Hyundai Veloster Street Turbo Is Limited Only By Numbers

The limited edition 2016 Hyundai Veloster Street Turbo brings additional styling cues and kit to give that extra bit of credibility.

The Hyundai Veloster Street Turbo maybe a limited edition to Australia, but it seems that the quirky hatchback is only limited by its unit numbers, bringing an extra bit of style and panache to the Korean vehicle.

On initial impressions, the extra body kit and blacked out black 18-inch Rays Gram Lights alloy wheels give an immediate sense of speed, but still has the 1.6 L turbocharged engine as found in the SR. You can have a six speed manual or a seven speed dual clutch auto transmission, which also includes steering wheel paddle shifters for just a few thousand more than the Veloster SR Turbo + with a top price of $38,250 for the seven speed automatic version.

The 1.6 L Turbo GDi four-cylinder engine sits on top of MacPherson struts, with 300mm ventilated brake discs at the front and 262mm solid discs at the back. You get the power at 6000 rpm which is not going to be rocket fast, but can definitely fit the bill for most situations where you want a bit more shove than the average.

As with any Hyundai, you can expect loads of standard equipment which include keyless entry, LED daytime running lights, cruise control, 7-inch infotainment touchscreen, rearview camera and sensors, six airbags in total, tire pressure monitoring and automatic HID xenon headlights amongst others. The interior gets some additional features like sports seats with tasty blue stitching, which runs throughout the cabin from the front seat belts, steering wheel, centre console lid and branded floor mats. There are some lacking features like Apple CarPlay and Google Now which you can find in the Veloster Series II, but I'm sure this won't disappoint the 200 lucky owners of this limited edition.

The interior is definitely more premium feeling than the rest of the lineup, but there are still signs of the Veloster line needing a redesign in the near future, with the plastic manual handbrake, amongst others. As with many hot hatchbacks, the backseat area is minimal, with not much headroom and legroom, no rear air vents and only two cupholders.

The trapezoid front grille and twin exhausts make the Street turbo standout, along with the nicely styled headlights and rear spoiler configuration. The second door on the curbside has been one of the Veloster mmore quirky but functional features which stays for this version.

The Veloster Street Turbo does have its competitors at this price point, which include the Mazda MX-5, Renault Clio RS200, Volkswagen Polo GTI and Toyota 86, but you do get a five-year unlimited warranty with the Hyundai, roadside assistance and first service at 1500km.

Although the Veloster Street Turbo may not win any races, it is definitely a viable alternative to the competition, which features the usual comprehensive array of Hyundai equipment as standard. The Veloster will be redesigned in the next year, with an overall profile more or less the same as the 2011 version, but with a wider and more distinctive look. this means that the street version may be just one of the last hurrah is from the current lineup.