New Details Spilled on Hyundai Veloster N; Additional Performance Variants to Wear N Badge

Hyundai’s Veloster has gone from an oddball offering drivers a reasonably good time on a budget to something that can compete with the Volkswagen GTI and Civic Si. It’s no longer the hot hatch you settled on to save money; it’s a legitimate alternative.

Outfitted properly, the updated Hyundai can hold its own in the hot hatch segment. However, it does not appear to shame any of the veteran entrants. The GTI remains the total package while other models offer their own unique advantages. But the Veloster, specifically the R-Spec with the 1.6-liter turbo, remains in the mix with a leaner price tag.

This changes when the Hyundai’s N sub-brand arrives in the U.S. market.

The Veloster N will have a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine with up to 275 horsepower and 260 foot-pounds of torque, according to Hyundai. This should place it in a sweet spot right above most sporty entry-level vehicles but just below something like the Focus RS, Golf R, or Civic Type R. Reviews of its sister car, the European-market i30 N, have shown it to be slightly lacking in refinement but abundant in character and fun.

On Friday, Hyundai introduced its high-performance N model for the U.S. market at Germany’s Nurburgring, showcasing the variant’s willingness to perform at “The Green Hell.”

The model has its own unique spoiler, rear diffuser, front fascia, grille, side sills, LED headlamps, LED tail lights, high-performance exhaust, larger brake rotors, and functional air ducts (YES!) that promote brake cooling. N-specific 18-inch wheels wrapped in standard 225/40R18 Michelin Pilot SuperSport summer tires also help it stand apart. However, you can order it with a set of 19-inch alloys with 235/35R19 Pirelli P-Zero rubber if you’d like.

For the interior, the Veloster N offers exclusive N-design front cloth sport seats with additional bolstering, as well as an N-design steering wheel, shift knob, and badging on the sill plates. There’s also some blue accenting here and there to reference the N-exclusive “Performance Blue” paint job. You can also have the car in white, black, or red for the 2019 model year.

The 2.0-liter, direct-injected turbocharged powerplant is larger and more powerful than the 201-horsepower Veloster Turbo by a fair margin. Hyundai estimates 275 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and up to 260 lb-ft of torque between 1,450 and 4,700 rpm. The two-stage turbo system’s intercooler has also been moved away from the condenser and radiator for more efficient cooling of the intake charge.

Hyundai claims the N’s six-speed manual transmission offers a close ratio, short throws, and downshift with rev-matching capability. It also goes to great lengths to explain how hard it worked on making sure the clutch was strong enough to take some real abuse and the ensuring the gearbox felt right.

In fact, there were many things said about how hard Hyundai worked to make sure the vehicle felt fun to drive (and to ensure it was up for a bit of thrashing). The only feature we have mixed opinions on is the electronic sound generator, which enhances the natural powertrain sound for the driver’s benefit. It already has a variable exhaust note that offers crackles and pops when you want it to; digital enhancements seem unnecessary. But we understand this is a pretty common practice in the industry right now.

If the Veloster N is anything like the i30 N, you’ll probably be able to shut that feature off thanks to an insane level of driver customizability.

There’s a trick multi-link suspension that manages load-transfer to keep the weight from shifting too far back on the front-drive hatchback during acceleration (and to prevent dive during braking), an electronically-controlled torque-vectoring system, and loads of customizable performance preferences via the Veloster’s “N Grin Control System.” Larger brakes mean 13.6-inch rotors in the front and 12.4-inch units in the rear. But 13.0 inchers in the front and 11.8 in the back are the standard setup.

Regardless of which options you splurge for, it all sounds incredibly good, and some of that goodness should extend to other models in the coming years.

While Hyundai hasn’t confirmed which souped-up vehicles will carry an N designation, it is building a trim level below that already. Called the “N-Line,” the units will boast unique styling, larger brakes, and should have access to a some mild performance upgrades. There is also the likelihood of N-Line aftermarket accessories for all Hyundai vehicles. From the sound of things, it will basically be the Hyundai equivalent of Mopar.

Unfortunately, there has been no confirmation on which cars will become fully fledged N models with beefed-up powertrains, but the rumor mill claims Hyundai already has something else in the works. The Veloster N will not stand alone forever.

[Images: Hyundai]