The Hyundai Veloster Turbo R-Spec is an odd sports car
The 2019 Hyundai Veloster Turbo R-Type has three doors and plenty of power to go with them. Fox News Autos Editor Gary Gastelu chooses the right one and takes it for a spin.
The Hyundai Veloster is one of the oddest cars on sale today.
But it might not be available much longer.
The compact hatchback features an asymmetrical passenger door design, with one large door for the driver and two smaller ones on the passenger side that provide easier access to the rear seat.
Hyundai is so committed to the idea that in markets where vehicles have the steering wheel on the right-hand side, the doors are switched to go with it.
The Hyundai Veloster has three passenger doors. (Hyundai)
Nearly 40,000 Velosters were sold in the U.S. during its first full year on the market in 2012, but when the second-generation version launched in 2019, that figure dropped to around 12,000 and has been going down ever since.
The Veloster uses two doors on the passenger side to create easier access to the back seat. (Hyundai)
Only 2,112 Velosters found new American homes last year. Hyundai has trimmed the most mainstream models from the range and currently sells only the high performance Veloster N, which has a 275 hp turbocharged engine and starts at $33,595.
The high-performance Veloster N is the only model currently available. (Hyundai)
Hyundai delivered a scant 510 Velosters in its home market of South Korea in 2021. Sources now tell The Korea Economic Daily that it will discontinue production completely at the end of July.
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The automaker has not officially announced the decision, but the outlet reports that the factory that builds the Veloster will be used to increase production of the more popular Kona subcompact SUV, which is also available in an N trim alongside standard versions that start at $22,595