Why Did Nobody Buy The Hyundai Veloster Turbo SE? It's Bonkers, And Brilliant! 

At least they did it right and had the two doors on the pavement side so the kids can get out onto the pavement safely unlike the Mini where they opened into the road as they couldn’t be arsed to redo the car for the right hand drive market.

Never seen a Turbo...Always liked the look of them though...

I had a 2012 and now a 2016 STICK SHIFT. What a hoot! The Veloster is the Porsche 944, VW Corrodo, 2011 Scirocco I could never afford..... and it isn't GERMAN so it does not need a $1000 repair every month. 45 Miles per Gallon is fun too

They’ve closed that road you normally use to put speed cameras on it lol

So glad you reviewed this odd-looking, but highly interesting car. A few years ago, I sometimes saw them and its styling guaranteed you did notice them. With its Audi-like grille, the turbo-version did look better than the regular veloster.

Very excited to watch this. I saw one for the first time in Florida, must have been 2013, I thought it looked absolutely brilliant with its twin centre exhaust and matte paint. Don't think I've ever seen a turbo in person in the UK, or a regular one for that matter! Thank you for all the work you put in, I very much look forward to your videos, always entertaining.

back when I was looking to replace my second Hyundai Coupe, the dealer told me that they had lost a lot of sales due to Hyundai replacing it with the Veloster. Ended up getting a VW Scirocco.

I’m an American, and I see these things in both regular, turbo, or N configurations fairly regularly, I’m honestly surprised that those didn’t sell well in the UK

This made me miss my turbo V even more now, awesome little car, ours never missed a beat over the 3 yrs 140k kms I owned it. We had no dramas chucking the family of 4 in it and head off on a road trip of some 1000ks over a long weekend here in Oz.

reason they didn't sell is simple badge snobbery. Brits are slowly coming to terms with the fact that koreans make good cars that are more reliable and better equiped than their beloved german brands.

Back in the time where everyone still thought Hyundais were shit. I have a 1st gen i30D from 2009, never gone wrong, never broken down, as a 45mile commuter everyday, still love it (also own ST150 and now an EP3). Boot can easily contain a large greyhound and the large plush bed such a spoilt animal requires.

I just bought my son a 2013 Veloster Turbo. Added a Big Turbo Blow Off Valve and He loves it!!

Great video, made my choice seem right, picking a 62 plate Turbo up on Saturday only 41000 miles 😁

So glad to see someone from the UK giving this car an up to date review! I sold my Hyundai coupe a few months ago and replaced it with a white Veloster Turbo and its brilliant! Although not a true successor for the coupe, I needed something more practical and economical, while still being punchy with the performance. Other cars on my radar included a VW Scirocco and Honda CRZ, but I found the Scirocco to be a bit too common despite being a good car, and the CRZ too under powered. The Veloster is fantastic as a daily, and is really good at generating conversation due to it being quite niche, which is what I like in a car.

It’s funny to hear you call this rare! Over in the USA I see these fairly often.

I just wanted to thank Jay for being a true gent on the day and for producing a great video. I really enjoyed the experience.

Here in the US, they do come "recommended" as it were. I have personally only seen two in the wild, but I like the (outside the box) door configuration. As always great job, Cheers!

Another very enjoyable and honest video,great little car keep them coming mate👍🏻

Always liked these as odd ball field alternatives to Focus STs and Golfs. They're as rare as rocking horse 💩 in the UK so good ones are still a little pricey but I guess that means they won't get riced to death for the moment. Great video as always.

It's the doors, they're just weird 😬 looks like a Mégane from the back.

When I went car shopping, it took me nearly an hour to realize I was looking at the same car in the photos due to there doors. I probably wouldn’t be owning a veloster turbo today if I wasn’t having so much difficulty looking for the right car.

This is totally bonkers I have 16’ Veloster turbo and had no idea this was ever sold in the uk!(I previously lived there) Great review and happy new year !

