In a very good year for enjoyable little cars, the Veloster cannot match the peppy Chevrolet Sonic turbo's performance or the Fiat 500's Italian exuberance.
Like the departed Saturn SC coupe, the Veloster has three doors - two on the passenger side - to improve rear-seat access. A hatch opens in the rear for cargo.
Veloster prices start at $17,300 for a base model with a 138-horsepower direct-injection, 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine and six-speed manual transmission.
A six-speed dual-clutch transmission - the same type of automatic gearbox used by the Ford Focus, Fiesta, and Audi A3 - adds a surprisingly stiff $1,250 for a base price of $18,550. I tested a nicely equipped Veloster with the manual transmission, Bluetooth phone connectivity, a good sound system, and power sunroof. It cost $19,300.
There are not any other three-door subcompacts on the market, but a slew of new small, sporty cars compete with the Veloster. They include the Sonic, Fiat 500, Ford Fiesta, Honda CR-Z, Mini Cooper, and Scion tC. The Veloster's price is competitive.
The Veloster's exterior styling stands out. The nose features a big, deep grille, LED accent lights, and more scoops than Baskin Robbins. The roof slopes downward to the hatch for a racy profile.
The design creates large blind spots that add needless stress to lane changes and backing out of parking spots.
The lift-over into the rear cargo compartment is high, and the opening is rather narrow for large objects, but there is a useful 15.5 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat - 34.7 with the seats folded flat.
The rear seat offers little legroom. Headroom is so limited that a sticker warns of potential injuries from slamming the hatch.
