Hyundai wanted to make a special edition model of its sporty Veloster, and there was no better way than to start with the Veloster Series II SR Turbo +. The special edition appears to be void of any performance upgrades, but there are a number of enhancements that are exclusive to this model – a package that Hyundai claims is worth $3,000. There is a unique exterior paint, lots of painted inserts or body panel enhancements, and even a little interior work to set things off on the inside as well. Like other special edition models we’ve seen lately there isn’t anything wildly dramatic, but the SR Turbo + was already a pretty wild little hatchback with 201 horsepower anyway, so the Korean manufacturer already had a good starting foundation.

Being launched as a new model in 2011 for the 2012 model year, the Veloster has already been around for about five years and received its first mid-cycle update for the 2016 model year. With the update in 2016, we were a little disappointed to learn that, in typical Hyundai fashion, there were no power output increases for the car that just wants to dominate the hot hatch market. On the other hand, the car did receive a sporty, dual-clutch gearbox to go with its six-speed manual, so it did have that going for it.

With that said, this special edition model is based on the facelifted first-gen model, so it does feature the mild updates that came with the update. But, more important is the extras that come along with the special edition model. Let’s take a look and see what they are.

Continue reading to learn more about the Hyundai Veloster Street Turbo.

What makes the Hyundai Veloster Street Turbo special

With the Veloster Series II SR Turbo + as a canvas, Hyundai engineers started off by adding a set of RAYS Gram Lights alloy wheels that are finished in a semi-gloss black to go with the exclusive Dazzling Blue Mica exterior finish. To further increase the black contrast outside, the side skirts, front spoiler, grille surround, side mirror covers, rear roof spoiler, and rear diffuser have all been finished in Phantom Black. Furthermore, there are “Street” badges prominently displayed in black and chrome on the front guard. The standard headlight units have bene replaced with HID Xenon bulbs, which should stand out quite well against that Dazzling Blue Mica exterior finish.

On the inside, the special edition has been equipped with the Turbo Sports Blue interior package. This includes front bucket seats in leather with heating and ventilation. Furthermore, the seats have blue bolsters and blue contrast stitching. The seatbelts have been replaced with blue units, as have the front door grip handles and trim inserts on the side of the center console. More blue contrast stitching can be found on the leather-wrapped armrests, center armrests, steering wheel, and shift lever boot on models equipped with a manual transmission. Special floor mats with blue-stitched etching and “Street” logos rest on the floor to round out the package. In addition to all of this, the special edition model has sports instrumentation, a panoramic glass roof, full HVAC system with air conditioning, a seven-inch touchscreen infotainment system with MP3 functionality, navigation, and a Sat Nav Update Plan.

Under the hood, there isn’t anything new to really talk about. The 1.6-liter from the standard model carries over to deliver 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. The engine, of course, features direct injection, a twin-scroll turbo, dual continuously variable valve timing, electronic throttle control, roller timing chain, and variable induction to go with anti-friction cylinder coatings. The engine is matched to either a six-speed manual or a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. The special edition Veloster needs 6.8 seconds to reach 60 mph and manages to return a fuel economy of 27 mpg in the city and 38 mpg on the highway when equipped with the six-speed manual.

Since the special edition is based on the Series II SR Turbo +, it also features Australia-specific suspension and handling that includes a front stabilizer bar and increased coil spring rates for a sportier ride. Hee Loong Wong, Hyundai’s General Manager of Product Engineering in Australia, said “In Veloster Series II SR Turbo, the front stabiliser bar diameter was reduced from 24 mm to 22 mm, and that bar – together with the bespoke dampers and firmer spring rates we specified for the car – also works extremely well with the RAYS Gram Lights alloy wheels on the new Special Edition." He continued, “Like the Series II Turbo, the Special Edition has impressively sharp turn-in and more aggressive drive out of corners, giving it a ‘playful’ character which allows the rear to be more actively involved during high-speed cornering,”

In addition to all of this, the Street Special Edition also features a driver-adjustable, Flex Steer system that has three modes that enable more spirited steering on demand. And, the model has a long list of standard features, like a full range of the latest safety features and six airbags, just like the model it is based on. Now, this isn’t necessarily a whole lot for a “special edition,” but it includes a lot more that some of the other special editions that we’ve seen from other manufacturers.

Pricing for the special edition, which is limited to just 200 units, starts out at $34,990 if equipped with a six-speed manual or $37,490 when equipped with a seven-speed dual clutch transmission. For the record, that is a significant increase over the standard Veloster Turbo here in the U.S. that goes for $22,600 in manual form or $23,600 in automatic form. The SR Turbo + that this special edition is based on is available in Australia and starts out at $33,990 for the manual or $36,490 for the automatic.

Hyundai Veloster

The Veloster was introduced as a spiritual successor to the Hyundai Tiburon coupe and quickly became known as a budget coupe with hatchback practicality. It is efficient but lacks the power it needs to be a real hot hatch. In standard form, and equipped with manual transmission, the Veloster offers up 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. When the Veloster is equipped with a dual clutch trans, those numbers drop to 132 and 120, respectively. At the time of this writing, the Veloster starts out at $18,000 for the entry level model, $21,600 for the Turbo R-spec, $22,600 for the Veloster Turbo, and $23,950 for the Rally Edition. A new-gen model should begin to show face sometime around 2019.

Read our full review on the Hyundai Veloster here.