2019 Hyundai Veloster Top Speed

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2019 Hyundai Veloster Top Speed

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Car Review: 2019 Hyundai Veloster N

Hyundai finally transforms the Veloster into what it should've been since Day One — a proper hot hatch

Jul 23, 2019 • December 13, 2019 • 5 minute read • Join the conversation
2019 Hyundai Veloster N
2019 Hyundai Veloster N Photo by Nick Tragianis /Driving

Finally. Hyundai finally did it.

To be fair, the Veloster has always stood out from the masses. Its three-door configuration and catfish-like maw definitely pushed the little Hyundai more towards eccentric rather than generic, but it never quite had the performance to back up the styling. Sure, you could spec it with a 201-horsepower turbo-four and a six-speed manual, and a few special edition models throughout the years got upgraded suspension bits and tires, but that's about it. The Veloster might've been promising on paper, but it didn't live up to that performance potential where it actually matters — you know, in real life.

Not anymore. For 2019, the Veloster grows up. It keeps the funky three-door layout, but the curves and bulges are squared-off and deflated, and the interior is a bit more conventionally laid out. But most importantly, Hyundai has introduced what we'll now expect from any vehicle getting the full N treatment, transforming the Veloster from eccentric little car into what it should've been since Day One — a proper, no-nonsense hot hatch. Finally.

Just like its Turbo forerunner, on paper the Veloster N is promising. This time around, a 2.0-litre turbo-four kicks out 275 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. of torque, available as early as 1,450 rpm, and it's hooked up to a six-speed manual. The N also sees a laundry list of upgrades to the chassis, suspension, and powertrain, including more bracing and cooling ducts, stickier tires, an electronic limited-slip differential and adjustable dampers, an active exhaust system, and — you know what? We can go over all of the N's enhancements over the standard Veloster with a fine-tooth comb, but there's no fun in that.

The key difference here is, in the real world, the N actually delivers on the performance its spec sheet promises. Set your foot on the clutch pedal and prod the start button, and the turbo-four wakes up with a bark. There's a touch of torque steer when you nail the go-fast pedal, but the N pulls hard and builds speed, err, rather effectively. The clutch is heavy enough but still easy to modulate in traffic, and the shifter smoothly and satisfyingly clicks into each gear. Stability control and the automatic rev-matching downshifts can be fully disabled. Steering is surprisingly communicative, and effort varies depending on which drive mode you've activated — and there's plenty to choose from.

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You're kidding yourself if you think the Veloster N will ride as well as a Palisade, or even an Elantra, but in its default Normal mode, it rides well enough over bumps and rough pavement. The exhaust mode is fairly subdued, too — still growly, but it doesn't drone at all. Bump the car into Sport mode and the steering becomes a little heavier, the suspension a little stiffer in exchange for better cornering, and the exhaust a little louder. N mode lets you take full advantage of the Veloster's performance potential, but it's not the best choice for daily driving — it hunkers down and takes a corner incredibly well, but the ride is unbearable. Kidney-punching levels of unbearable. You'll enjoy N Custom mode the most, letting you have (almost) free rein to configure the powertrain and chassis just the way you like it. Sadly, the Veloster resorts to Normal mode on startup, but after all, you can't have your cake and eat it, too. Thankfully, you can easily shuffle between the drive and N modes via the baby blue buttons on the steering wheel.

Yes, the N is another performance car saddled by adaptive this, sport-plus that, rev-matching whatever, and driving modes out the wazoo. But even with all this, it's still a legitimately fun and engaging car. The N comes alive on a snaking backroad, tackling corner after corner flat and without breaking a sweat. It's borderline ridiculous how much speed you can carry; this is a front-wheel-drive hot hatch, yet there's little understeer and the sticky Pirelli P-Zero tires just refuse to let go. There's an ever-so-slight lick of torque steer if you pin the throttle too soon, but that's not a dealbreaker when the hilarious cracks, pops, and burbles from the exhaust pipes as you flick through the gears slap a big, stupid smile onto your face. This is one firecracker of a car.

Inside the N, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. This means a no-nonsense layout with physical buttons and knobs, an eight-inch touchscreen handling infotainment duties, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. There are a few bits letting you know this is a special little car: The stitching, various trim bits, and even the seat belts are finished in a powdery blue — Porsche, by the way, charges $620 for contrasting seat belts on a 911, yet this standard on a Hyundai — matching the magic buttons on the steering wheel. The meaty steering wheel and shift knob fall easily to hand, and the grippy and well-bolstered seats keep your butt glued in place nicely around hard corners. Creature comforts like automatic climate control, a heated steering wheel and heated seats, an eight-speaker sound system and LED headlights are all standard.

It's not quite perfect, though. The cabin is screwed together nice and tight, but the dash and door panels feel a bit cheap. The N is also missing a few key features, like built-in navigation and a sunroof. You can't spec most of the safety kit you'd expect in 2019, either, like blind-spot monitoring or forward-collision alert, though this (as well as the lack of a sunroof) could be a blessing in disguise for most enthusiasts. As for the third door on the passenger side, you either love it or you don't — it's a head-scratcher for sure, but in a way, it adds to the Veloster's oddball personality. The rear-seat and cargo area aren't class-leading by any means, but it's hardly cramped, either. The N's hatch is obviously roomier than the Civic Si's trunk, and even the GTI with its rear seats up, but the GTI seats-down and the Civic Type R have an advantage. Fuel economy isn't great, but it isn't bad, either — the N is officially rated at 10.6 L/100 kilometres city and 8.3 highway, though the trip computer settled on exactly 9.9 after a week of equal parts commuting, cruising and hooning.

And then there's the price. At a loonie under $35,000, the N offers incredible, almost ridiculous value. Quibbles with the ride, torque steer, and interior quality aside, the scrappy little Hyundai is way more entertaining than the Civic Si and Golf GTI, and while it doesn't defy physics as well as the Civic Type R does, it's much more affordable and certainly doesn't look as, err, unfortunate. The Veloster is finally what it should've been all along; it sure took Hyundai long enough, but the wait was certainly worth it.

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2019 Hyundai Veloster Top Speed

Source: https://driving.ca/reviews/road-test/car-review-2019-hyundai-veloster-n

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