Next-generation Hyundai Veloster Coming to Detroit, and Not a Moment Too Soon

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

If the multitude of spy shots circulating around the internet wasn’t enough of a clue, Hyundai’s making it clear. There will be another Veloster, but you’ll have to wait about six weeks to see it.

The Veloster, an oddball take on the traditional hatchback, debuted in 2011 for the 2012 model year and, despite the declining popularity of traditional passenger cars (and especially coupes), managed to rack up pretty consistent sales since its unveiling. Sporting three side doors of uneven length and two-piece rear glass, the Veloster only really ran into sales trouble this year.

The next Veloster looks to keep the original’s unique profile, but Hyundai’s flagging fortunes requires a hatch hot enough to buoy the brand.


North and south of the 49th parallel, the Veloster’s headiest sales year was its first. 2012 saw 34,862 Velosters roll of Hyundai lots in the Unites States. Last year, the aging model still managed to find 30,053 takers.

In 2017, however, Veloster sales nosedived. In gearing up for the second-gen model, Hyundai took a pass on the 2018 model year, with early reports claiming the company would continue producing the 2017 model through the end of the calendar year. In the U.S., October saw an 83-percent year-over-year sales decline, with volume over the first 10 months of 2017 falling 53 percent compared to 2016.

Unfortunately for Hyundai, overall brand volume has also taken a serious hit this year. Blame the usual suspect: not enough crossovers.

Still, in a world awash with high-riding utility vehicles, it’s nice that a non-SUV, non-sedan persists in the low-priced field. In our most recent review of the Veloster, the model lost marks for its harsh ride quality and balky dual-clutch automatic; however, it won kudos merely for existing. It’s hard finding something “different” at the bottom end of the market these days.

According to Korea’s Yonhap News Agency, the new Veloster will bow in January at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The report didn’t mention when U.S. customers can expect the new model, but Korean buyers should see it appear in the first quarter of 2018. In that market, there’s two engines on offer — a 1.4 and 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder.

In the interests of adding a little excitement to a traditionally sensible and value-obsessed brand, American buyers can expect a hot “N” model powered by the turbocharged 2.0-liter found in the Euro-market i30 N. That mill pumps out 271 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. It’s likely the base Veloster and midlevel Veloster Turbo models will keep their existing 1.6-liter powerplants.

Transmission choices should include a six-speed manual and seven-speed DCT. Hopefully, the latter unit receives new shift programming.

Fielding a challenger to the Honda Civic Type R, Volkswagen Golf R, and Ford Focus RS should give Hyundai at least some of the attention it’s looking for, though how a hot Hyundai hatch will play with buyers is anyone’s guess. After turning up the thermostat on its Elantra and Elantra GT (via the Veloster Turbo’s 1.6-liter), Hyundai has watched year-over-year sales of the Elantra nameplate fall for the past six months.

At this point, it’s more an issue of slowing the decline.

[Image: Hyundai]

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

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  • Sixt5cuda Sixt5cuda on Nov 30, 2017

    Now if we could just convince Kia to make their own version, and knock off all the Ugly.

    • See 1 previous
    • Sixt5cuda Sixt5cuda on Dec 03, 2017

      @bd2 I wasn't aware of the Pro_Cee'd GT until you posted. Another example of Kia designing a great looking car, and Hyundai hitting it with an ugly stick, producing the Veloster. Of course, this has been going on since day 1 of the merger.

  • 6250Claimer 6250Claimer on Dec 03, 2017

    What exactly is this "N" treatment? Neutered??

  • Wolfwagen Is it me or have auto shows just turned to meh? To me, there isn't much excitement anymore. it's like we have hit a second malaise era. Every new vehicle is some cookie-cutter CUV. No cutting-edge designs. No talk of any great powertrains, or technological achievements. It's sort of expected with the push to EVs but there is no news on that front either. No new battery tech, no new charging tech. Nothing.
  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
  • Luke42 I tried FSD for a month in December 2022 on my Model Y and wasn’t impressed.The building-blocks were amazing but sum of the all of those amazing parts was about as useful as Honda Sensing in terms of reducing the driver’s workload.I have a list of fixes I need to see in Autopilot before I blow another $200 renting FSD. But I will try it for free for a month.I would love it if FSD v12 lived up to the hype and my mind were changed. But I have no reason to believe I might be wrong at this point, based on the reviews I’ve read so far. [shrug]. I’m sure I’ll have more to say about it once I get to test it.
  • FormerFF We bought three new and one used car last year, so we won't be visiting any showrooms this year unless a meteor hits one of them. Sorry to hear that Mini has terminated the manual transmission, a Mini could be a fun car to drive with a stick.It appears that 2025 is going to see a significant decrease in the number of models that can be had with a stick. The used car we bought is a Mk 7 GTI with a six speed manual, and my younger daughter and I are enjoying it quite a lot. We'll be hanging on to it for many years.
  • Oberkanone Where is the value here? Magna is assembling the vehicles. The IP is not novel. Just buy the IP at bankruptcy stage for next to nothing.
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