Hyundai Veloster is quirky ... and I love it

Hyundai Veloster

I noticed Zipcar started offering the Hyundai Veloster near me, so I hopped at the opportunity to drive it. The Veloster is a sporty 3-door hatch (similar set-up as the old Saturns) with Hyundai's attractive styling and high quality interior. The only thing I didn't like about it was the engine (no surprise, as just about every auto reviewer seems to agree). Click through for my impressions.

Hyundai Veloster

The Veloster is an odd looking car - people look at it when you drive by. But not the same way people look at a Honda Crosstour (in disgust), but rather with curiosity. The front end has the same attractive grille as the rest of Hyundai's lineup, and the stance of the car is low and sleek. The 3rd side door is really useful for rear passengers and loading bags from the store. The wheels are pretty cool too. Overall, the car looks really sporty.

Hyundai Veloster

The rear end is really cool looking, and thanks to the glass roof, rear visibility is satisfactory, even despite the small back window. The twin port exhaust mounted in the center reminds me of the first-gen Porsche Boxster. The huge flared rear fenders give the car an athletic, grounded stance. The little details on the Veloster make the car unique and special.

Hyundai Veloster

The interior of the Veloster is top-notch. Given the large size of the doors, Hyundai has affixed large silver handles to aid in opening and closing the doors. The Zipcar I was driving was a base model, but still had a working center screen, which displayed radio stations and trip functions in an easy-to-use interface. The use of aluminum and silver throughout the dashboard was done tastefully, and the seat was low slung, so I felt like I was driving a high end sports car.

Hyundai Veloster

My only real gripe was the engine, which felt underpowered and clunky. Although the engine revved high, shifting seemed slow and bumpy. Power - especially in ECO mode - was limited and predictable. It was, frankly, a little embarrassing given how cool the car looks, inside and out. I can imagine the small engine is probably in place to keep the MSRP down to be competitive against other entry level coupes and hatchbacks, but given the high standard of the rest of the car, I was disappointed.

The moral of the story here is: wait until the 2013 Veloster Turbo comes out. The 201hp engine and upgraded body kit and fascias will be worth whatever the pricetag is.