There are times when we feel the need for something a little more flashy than the normal cooking hatchbacks, small ugly sedans or even large uncle-mobiles. Even housewives, family men need that urge to feel young and free again or that those who are indeed single and young at heart want a car that actually shows off that side of them. Sometimes, I feel that urge too when it comes to personal transport. In the quest to find a decent second (or third) car for the family I actually stopped to look at those priced below rm140,000 and with something less than four doors.
I looked at the Honda CRZ, a fantastic car for people who want a sporty urban runabout. It has a 1.5liter engine coupled to an electric motor and makes more than 130hp. It also drove well but I have reservations as regards its running costs after five or more years. Whilst Honda is giving a guarantee that the electric motor's battery pack will last at least ten years I am not convinced that it will do so. Why? You may ask and the answer is because we live in a country where humidity is extremely high and I have never really been confident about any electrical product that sits, whether occasionally in the rain and then the sun will actually stand this constant cycle of hot and cold and of condensation of water vapour in the long run. I may be just ultra paranoid, but there could be a valid reason for me being as such. Anyway, when Hyundai launched the Veloster recently, I was curious at this single rear door five seater coupe. Could it be the the flashy coupe for small families and for paranoid motorheads like Yours Truly?
Now the Hyundai Veloster 1.6 is basically a car with three doors and a rear hatch. The driver's side does not have a door while the passenger side does have a rear door. Entry and exit to the rear seats is at least better than the undignified way that one would have to suffer if you had a traditional two door car. The rear door may still be compromised by the sloping roofline but its still better than any car that does not come with rear doors. So it is bearable because of this and the car looks pretty good from most angles. Does it look like a proper coupe? My answer is no due to the hatchback or notchback type of design ala the Volkswagen Scirocco or the Renault Megane, but it comes close. At around rm132,000, you're still in the category where you cannot get what you really, really want in a 'sports' car. One cannot get Ferrari looks for chickenfeed money.
The Malaysian specced Veloster I tried came with a 1.6liter 4cylinder normally aspirated engine and a six speed automatic gearbox driving through its front wheels. It makes around 131bhp and 158Nm of torque. Not impressive as firstly, the engine isn't the direct injection 1.6liter engine that people in the UK, Europe and Korea gets but the same earlier 1.6 variant that powers the Malaysian Hyundai Elantra. This means we do not get 138bhp and slightly better torque. Secondly, Hyundai Malaysia isn't bringing in the turbocharged and therefore more torquier version of this car for enthusiasts to hammer around. It's all looks here and no actual substance. Or can the actual drving experience be enjoyable sans seven Korean ponies or a turbocharger?
Before I get to that let's talk about the interior first. It feels like an Elantra in my opinion. Slightly different dashboard design but underneath you can still tell that it has similar architecture. The seating position is good but you could expect it to be slightly lower to get that 'one with the car' feel. The CRZ's seating position is sportier if one were to compare.
The materials used are good. The steering wheel, gearknob, turn signals, lights and other major contact points feel good to the touch and while I think that it looks similar to the Elantra, the overall feel of the interior is that it is a nice place to sit in during commutes. If you get the one with the panoramic roof, it feels really airy too. But that costs a bit more money too. The slightly more expensive package gets the sunroof, larger 18inch wheels and slightly different trim that includes more leather bits.
Now when you start the car up with the push-start button and drive off you'll find the car like any other 1.6 liter car. At low speeds it does things well. At low speeds almost all cars does things well. One does notice that the 18inch 225 section tyres are slightly intrusive on most surfaces. Fitting large wheels to a car in the smaller car categories where the cars are built to a certain price point. The tyres do make the car grippy and sportier but the extra tyre roar over broken surfaces is always a drawback towards refinement. But you say it's a coupe and it shouldn't be so refined? But is it a real coupe?
No its not. 130bhp isn't enough to stir the senses. While the chassis is capable and allows for some throttle steering into corners there isn't enough poke to get really entertained or keep me entertained when exiting the corner. When you add the large 18inch wheels it adds more grip that the car does not need. Sometimes, less is more if you want a bit of fun. Of course if you don't want fun and want to drive really fast without any concern that the tail of the car will step out the you'd enjoy this car. But then again, with 130bhp and only 158Nm of torque it won't do the tricks you'd want it to do. I threw it into a corner, its chassis was responsive and it's tail stepped out a little but upon stepping hard on the accelerator to power out of the corner all that I got was engine noise and small family sedan performance - exactly like a 1.6liter Elantra. In fact on full acceleration it felt like an Elantra and nothing more. You get the same trashy engine noise like the Elantra too. Yes, the chassis is more entertaining than the Elantra but it does not have the firepower to back it up. Things could be slightly better with the 6 speed manual instead of the 6 speed automatic but I don't think it'll be much.
Hyundai is marketing the Veloster as a sporty alternative to conventional sporty hatchbacks or affordable coupes. I think the car does this 'poser' thing well as it looks good and if you weren't looking at this RM132,000+ variant I drove with its large wheels the base RM116,901.00 (without insurance and other charges) base model with the manual shifter is the one to go. There is a 'base' automatic at RM121,000+. The rm131,000 is just extra make-up. But then again, if you don't have any power to back up the chassis, a lot of make-up is necessary. So if you want a nice looking, non-hybrid coupe/hatchback thingy just to impress the girls or for the girls to impress the guys, but without the performance, buy the fully specced one and don't complain about its lack of power.
There, isn't that good advice?
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