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Honda Civic vs Hyundai Veloster

What's the difference?

VS
Honda Civic
Honda Civic

$47,200 - $72,600

2024 price

Hyundai Veloster
Hyundai Veloster

$22,500 - $38,999

2020 price

Summary

2024 Honda Civic
2020 Hyundai Veloster
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Turbo 4, 1.6L
Fuel Type
-

Unleaded Petrol
Fuel Efficiency
8.9L/100km (combined)

7.3L/100km (combined)
Seating
4

4
Dislikes
  • Price, maybe
  • Limited availability
  • Likely a swansong

  • Some cheap plastic
  • Transmission a bit dithery
  • Could be a bit sharper
2024 Honda Civic Summary

Before we dive in, this isn’t your typical road test. 

That’s because there’s no road, per se. Instead, the majority of what you’re about to read comes from The Bend Motorsport Park in South Australia.

You’ve read the headline, though, so you’re probably putting it all together: a Honda Civic Type R on a well-liked race track must be bliss. Let’s find out.

A very quick catch-up for those not in the know. The Honda Civic Type R (or CTR if you like) is the brand’s only performance model on sale after the demise of the NSX supercar. 

The current (FL5) CTR is a little over a year old, having been launched internationally in late 2022, but has only been on Aussie shores for a little while. In fact, we’ve already reviewed it for the road, back in April.

But Honda Australia was keen to get media behind the wheel in a setting it says the CTR thrives in - a racetrack. Its predecessor was a car loved almost universally, can this one live up to the new standard?

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2020 Hyundai Veloster Summary

Giant carmakers seem like pretty sober sorts of places. Everything goes through endless committees, every decision has to be signed off, sent in, sent back, subjected to endless scrutiny to make sure it will make money.

Sometimes, a brand will do something odd like BMW's i3 which is like sending up a flare to get people talking.

Hyundai, for many years, seemed to be trying to emulate Toyota. After a brief flourish in the '90s when it did for curves on cars what Kim Kardashian did for curves on grubby internet sites, the company lost its bottle and tried to go full mainstream. Never go full mainstream, that's for the old folks.

Then, out of the blue, came the Veloster. It's probably one of the most wilfully weird cars in decades (apart from various Citroens, but that's a special case).

One long door on the driver's side, two shorter doors on the passenger side. When BMW did something similar with the Mini Clubman, right-hand drive markets didn't get their own version of the kerb-side door, but Hyundai isn't like that.

Making the Veloster properly in right-hand drive is a wonderful gesture from a company that worked out being itself was a better idea than being Toyota.

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Deep dive comparison

2024 Honda Civic 2020 Hyundai Veloster

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