Hyundai gives Veloster Street cred
BY TIM NICHOLSON | 16th Aug 2013
Also named ‘Street’, the limited-run variant adds to the already attention-grabbing exterior of the Veloster with sporty styling touches as well as some extra gear in the cabin.
The Street is unique to the Australian market, and Hyundai has priced it from $24,990 before on-road costs with a manual gearbox, and from $27,390 for the automatic version.
This marks a $1000 premium over the entry price for the standard Veloster on which it is based, which starts from $23,990. Moving up to the more richly equipped Veloster Plus costs $28,990.
Hyundai Australia public relations manager Bill Thomas confirmed 300 examples of the Street will be sold initially, but more could be produced if there was sufficient demand.
Styling enhancements for the Street include a bigger rear spoiler, 18-inch alloy wheels with red inserts on the spokes, ‘Street’ badging and a Sonic Silver body paint.
Additions to the cabin include striking red leather interior with matching door inserts, and plush pile floor mats with an embroidered ‘Street’ logo.
Power comes from the standard Veloster’s 103kW/166Nm 1.6-litre GDi petrol engine, and Hyundai has fitted the Street with upgraded sports suspension from the more performance-focussed 150kW Veloster Turbo.
Since its release in February 2012, Hyundai has recorded strong sales for the Veloster, with the quirky hatch-cum-coupe taking the crown as the top-selling sports car in Australia priced at less than $80,000 last year.
While sales are up by seven per cent this year, the Veloster has lost top spot on the sales charts to Toyota’s award-winning 86 coupe that has sold 4049 units to the end of July, compared with 2379 Velosters over the same seven-month period.
| Hyundai Veloster Street pricing* | |
| 1.6L Street | $24,990 |
| 1.6L Street (a) | $27,390 |
