The funkiest Hyundai to date, the Veloster is here in Singapore. But sad to say, the performance failed to match its good looks. Powered by a 138bhp 1.6-litre Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) engine, the Veloster is only about 10 bhp more than the 1.6-litre MPI engine found in the Elantra.
It sprints leisurely to 100km/h in a leisurely 10.3 seconds. Even a mundane looking VW Jetta 1.4-litre TSI can leave the Veloster behind. But fear not, for there is a super-hot 1.6 Turbo-GDI version of the Veloster, which is good for 201 bhp.

Coupled with a 6-speed automatic gearbox, the forced-induction coupe completes the century sprint in a quick 7.5 seconds. The Veloster seemed to go from mildly spicy in the non-turbo form to extremely spicy in the turbo variant. Is there room for something in-between?

I believe there is.

Just like the VW Golf, there is a base 122bhp version, a mid-range 160bhp ‘twincharger’ and an over 200bhp GTI variant. Similar to BMW’s N13 1.6L turbo engines, the Korean car maker’s 1.6-litre turbo uses twin-scroll turbocharger. Another similarity between the two is that both utilize gasoline direct-injection technology. If BMW’s N13 can come in tunes of 136bhp and 170 bhp, I see no reason why Hyundai can’t offer say a 160bhp 1.6 T-GDI lump.

A lower-powered 1.6-litre T-GDI engine could even be fitted into the Elantra and Hyundai can call it the “Elantra Sport”. This would lend it the credentials to challenge the VW Jetta Sport. I hope Hyundai’s management has similar ideas in mind.

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