Hyundai Australia discontinues Veloster hatchback as it focuses efforts on N and N Line models

After around 12 months on sale, the second-generation Veloster has officially been axed by Hyundai Australia, which was the only right-hand-drive market in the world to sell the quirky four-door hatchback.

Having first hit showrooms in September 2019, the Veloster entered runout in the late third quarter of 2020, according to a Hyundai Australia spokesperson, with enough stock in showrooms to last the next six months.

While slow sales are the usual culprit for discontinuing a model, Hyundai Australia has made the decision to withdraw the Veloster due to its “shifting focus to our rapidly expanding N and N Line model range”, according to the spokesperson.

In fact, the Veloster has been performing better than many others in the sub-$80,000 sports car segment, outpacing the likes of the Mazda MX-5, Nissan 370Z, Toyota 86 and Subaru BRZ with 586 sales to the end of November this year.

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The Veloster is actually the second-best selling model in the segment, behind only the Ford Mustang (2589) and just two units ahead of the runout BMW 2 Series coupe/convertible (584).

Eight sporty models are planned for release from the South Korean brand in 2021, including the i20 N, automatic i30 N, Kona N Line and Tucson N Line, leaving little room for the asymmetrically doored Veloster.

The Veloster line-up features six grades, kicking off at $29,780 before on-road costs and topping out at $42,410.

The base cars – available in six-speed manual or auto – are powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine sending 110kW/180Nm to the front wheels.

Stepping up to the Turbo and Turbo Premium variants however, up the ante to 150kW/265Nm from a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine, while the automatic transmission is also upgraded to a dual-clutch unit with seven speeds.

Sharing the same underpinnings as the i30, the Veloster Turbo was up to $8830 pricier than the equivalent N Line five-door hatchback.

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