When Hyundai launched the Veloster compact coupe in 2011, it became an instant hit with car enthusiasts and performance junkies alike. The little 2-seater quickly became a popular choice for those looking for something different than a standard sports car—a car that wasn’t too big to handle but had the speed to put a smile on your face.
Even better, the Veloster is priced well below many of its competitors, making it a great option for car enthusiasts who want the fun without breaking the bank.
The Hyundai Veloster is available in two different trims: a base version and a sports package. Both are powered by a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that is mated to either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission. The base version comes with cloth seats, while the sports package adds heated leather seats and some touches of red-accented lighting.
It’s not the most luxurious or upscale of cars, but it’s certainly one that offers plenty of value for your dollar.
The exterior design is distinctive and modern—a sharp jutting shoulder line makes for an interesting look that doesn’t take away from any of the Veloster’s basic functionality.
Cars similar to the Hyundai Veloster
As today’s automotive market continues to grow and evolve, the options for consumers continue to expand. It’s never been easier to find the perfect car for your lifestyle, with a plethora of options available to suit every need and budget.
But despite this seemingly bountiful landscape, there are still some models that get a little lost in the shuffle—the ones that don’t quite fit in with the other popular cars out there.
If you love looking at unique vehicles but want something different from the rest of the pack, steer your search toward one of these 6 cars similar to the Hyundai Veloster:
1. Kia Soul
The Kia Soul is a funky hatchback that looks more like an urban-style vehicle than a family car. If you love the fun colors and non-traditional design of the Hyundai Veloster but want something a little more suited to everyday life, this is an excellent choice.
2. Ford Fiesta ST
The Fiesta ST offers many of the same features as the Hyundai Veloster—a sporty look and plenty of horsepower—but takes it down a notch when it comes to size. If you’re looking for something that’s basically a miniature version of your dream car, this one checks all the boxes.
Nissan Versa Note: The Nissan Versa Note is also a sporty, compact vehicle similar to the Veloster. Manufacturers have a suggested retail price of $16,440. It has a 1.6L engine and a five-speed manual transmission. Nissan Sentra: The Nissan Sentra is another vehicle similar to the Veloster that offers a spacious interior and plenty of cargo space.
Even though it’s larger than the Veloster, it’s still fun to drive thanks to its responsive steering and handling capabilities. It has manufacturer suggested retail price of $17,775. Ford Fiesta: The Ford Fiesta is also an attractive option if you’re shopping for cars similar to the Veloster.
3. Audi A1
If you’re looking for a European car with an urban edge and have your heart set on a distinctive shape that stands out in a crowd, the Audi A1 might be a good choice. In particular, its front end is very similar to the Hyundai Veloster’s fastback design.
The two cars’ headlights, hoods, and front bumpers are almost identical; the Audi even has Veloster-esque vertical slats between its headlights, though they’re slightly narrower. The similarities don’t stop there, either. Both the A1 and the Veloster have short side windows that angle in at the top near their peaks (the Veloster’s window is just slightly longer), and both have rear doors that hinge up and back as well.
The two vehicles share some interior features as well; both have trendy LCD screens in their instrument clusters that display a ton of information, as well as touchscreens for selecting navigation settings and adjusting sound systems. Their back seats also have fold-down center armrests, which come in handy when navigating tricky parking spots.
Aesthetically, these cars are not identical, but they do share some design elements that give them a similarly sporty look—the most obvious of which is their flat hoods with prominent power bulges.
4. Ford Focus
The Ford Focus is a car that I like to compare to the Hyundai Veloster for a few reasons. Both of these cars are sporty-looking hatchbacks, and both of them have the same number of doors. The Veloster is a little bit more expensive than the Focus, but it has a couple of extra features that I think are worth paying for.
One thing that I like about both cars is the way they look–they’re both sporty, modern cars with a lot of style. Another thing I like about them is that they’re both very safe–they have good crash ratings, and they’re equipped with many safety features.
They also have good gas mileage–both get around 30 miles per gallon. The Veloster is a little better at this than the Focus, but it’s not by much; and you might be able to save money on gas by choosing the Focus because it’s cheaper.
