N 3dr Hatchback
2021 Hyundai Veloster N

2021 Veloster N Photos
We’re big fans of the Hyundai Veloster N around here, and suffice it to say that we were happy with it as it was (the Performance package box checked, naturally). If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Well, the fact of the matter is that while we may be in a position to embrace a 275-horsepower hot hatch offered only with a manual gearbox, that’s the sort of niche-of-a-niche enthusiast formula that makes accounting departments squirm. The bean counters can relax a bit, then, since the 2021 Hyundai Veloster N gets an automatic option along with other updates that ultimately make Hyundai's asymmetrical hot hatch more sophisticated and more expensive. Now standard is the previously optional Performance package that adds a limited-slip differential, active exhaust system, bigger brakes and 19-inch wheels wrapped in summer rubber. The base model also includes navigation and a set of revised sport seats. This all comes at a price — $4,650, to be precise — but even at $32,245, the Veloster N is still one of the best performance bargains on the market. The big news for 2021, however, is the eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It’ll cost you another $1,500 to add this automatic to the Veloster N, but all in, you’re still under the $35,000 mark – about what it will cost you to get into a reasonably equipped Volkswagen GTI. On paper, an automatic gearbox certainly expands the Veloster N’s potential appeal, but in the hot hatch segment, it’s not really enough that a computer-controlled transmission exists; it needs to be good too. And it is. Let’s start with the specs. The Veloster N weighs 3,100-ish pounds with the six-speed manual; the DCT adds about 145 more. That lines up with the aforementioned GTI (which only has 228 hp; the new, 8th-generation model with 241 has yet to grace our shores), and is only slightly heavier than the raunchier, more-powerful Civic Type R. Two of this segment’s now-deceased entries, the Ford Focus ST and Mazdaspeed3, weighed the same and were never offered with automatics; the Focus even made do with a plain-old open differential. If you’re hoping the DCT has tamed the 275-horsepower Veloster N’s somewhat over-the-top character, you’re going to be disappointed. If anything, the DCT actually makes it a bit more boisterous. It does nothing to curb the N’s torque steer (which is aggravated by the trick differential), but it does eliminate the need to take a hand off the wheel to shift. Plus, you get launch control. We’ll call it a wash. The DCT also pairs very nicely with the now-standard active exhaust system. In the sportier drive modes, you get a satisfying bark each time you crack off a shift under heavy acceleration. It also responds instantly to shift requests via the wheel-mounted paddles, and even in “N” mode, they never feel axle-jarringly violent. Frankly, it’s rewarding, and that’s exactly what Hyundai was going for. You see, Hyundai actually considers this transmission mechanically distinct enough from its mainstream DCTs …
Full Review
We’re big fans of the Hyundai Veloster N around here, and suffice it to say that we were happy with it as it was (the Performance package box checked, naturally). If it ain’t broke, why fix it? Well, the fact of the matter is that while we may be in a position to embrace a 275-horsepower hot hatch offered only with a manual gearbox, that’s the sort of niche-of-a-niche enthusiast formula that makes accounting departments squirm. The bean counters can relax a bit, then, since the 2021 Hyundai Veloster N gets an automatic option along with other updates that ultimately make Hyundai's asymmetrical hot hatch more sophisticated and more expensive. Now standard is the previously optional Performance package that adds a limited-slip differential, active exhaust system, bigger brakes and 19-inch wheels wrapped in summer rubber. The base model also includes navigation and a set of revised sport seats. This all comes at a price — $4,650, to be precise — but even at $32,245, the Veloster N is still one of the best performance bargains on the market. The big news for 2021, however, is the eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic gearbox. It’ll cost you another $1,500 to add this automatic to the Veloster N, but all in, you’re still under the $35,000 mark – about what it will cost you to get into a reasonably equipped Volkswagen GTI. On paper, an automatic gearbox certainly expands the Veloster N’s potential appeal, but in the hot hatch segment, it’s not really enough that a computer-controlled transmission exists; it needs to be good too. And it is. Let’s start with the specs. The Veloster N weighs 3,100-ish pounds with the six-speed manual; the DCT adds about 145 more. That lines up with the aforementioned GTI (which only has 228 hp; the new, 8th-generation model with 241 has yet to grace our shores), and is only slightly heavier than the raunchier, more-powerful Civic Type R. Two of this segment’s now-deceased entries, the Ford Focus ST and Mazdaspeed3, weighed the same and were never offered with automatics; the Focus even made do with a plain-old open differential. If you’re hoping the DCT has tamed the 275-horsepower Veloster N’s somewhat over-the-top character, you’re going to be disappointed. If anything, the DCT actually makes it a bit more boisterous. It does nothing to curb the N’s torque steer (which is aggravated by the trick differential), but it does eliminate the need to take a hand off the wheel to shift. Plus, you get launch control. We’ll call it a wash. The DCT also pairs very nicely with the now-standard active exhaust system. In the sportier drive modes, you get a satisfying bark each time you crack off a shift under heavy acceleration. It also responds instantly to shift requests via the wheel-mounted paddles, and even in “N” mode, they never feel axle-jarringly violent. Frankly, it’s rewarding, and that’s exactly what Hyundai was going for. You see, Hyundai actually considers this transmission mechanically distinct enough from its mainstream DCTs …
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Retail Price

$32,250 MSRP / Window Sticker Price
Engine 2.0L I-4
MPG 22 City / 28 Hwy
Seating 4 Passengers
Transmission 6-spd man w/OD
Power 275 @ 6000 rpm
Drivetrain front-wheel
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