Really interesting, thanks for reviewing this vehicle. Always had an eye on the Veloster N (from US videos) and the i30N. Have you driven the i30N on your channel? ... I shall check ... YES! Right, next video sorted! 👍😎

Great Review, as Always. Here in the States, see them often. Loved the 3 door design from the beginning. Maybe I’m a little out of Square too

I had never even heard of the Veloster Turbo SE so I was instantly curious about this car and I have to say I really like it. It looks striking, sounds great, its practical and for a hot car cheap to run. How these wern't a runaway success here in the UK makes no sense.

In Canada I bought the Grannie model 2020 new. I still sometimes miss a stock shift. I wish it was more economical with fuel but otherwise I love the layout. I promptly took it to the thrift stores and have carried torch lamps and furniture in it! I took a pet carrier with me to my test drive. A bit if Tetris but cats can ride in front or back. I didn’t like the shifter in the 2019 Accent I tried the same day, and the back seats folded flatter in the Veloster. No heads up display it paddle shifters but I am happy with it. I find it will step out nicely in Sport Mode but usually drive in pokey mode to save some gas in city driving. I am sad that Hyundai 0:00 discontinued them. This is my second under/the/radar car, the other was a Toyota Celica with a shifter like a tractor and lovely pop up headlights…I’m 5 feet tall and can see perfectly fine with the big side windows and mirrors. The car made me feel like I’d in my old 0:00 Celica ( other than not a manual) but with safety features like the lane assist. My insurance is less than on my old beater Aveo sedan. Only a few months left to pay on it and now I do want to keep it for as long as I can. Mine is a lively bright orange i consider that a safety feature as drivers can be pretty oblivious here in southern Ontario ha ha

Great video, getting mine delivered next week!

Enjoyed your input, currently looking at one and wanted your opinion, looking forward to taking it out for some fun. Thank You.

The Veloster N here in America is nearly held in the same regard as the Civic Type R.

Unbelievable! I walked past one yesterday and thought that’s a car you must review!

I also wanted to mention about *Hyundai Tiburon GT V6* it's a predecessor to this car, and it's a great sports car from the Korean as well!!

£170k car to £10k car.Its still refreshing to see to these polar opposites James.👍

I had a black sport on turbo loved it put 80 thousand on it in 3 years mostly driving it on welsh back roads in Monmouthshire around ware you tested those Jags absolutely loved it traded in for a i30 n which I also adore 👍🏻

I agree with much of what you said, and cannot understand why it was not more popular in GB. My 2016 Veloster R-Spec is one of the very best cars I've ever owned. I traded in a Corvette to buy this car (!), and I've never regretted my decision. It's reasonably fast, quite economical, and very practical. I do feel the 3 door configuration is a bit silly; the back door is on the wrong side. I'd rather just have 4 doors. I've driven for over a half century (the Veloster is not just for the young) and this car satisfies in almost every way. My turbo Veloster seems even better when I compare it to a 2013 Focus ST I once owned. That was a car I grew to hate for its many and varied faults. I won't bore you- it could be a long story- but just one example. Wide open throttle in the Ford in second gear, the car would pull me off the road into a ditch. The Veloster? No torque steer whatever. I love this car and I love Hyundai. I also own a 2007 Tucson with a 5 speed transmission, and a 2017 Santa Fe.

I am much pleased with your review! I previously owned the 1st gen 2012 Veloster NA with the DSG it was a great car that would have been a great comparo with the car in this vid. Mine had a $900 AUD aftermarket steering wheel and a $1200 catback exhaust, sounded so nice and loud and it was painted in a very bright Yellow with Black racing stripes (like Bumblebee) a very attention grabber and was a great car i loved it but it was time to upgrade and so i dont have it no more but shame u couldnt have tested mine, also a bit hard considering im in Australia where they were in abundance! We love them here

Yeah tbh I always wondered why these didn't do better. I always thought they were a smart looking modern hatchback thing, and the turbo is compelling. I'd be happy to have one

Great little cars they’re all over our roads here in the US, my uncle bought one before he passed away. A 60 year old driving one of these was funny to see

Great to see this review...a very interesting motor indeed.

