Finally, there's a more powerful engine to match the Hyundai Veloster's alien, ground-sucking body, and for a reasonable $4,500 over the base model.

The Veloster Turbo sports a 201-horsepower version of the 1.6-liter direct-injected 4-cylinder in the regular Veloster, which was criticized -- and rightly so -- for not having enough power: only 138 horses on tap in the base version. Along with its Audi-licious grille, the Veloster Turbo includes a tuned exhaust exiting from actual pipes instead of a giant trapezoid, new body moldings, heated leather seats, special 18-inch alloy wheels and LED running lights and taillights.

The price, as noted incorrectly in other media outlets, will not be less than $20,000. It's $22,725 with destination, a little below the Volkswagen GTI and MINI Cooper S and about the same as a Fiat Abarth and Honda Civic Si.

Automobile Magazine reports that the Veloster Turbo will indeed get the gray matte paint option, that we eyed at the New York Auto Show in April. That makes it the only car under $80,000 to sport such a coat; the paint costs $1,000, about a fourth of what Mercedes charges on its AMG models. Of note, the turbo is a twin-scroll unit that can respond quicker across lower revs, similar to what BMW uses on its 3 Series models.

Odd, however, is the pairing of a conventional 6-speed automatic transmission versus the standard model's dual-clutch unit, which we think would be more in line with the Turbo's faster reflexes. Fuel economy for the manual-transmission version drops just slightly, to 26 mpg city/38 mpg highway, versus 28/40 for the non-Turbo. We liked the Veloster's strange 3-door body and lightweight handling when we first tested it, so extra power and better tires can't hurt. Expect to see it at dealers this summer.

[Source: Hyundai]