Mini Cooper S 5-Door V Hyundai Veloster Turbo

One of these is a revelation; the other a masterclass in knowing your audience. Which is which?

- Andy Enright

We’ve all been there. Trying to make a bad idea good is something most of us experience every day. It never starts out as a dumb idea, of course, but as we learn more, the seed of doubt is planted. From there, we create ever more tenuous justifications before finally admitting defeat. It’s tempting to think of the original Hyundai Veloster as that bad idea. It was a lukewarm front-drive coupe with two doors on one side and one on the other and, to be honest, was never a particularly great car.

Here’s the odd thing, though. As mundane as the Veloster’s execution sounds, it was hugely successful. Its biggest market was the US where it sold a total of 169,411 units between 2011 and 2017. By contrast, in the same market for an equivalent duration from launch, the Toyota 86 found 72,762 homes. Add the Subaru BRZ and Scion FR-S versions and the total creeps up to 106,580. The Mazda MX-5 shifted 51,854. Therefore, it goes without saying that in terms of cash through the front door, the second-generation Veloster has a lot to live up to.