I never knew we got a warm Veloster in the UK, yet such a funky little car. Shame it didn't sell, it looks like fun.

James, being a Korean brand its pronunciation is more akin to saying 'Hunday;'.. like Sunday. Always love your content. cheers mate.

This is in a similar category to the Honda CR-Z to me, coupes had just fallen out of favour by the time this came out, both are quirky things though and I'd be happy to own either.

Yes, It does ok here in Oz. Odd about the UK as they love a good quirky car more than most.

It depends what colour you see em in. A bloke near me has a yellow one and it looks great

i owned two of them and i think the car was great , high quality the material was great and finishing was realy good also plus nothing else on the road look like this car very fun to drive and surprisingly very spacious

It failed here in the UK because the majority of the general public like boring convention VW, Audi, BMW and Mercedes. These Hyundai's unlike the aforementioned Germans are different and also very reliable. The reason why the brilliant i30N does not sell well in the UK is because that people default to a Golf GTi believing that in some cloud cuckoo land fantasy that having a VW badge means German quality. The I30N is far better than a Golf GTi. Also Hyundai will give you a better customer experience as proven in reliability surveys. Great review thanks.

Though its not an easy fix, you could theoretically make the passenger side a single door by getting the doors, the b-pillar, the rear wing and side pressings and rear glass and seals. Importing them directly from South Korea, since they are left hand drive cars. i30 N? I prefer the Fastback N. Good looking car, looks like the old Merc C-class coupe but with 4 doors.

I have to assume you never got the Elantra/Avante James🤔 I've enjoyed my 2018 Elantra Sport for 2.5 years now. It has the same engine (ours was tuned to 201 hp/195 lbs ft) but has the 7 spd DCT (hard to find the manual) and has been slowly winning me over. I've got a JUN BL axle-back and SXTH Element enclosed intake and catchcan. Also have aftermarket rims for 3 season duty w/Continental DWS06 Plus tires upped 1 size and it's so much better. This is the only Elantra model to have IRS so it rides and handles very well. Think of this as a Korean Civic Si sedan👍👍

US market got a Veloster N model and it looks great :)

Watching this a little late. But turning off traction control makes a big difference. If you want to go further you can turn stability control off as well. Love my Veloster Turbo and will keep it for as long as she lives

The sales figures were so low the regular model is discontinued in the USA from 22. It is also no longer sold in my country. Sad as I liked the idea of the asymmetric car.

Looks very good. Interior is predictably naff and seems crazy to need to rebuild the top end for that sort of power

Review problem here is that it's been modified/upgraded with most of the original niggly items (which would have put people off) improved (& which we didn't get a price of). James really needs to review a standard version for context. Enjoyed this review tho, interesting car & how the owner enjoys it, a good sign!

Great looking car, has lots of nice touches added by the owner.

Test drove a 1.6 veloster once, drove pretty much the same as my old 2005 Hyundai Coupe. Unremarkable. Turbo is intriguing though because i do like the styling

Veloster N is a right bundle of fun, sounds awesome.

I owned one in Spain, it was awesome and people were always asking what it was.

They still sell the Veloster in the US and A, but only the Veloster N now. That has the same engine as the i30N.

2+1 door coupe with a boot Turbo. Beautiful

I own one In Australia. Love the car . About to sell it.

All the comments remind me of what I think of my 2017 Mazda3 2.5L HB manual. It does everything I need it to do as a daily, And it's amazingly fun to drive...fairly quick, 32-33 mpg ave, nice interior, smooth...with a 132 mph top speed (governed). And, I think it's reliability will be more Toyota like.

When you were talking about the styling and couldn't figure out the rear, I always thought it was very much like the 2012 Renault Megane RS.

How odd. I'm going to view one of the non turbo variants tomorrow morning, and this is uploaded!

I have one of these in White . Was not expecting to see you review this, no one seems to know about it. I get people constantly asking me "what the hell is it?" Its a good little car without being particularly outstanding to drive, still looks great though, has aged quite well tbh. But yeah, here in the UK these sold terribly. Combination of poor marketing from Hyundai and badge snobbery.

