The Hyundai Veloster has seen few sales this year despite surging numbers for nearly all other vehicles industrywide. That’s surprising because some reviewers have raved about the 2021 hatchback and its handling. However, first-quarter sales figures show the Hyundai Veloster isn’t faring well.

Just how bad is the situation, and will it mark this sport compact’s demise?

The Hyundai Veloster’s sales in 2020 and 2021

In the first quarter of 2020, the Hyundai Veloster sold 2,082 SUVs, GoodCarBadCar shows. In 2021, however, sales dropped precipitously: Only 687 units sold at dealerships. 

Of the first four months of 2021, January was its worst for sales at only 193. The best was April, which saw consumers buying 322 of them. In April 2020, though, sales were up to 541, which was during the nationwide shutdown.

That’s a difference of about 40 percent. When you look at sales for both years, though, the Veloster could turn things around. In 2020, Hyundai sold approximately 2,623 Veloster units the whole year. So far, in the first quarter of 2021, dealers sold 1,009 units, a 61 percent increase over last year. 

Other Hyundai models’ sales figures

As of this past April, the beset-selling Hyundai vehicle is the Tucson compact SUV, which sold 16,901 units, Hyundai reported. The second-biggest seller is the Elantra compact sedan, which sold 14,358 units. The Tucson doubled its sales over April 2020, when it sold 8,438. Even the Elantra almost doubled, with 7,536 units sold. 

The only Hyundai model that performed worse than the Veloster was the Nexo. But this hydrogen-powered crossover is sold only in California. Outside the Nexo, the only other poor seller for Hyundai was the Ioniq, which moved 1,364 units as of April. In that time period last year, though, it sold only 422.

For the first quarter, the Tucson sold 33,147, while the Elantra had 26,093 in sales those three months. Compare that to the first quarter of 2020, when the Tucson saw almost 10,000 fewer sales. The Elantra sold 300 more than it did last year. Hyundai’s Tucson SUV has seen steady sales for many years, experiencing only a slight drop in 2020, likely thanks to the pandemic. 

Will the Veloster return for 2022?

With sales down, the question remains whether the Veloster will see another production year. Rumors were flying in automotive circles that Hyundai would kill the Veloster after the 2021 model year and allow only the N version to survive.  

But according to Car and Driver, Hyundai has no plans to drop the Veloster from its lineup in 2022. However, it intends to offer fewer trim levels than before. As for which trims are leaving the fold, only time will tell. Hyundai hasn’t reported those plans yet.

Currently, you can purchase the Veloster 2.0, 2.0 Premium, Turbo R-Spec, Turbo, and Turbo Ultimate, along with the Veloster N model. All we know now is that the 2.0 models pack a 147 hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and a six-speed manual gearbox. Turbo models have a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder generating 201 hp.

The Hyundai Veloster isn’t known for huge sales numbers, but it has gained in popularity thanks to quick acceleration, sweet styling, and a fun drive. With a few tweaks, maybe Hyundai can breathe new life into this hatchback.