They Still Want it to be a Sports Car

When Hyundai introduced us to the Veloster it was a bit of an oddity and one that has begotten questions for several years. As other models caught up to the performance of this car which was supposed to be a sports car, the Veloster become better associated with the likes of other mild-mannered hatchbacks that were offered on the market. Not wanting to be troublesome, this car has fit into this category without any fuss, but Hyundai still wants to have it be a true sports car in some sense of the word.

The development of the new sub-brand which is to be known as the N performance label, Hyundai has already developed the i30 N which will be offered in Korea but won’t be brought to the US. Instead, we will get the Veloster N as the first performance model offered from this brand for us to enjoy and drive. Choose the Veloster to bring the N sub-brand to the US is likely the most intelligent way to present us with this brand rather than adding a new model to the mix in the form of the i30 N and expecting we’ll buy it.

Recently, the new Veloster N has been spied ripping off some quick laps around the track at Nurburgring. This test vehicle may have been covered in camouflage but it was still evident this car will have large dual exhaust ports in the rear, a chin spoiler up front, a stabilizing rear hatch spoiler and a few other tidbits that weren’t visible on the testing mule. This is enough to make us wonder when this car will make its way to dealerships for us to admire and enjoy on the road with the fun it promises.

The original version of the Hyundai Veloster was decidedly sporty and offered us a look that was exciting, but the challenge was in the power. it appears this little car will have plenty of power from under the hood with the 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will produce 275 horsepower. This is the same number as on the base Camaro and this car is quite a bit lighter which makes me wonder how much faster the Veloster N will be as it rides around the track on this lightweight build. If this car has the control features we want, this could easily be one of the most fun cars to drive.

No timeframe has been announced as of yet to give us a date the new Veloster N will make its way to the dealership, and we haven’t seen it on stage at a show yet either. This testing mule that was seen does excite the senses to give us the thought that the new sports version of the Veloster will finally be able to live up to what this car was expected to be from the start; a small and active sports car that can be a lot of fun to drive and give you the adrenaline rush you’ve been looking for.