Probably didn't sell well originally because most young drivers would usually buy something used to save being hammered by depreciation on a new car and if they did buy something new, it would probably be something more insurable for a young driver than a 180bhp hatchback, probably had less appeal than an equivalent Golf, Polo, Focus, Fiesta or A3 or A1 of the same era for slightly older car buyers and was less well known plus the doors do look a bit weird. I remember Mazda did something similar with the RX8 and always thought it just looked awkward. Same for one of the Mini's that has that. It's not the popular model for a reason. I do remember seeing these when they came out and never really saw the appeal.

I think we need to see you driving an i20N next James, if anyone can sort you out a drive in one

Love your vids

I think it fell flat because it followed on from the S111 coupe which was a great looking car , I drove one when they were new and it was not as exciting as the coupe in looks or performance. Time has gone on and they now look cool and a left field choice for someone who wants a different looking car especially as you rarely see them on our roads.

I love these. They are so rare in the uk

Ive got a CAD market 2013 turbo, super fun but 2012-2014 have some engine issues. easy to find mods but not so easy to find OEM parts for a good price.

Good evening from Manchester. I think programs like top gear should be made accountable.

Never seen one in person, I do quite like them though.

Loved the abnormal load joke! 🤣

Love Hyundai Just bought the 22 Tucson

Hyoon. Dai. Two syllables, each containing a dipthong. Nothing but love.

The exhaust note reminds me of an E type.

Cracking car though I’d have it over any fiesta st or equivalent

saw one of these out on the road today and thought...mmmm...thats a nice option..

When I was young I used to love hyundai genesis coupe and this 3door one before I got in JDM stuff

I have the 2016 model in black the turbo and I love it my kids call it my race car it even has the race car pedals came factory lol

Hey JayEmm, is it just me, or does the rear of the Veloster look like the rear of the Astra GTC? Great video, BTW.

Had the R-Spec with the 6-spd and it felt like an econobox.

Has one of the most intresting rears

Never heard of that one, interesting!

This Hyundai is positively commonplace compared to mine! I have a low-mileage (57k) 1998 Hyundai Coupe F2 (2.0) which Hyundai produced as a limited edition to celebrate their entry into the F2 category of the World Rally Championship that year. The chassis was tweaked by Porsche and it's a lot lighter than the later early 2000's Hyundai Coupes. It's a bit of a garage queen... I have to preserve it as it's now rarer than a 430 Scuderia on British roads!

I'm thinking shades of the smart 4 door thing at the back?

It’s a small, relatively inexpensive turbo with a manual……sounds exactly like what folks in the UK drive and the opposite of what most Americans like yet they’re everywhere here and didn’t sell over there. Makes no sense

I actually nearly got one of these but they’re just too slow. Also with kids I want the option to open either door so I’m not opening into a road, without having to think about the direction I parry in. I’m gutted the new one isn’t coming to the uk.

The asymmetric door thing is so weird. Apart from feeling like a "coupe" for the driver what is the advantage? Long doors are painful in tight car parks! Certainly a unique oddball car though. Nice video.

Awesome little car.

Seen loads when I was in America never seen one in the UK

Considered to buy one last week before I watched this video, only found one in Croatia, but unfortunately I was late, someone bought it before me haha Oh well, what can you do...

Reminds me of some vaguely realistic GTA interpretation of a real car

in canada the 1.6 turbo had 201hp and 195 torque very smoth not much lag and pepi

You should try to get your hands on the DC5 Type R.

Review a Hyundai Coupe SIII 2.0 please

I like it but the door situation just is a big no for me. Still a cool little car

That Turbo at 0:03 wow

Still waiting for this car in the Philippines

I want to fit a Veloster engine into Getz, calling it "Toughed" Getz Toughed?? 🤣

Weird 3 door thingy 🤔🤷‍♂️ but looks good from the front 😁👍