Hyundai's Scrappiest Car to Receive… an Automatic

by Steph Willems

April 14th, 2020 11:20 AM

hyundais scrappiest car to receive 8230 an automatic

Very few quirky cars remain in today’s homogeneous vehicle landscape, but the Hyundai Veloster can count itself among that offbeat cohort. The Veloster N cranks up the fun quotient considerably, adding 250 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque to the oddball three-door package. More power can be drawn from the turbo 2.0-liter via a performance package.

A recent entry to the Hyundai lineup, the Veloster N has thus far been available only with a six-speed manual. No problem there, this writer says, but Hyundai clearly felt otherwise.

Via an Instagram post, Hyundai indicated Monday that drivers with no use for a third pedal will soon be able to add the Veloster N to their shopping list. The video contained within the post clearly shows a dual-clutch automatic shifter embossed with “N” logo as the driver tosses the hatch around with vigor.

“Shift the moment,” indeed.

The automaker states that this gearbox will be an eight-speed unit.

View this post on Instagram

It’s coming — the fun-to-drive feeling of N, with the N 8-Speed Wet Dual-Clutch Transmission. Who got it right? DCT

A post shared by Hyundai N (@hyundai_n_worldwide) on Apr 13, 2020 at 3:06am PDT

DCTs see considerable use in Hyundai’s turbocharged offerings, offering quicker shifts compared to a manual or conventional automatic. With DCTs, like (but to a lesser degree) CVTs, paddle shifting isn’t a pointless and annoying endeavor, and the Veloster N can be seen in the video sporting a pair of flappy paddles.

The availability of an automatic significantly broadens the appeal of a budget performance model to a consumer base that’s rapidly aging away from manuals. The young crowd is likely to have never driven in a vehicle with a stick shift, let alone owned one. Manual take rate in the industry is plunging towards 1 percent.

Given the timing of the video, it seems safe to assume the DCT-equipped Veloster N will be ready for the 2021 model year. With Veloster volume rising 18.2 percent in the second-generation model’s first full year on the market, the inclusion of an automatic N definitely won’t hurt sales performance.

[Image: Hyundai]

#DCT #HotHatches #Hyundai #HyundaiVeloster #HyundaiVelosterN #ProductPlanning #Transmissions #Veloster #VelosterN

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2 of 22 comments

Bd2 on Apr 14, 2020

The 8 spd DCT is getting positive reviews in models like the new Sorento, so while not exactly performance-oriented, at the very least shows some promise.

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PrincipalDan on Apr 16, 2020

I honestly hope this is an awesome transmission because it's the only one that the Sonata N-line is going to come with.

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