Finally, one thing I really like about both cars is that they’re very well-equipped–they have lots of features, such as air conditioners, Bluetooth connectivity and alloy wheels, so there aren’t many upgrades you’d need to make when buying either car.
5. Hyundai i30
The Hyundai Veloster is a compact sporty car that offers great style, performance and handling. But not everyone has the budget to spend on that type of vehicle. The Hyundai i30 is the perfect alternative for a more affordable price.
It comes with a 1.6-liter 4-cylinder engine that produces 143 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque. It is offered in either a 6-speed manual transmission or an automatic transmission with Sportmatic shifting control. The fuel economy ratings are not released yet by the EPA, but they will be very similar to the Veloster’s ratings of 25/32 mpg city/highway, which makes it another good alternative to the Hyundai Veloster.
6. Audi A3
The Hyundai Veloster and the Audi A3 are both sporty options for those who are looking for all-around performance. Both of these vehicles have two doors, which makes it easy to get in and out of the car quickly. They each have six gears, and they each come with a Turbo option.
The Hyundai Veloster is a great choice because it doesn’t sacrifice style for performance—it can be customized with an assortment of colors, wheels, and body kits. Plus, it has the most legroom of all of its competitors, which is especially important if you want to comfortably transport several passengers.
The Audi A3 is also stylish, but it has a more minimalistic look that some may prefer over the Veloster’s style options. The A3 is also slightly more expensive than the Veloster, but it’s worth paying more for a vehicle that can seat five people comfortably and has more trunk space.
7. Ford Mondeo
The Hyundai Veloster and the Ford Mondeo are similar in their sporty, sleek design and the power of their engines. The Veloster is a two-door hatchback that debuted in 2011, while the Mondeo was first introduced in 1993 as a sedan.
Despite the Mondeo’s age, it has been continually redesigned and offers many of the same features found in the similarly priced, more advanced Veloster. They both have an independent suspension, touch screen, “eco-boost” technology and a drive-by-wire accelerator.
8. Hyundai Ioniq
The Hyundai Ioniq is similar to the Hyundai Veloster because of its style, engine, price and other factors. The Ioniq comes with a 1.6-liter engine that provides 128 horsepower and an electric motor that produces 29 hp. It can get up to 250 miles per charge when it’s fully charged in just 22 hours.
It costs $24,500 and only has one color option: black with black interior. The Veloster has a 2.0-liter engine that delivers 147 hp and an electric motor that generates 74 hp. The Veloster gets up to 34 mpg in the city and 41 mpg on the highway. It costs $21,150 and has three color options: Alpine White, Boston Red Metallic, Phantom Black Crystal Pearl.
9. BMW 1
The Hyundai Veloster is a twin-door hatchback that’s similar to the BMW 1 series. Both cars have the same engine: a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder with 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft of torque. The Hyundai Veloster has more torque, which means it has more low-end power in the lower RPMs than the BMW 1 series.
The Hyundai Veloster goes from 0 to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds, while the BMW 1 series takes 9.3 seconds to do the same—a difference of about a half second. The BMW’s body is longer and wider than that of the Hyundai Veloster, so it looks like a sedan, but it isn’t one—it has two doors on each side and four seats.
The back seat can only hold two people because of how close to each other the seats are, but this is typical for cars with 2 doors per side: there’s no room for three across in such vehicles (even if there were, you’d be blocking the third door).
The Hyundai’s shorter, boxier profile allows for a roomier cabin than in the BMW 1 series.
10. Holden Astra
The Holden Astra gets compared to the Hyundai Veloster a lot because they’re both relatively new models in their respective markets, and they both have a hatchback style. The Astra has a more traditional look with its engine in front, while the Veloster has the engine behind the driver, which gives it the look of a coupe.
The Astra is clearly meant for city driving with its four-cylinder engine and small size. It’s got an interior that will appeal to many car buyers who want something practical without being too boring or too untraditional. The Veloster is less conventional than the Astra but it isn’t as extreme as some of the other cars in its class.
Its performance is similar to that of a sporty compact car; it’s not going to be your best option if you need the space of something like a minivan or station wagon.
