2018 Hyundai Veloster spotted testing

FANS of quirky compact performance cars rejoice – Hyundai is readying another generation of its Veloster sports coupe-slash-hatch, and development prototypes spotted undergoing public road evaluation signal that it’s on track for a late 2017 reveal.

Hyundai will persist with the current car’s unique three-door/four-door liftback design for the second-gen Veloster, which puts a single door on the driver’s side and two doors on the passenger side. It’s a configuration that allows a sporty coupe-like profile on one side and a more pragmatic layout on the other which eases entry to the rear seats.

Spotted in both low-grade and high-grade form – with the latter believed to be a Turbo variant due to its twin circular tailpipes and big alloys – these prototypes confirm that Hyundai isn’t straying too far from its established formula. The fastback turret remains, meaning the 2018 Veloster’s silhouette will be a familiar one.

Camo covers up the snout and tail, but we can see that the new Veloster’s side sheetmetal will be slightly more subdued. While the current model flaunts engorged wheelarches to give it a fat, planted stance, its replacement will dump those features in favour of a smoother, more mature design language. The A-pillar blackout graphic also appears to have been nixed for gen 2.

It’s unclear whether the new Veloster will continue to use a torsion beam rear end or adopt a more sophisticated multi-link design from the i30, nor is there any clarity on whether it will sit atop the new-generation small car architecture that debuts beneath the 2017 Hyundai i30.

There are, however, rumours that Hyundai will introduce an even hotter N-badged variant to sit above the Veloster Turbo, which will borrow elements from the upcoming i30 N hot hatch to help turn up the heat. Odds are high that the i30 N’s turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine will be one of those elements.

The Veloster’s successor is expected to make its global debut toward the end of the year, most likely at the Los Angeles Auto Show in December.