the 2012 Hyundai Veloster Turbo is just the first vehicle in Hyundai’s 7/11 product initiative (
seven new or redesigned models in the next 11 months). This is after they just completed a 24/7 version 2.0 product initiative (seven new or redesigned models in 24 months), with the debut of the 2012 Hyundai Azera!
Sports Coupe Competitive Comparisons
Volume Specs
| Make and Model | Passenger Volume (cu. ft.) | Cargo Volume (cu. ft.) | Total Volume (cu. ft.) |
| | | | |
| 2013 Hyundai Veloster T | 89.8 | 15.5 | 105.3 |
| 2012 Scion Tc | 88.4 | 14.7 | 103.1 |
| 2012 Honda Civic Si (coupe) | 83 | 12 | 95 |
| 2012 Honda CR-Z | 49.1 | 25.1 (no rear seat) | 74.2 |
| 2012 Clubman S | 80 | 17 | 97 |
| 2012 VW GTI | 94 | 15 | 109 |
Performance Specs
| Make and Model | Base Engine | HP@RPM | Torque (lb-ft.) | Transmission | Fuel Economy (mpgUS city/highway) | Price (MSRP in $USD) |
| | | | | | | |
| 2013 Hyundai Veloster | 1.6L Turbo | 201@6,000 | 195@1,750 – 4,500 (MT) | 6 MT or AT | 27/38 (MT) | TBA |
| 2012 Scion Tc | 2.5L | 180@6,000 | 173@4,100 | 6 MT or AT | 23/31 (MT and AT) | $19,305 |
| 2012 Honda Civic Si | 2.4L | 201@7,000 | 170@4,400 | 6 MT | 22/31 | $22,205 |
| 2012 Honda CR-Z | 1.5L | 122@6,000 | 128@1,000 – 1,750 (MT) | 6 MT or CVT | 31/37 (MT) – 35/39 (CVT) | $19,545 |
| 2012 Clubman S | 1.6L Turbo | 181@5,500 | 177@1,600 – 5,000 | 6 MT or AT | 26/34 (AT) – 27/35 (MT) | $24,900 |
| 2012 VW GTI | 2.0L Turbo | 200@5,100 | 207@1,800 | 6 MT or DCT | 21/31 (MT) – 24/33 (DCT) | $23,995 |
The 2013 Veloster Turbo’s Mill
The 1.6L turbocharged GDI I4 in the 2013 Veloster Turbo features a twin-scroll turbocharger that when combined with the GDI system, results in a good amount of near instantaneous power delivery. Twin-scroll turbochargers have traditionally been used on more expensive high performance engines and Hyundai has brought this technology down its line-up from the Sonata 2.0T.
Twin-scroll turbocharger designs have two exhaust gas inlets divided by split walls inside the turbine housing, with both gas passages controlled by a waste-gate. A twin-scroll turbo recovers even more energy from the exhaust than a single-scroll turbocharger, thanks to a divided manifold. The twin-scroll design separates the cylinders whose exhaust gas pulses interfere with each other, resulting in improved pressure distribution in the exhaust ports and a more efficient delivery of exhaust gas energy to the turbocharger’s turbine.
The result of this superior scavenging effect from a twin-scroll design leads to better pressure distribution in the exhaust ports and a more efficient delivery of exhaust gas energy to the turbocharger's turbine. This in turn allows greater valve overlap, resulting in an improved quality and quantity of the air charge entering each cylinder. In fact, with more valve overlap, the scavenging effect of the exhaust flow can literally draw more air in on the intake side. At the same time, drawing out the last of the low-pressure exhaust gases help pack each cylinder with a denser and purer air charge. Maximum boost from the turbocharger is 18 psi.
Thanks to the integrated stainless-steel turbine housing with the exhaust manifold, not only is the weight and cost of the casting dramatically reduced, the durability of the turbine housing is also improved. In addition, heat energy recovery and thus turbo efficiency is significantly improved based on the fact that a traditional two-piece design effectively insulates some of the heat energy at the joint/gasket area.
By adapting a motor-driven electrical waste-gate, the boost pressure is precisely controlled. The back pressure is reduced when turbo boost is not necessary by opening the waste-gate, which improves fuel efficiency. During cold starts, the waste-gate remains open, which results in faster catalyst light-off for reduced exhaust emissions.
A GDI fuel delivery system contributes to improved fuel efficiency and lower emissions. This shorter, more direct path of fuel delivery allows for greater control of the fuel mixture at the optimum moment, thus improving efficiency. The fuel is injected by a camshaft-driven, high pressure pump that operates at pressures up to 2175 psi. Direct injection also utilizes a 9.5:1 compression ratio. The piston heads are “dished” to increase combustion efficiency in the cylinder.
Transmissions
The Veloster Turbo is paired with a standard 6-speed manual transmission or 6-speed automatic transmission developed in house. The manual features a wider gear ratio spread (5.71 vs. 5.25) to handle the additional torque output while the Auto is slightly narrower than the DCT in the base Veloster (6.0 vs. 6.38).
Suspension Upgrades
The Veloster Turbo features a quicker ratio steering rack and a revised steering calibration providing more precise cornering, feedback and control. All Veloster Turbo’s ride on Kumho Solus KH25 215/40R18 85V tires designed to extract the best performance out of the car without compromising the ride.
Upgraded Interior Appointments
Leather heated seats with the word “Turbo” stitched into the seatbacks are comfortable to sit in with ride impressions having to occur at some point in the future.
An exclusive twin TFT based Supervision Cluster located between the tachometer and the speedometer offer the driver information in a larger, clearer and more interactive format.
The Turbo is Larger?
The Veloster Turbo has the same a 104.3-inch wheelbase, but the Turbo is 1.2 inches longer at 67.3 inches and .6 inches wider at 71.1 inches.
Safety
All Veloster’s incorporate Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system, which optimally manages ESC (Electronic Stability Control) and the Motor-Driven electric Power Steering (MDPS). They are all also equipped with a total of six airbags including front, side, and side curtains.
Veloster’s also features four-wheel disc brakes, ABS, Brake Assist (BA), and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD).
Infotainment
The Veloster arrives with one of the best including a standard multifunction seven-inch touch-screen display and Hyundai’s Blue Link.
What is different about the turbo is it arrives with standard with the 450-watt Dimension Premium Audio system with eight speakers including an eight-inch subwoofer, external amplifier, iPod/USB/auxiliary input jacks and XM Radio services.
A Bluetooth hands-free phone system with voice recognition, address book download and audio streaming is standard. Onboard navigation is optional. The system also integrates a rear-view camera and backup warning sensors.
Exterior Colors – Where “cool” comes out to play
The 2013 Hyundai Veloster Turbo can be ordered in a unique Matte Gray, a Hyundai first. All 2013 Veloster’s will be available in colors that fit the cars “own-it” attitude and characteristics of a long-distance runner, including Elite White. Interior color choices are Graphite Black or exclusive to the Turbo Graphite Black with Blue accents and headliner graphics for non-panoramic sunroof models.
While some despise the Matte Gray, I thought it was hot and I bet you will too.
All told, Hyundai corrected one of the few criticisms about the Veloster, that being its performance oriented nature with a mild mannered 1.6L GDI shod in the Rio. With the addition of the 201 HP turbo, it should give the HP aficionado’s their due all the while providing a decent 38 mpgUS highway rating for when it is time to actually drive somewhere. Other than the vastly underpowered but far more fuel economy capable CR-Z, not much else can compete with the Veloster’s unique exterior appearance and its new over the top straight line performance. When you see one on the road, you will know exactly what I mean
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