The Hyundai Veloster is the vehicle Hyundai built to prove they could be interesting. It works.
The asymmetric door arrangement gives it two doors on the passenger side and one on the driver's side. In practice, rear passengers use the wider passenger-side opening and the arrangement makes reasonable sense.
The Veloster + sits above the base model and below the SR Turbo. The 1.6-litre GDi four-cylinder makes 103kW and drives the front wheels through a six-speed dual-clutch automatic.
The dual-clutch can be abrupt at low speeds, which is a common criticism. On the open road it's more composed and the gearbox finds its stride. Manual mode via the paddles is the more enjoyable option.
Inside, the design is genuinely different. The centre stack rises to meet a floating infotainment screen and there's a glass panel across the dash that creates a wide, airy feel. It looks like a concept car that made it to production largely intact.
The Veloster won't appeal to everyone. But for a buyer who wants something that doesn't look like everything else in the supermarket car park, it's a compelling option at its price.