11. Infiniti Q30
The Infiniti Q30 is an attractive hatchback that shares many of the same traits as the Hyundai Veloster. First, they’re both stylish and trendy. The Q30 comes in a variety of colors, including blue, white, red, and black. It has an aerodynamic design that’s particularly impressive for a small car.
The Veloster has cute and sporty features like a roll bar, air vents behind the front seats, and a flashy dash. Second, both vehicles are economical. Even though the Q30 starts at $33,500 and the Veloster starts at $22,500, they both get 35 miles per gallon in town and 42 miles per gallon on the highway.
Lastly, both cars offer great safety features. They have six airbags between them to protect their passengers in case of an accident. Both cars also come with traction control to prevent skidding on slippery roads and stability control to stabilize the vehicle during sudden turns or when braking hard.
12. Ford Fiesta
The Ford Fiesta and the Hyundai Veloster are both sporty and fun to drive, but the Fiesta is more practical with its five-door hatchback design. The Veloster only comes in a coupe body style.
The Fiesta has a couple of optional features that make it stand out from the crowd—not just for the Veloster, but for other cars in its class as well. The Fiesta’s 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine is one of only two in its segment to come with a turbocharger (the other is the Mini Cooper S).
You can also get a Sport Appearance package that adds unique styling upgrades and some performance enhancements, including a standard Sport Mode function, which optimizes throttle response, transmission shift timing and steering feel.
Both cars have similar equipment on their standard models, but the Fiesta gives you more options to fine-tune the car to your preferences. As an example, you can choose between the Normal and Sport chassis setup on the Fiesta, while the Veloster only comes with Sport Mode as standard equipment.
Both cars have just over 100 horsepower (as of this writing), but there are key differences underneath: The Fiesta’s 1.0-liter engine has three valves per cylinder while the Veloster’s 1.6.
13. Honda Civic Hatchback Sport
The Honda Civic Hatchback Sport is a car that could be similar to the Hyundai Veloster. The Civic is a four-door hatchback, just like the Veloster. It has two doors on the driver side and two large back doors. The Veloster can have its seats removed, making it more of a “coupe” than a “hatchback”.
Both cars have three options of engines: 1.8L, 2.0L and turbocharged 1.6L. The Veloster is more expensive than the Civic, but has more horsepower and torque than the Civic does. This means it may go faster off the line or around corners, which would make it better for racing.
They both also seat five people with room for cargo in their trunks. While Honda has been around longer than Hyundai, they are both good makes of car and both made in Korea (Hyundai was previously known as AutoKorea). That being said, they are very different in terms of price and performance.
14. Volkswagen Golf
Both the Golf and the Veloster are sporty coupes that offer a lot of value for their price. Both have a lot to offer in terms of style, comfort, and even practicality. While they’re both great cars, they each have distinct features that set them apart from one another.
The Golf is more spacious, while the Veloster offers more storage space behind the seats. The Golf has a slightly better fuel economy than the Veloster. The Golf also has more backseat legroom than the Veloster. However, the Veloster offers more cargo space than the Golf.
One thing both these cars can be proud of is their resale value. They’re both very popular cars, so if you plan on keeping your car for quite some time after purchasing it, either of these makes a great choice!
Related: 12 Cars Similar to Volkswagen Golf
15. Toyota Corolla XSE
The Hyundai Veloster is a sporty, three-door hatchback that looks like a cross between a coupe and a hatchback. The front doors open like regular car doors, while the rear ones open like Alfa Romeo models.
The Hyundai Veloster has been in production since 2012 and is available as both a coupe and a hatchback. If you want to know more about similar cars to the Veloster, read on!
The Toyota Corolla XSE is similar to the Veloster in many ways. Both are sporty, with room for five people. The interior of the Corolla XSE has fabric seats. The Veloster’s seats are leather. Both have great gas mileage—the Corolla XSE gets 28 mpg city, 36 mpg highway, and 32 mpg combined.
The Veloster gets 26/37/30 mpg. Both cars have standard automatic climate control and Bluetooth connectivity; however, the Corolla XSE has standard navigation with 3D maps and updated traffic information, while the Veloster does not have this feature available. The Toyota Corolla XSE costs $21,000 compared to the Veloster’s $24,250 price tag; however, both are competitively priced for similar vehicles in their class.
