If you’re a performance enthusiast on a budget, 2012 is a shaping up to be a good year for you. There is a slew of cheap performance cars now hitting the market at the $25K-$30K range such as the Subaru BRZ and Toyota Scion FR-S. Honda is going to have a revamped version of the Civic later this year which should include the Si, Volkswagen has updated the GTI to keep it fresh, while Ford is hoping to wow you with the new Focus ST. Add in some decent discounts for the older cheap performance cars such as the Mazdaspeed3 and the Nissan Sentra SE-R and you’ve got quite a tough choice to make.
Hyundai has now thrown its hat into the fray by announcing that the turbocharged version of the poloarizing looking Veloster will start at $25,999. Add an extra $1250 to that price if, for some silly reason, you prefer to have the gears switch themselves automatically.
The turbo will be good for 201 horsepower and 195 pound feet of torque at just 1,750 RPM. That’s 46% more power than the regular Veloster but it uses regular gas and gets a decent 7.5/5.2 city/highway rating. Aside from the obvious power difference the turbo will have a bigger hexagonal front grille, sculpted side skirts, and new dynamic rear bumper with prominent diffuser vents in the lower fascia to let everyone know that this Hyundai means business. It will also get a quicker ratio steering rack than the standard car and a revised steering calibration.
The Veloster turbo will come in one fully loaded trim level only, with the only option being the matte grey paint in the picture above for $1,000. Everything from Blutooth, to 18 inch wheels, navigation, LED lights, and leather interior is standard making it among the best equipped in the segment for the price.
What do you think of a Veloster turbo? Which cheap performance car would get your money?
[Hyundai Canada]
