2018 Hyundai Veloster N revealed

Hyundai has pulled the wraps off the new-generation Veloster N at the Detroit Motor Show, ensuring ‘Hyundai Veloster’ and ‘performance car’ will no longer be mutually exclusive terms.

The current-generation Veloster Turbo’s unique design and 150kW turbo engine mean it’s not without appeal, but its safety-first approach to handling did little to raise the pulses of enthusiasts.

The Veloster N promises to change all that by wrapping the highly entertaining mechanicals of the forthcoming i30 N in a quirky four-door coupe-hatch bodyshell.

Providing propulsion is a 2.0-litre turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder producing 202kW at 6000rpm and 352Nm from 1450-4700rpm, both figures apparently “estimates” yet also identical to those produced by the i30 N.

A six-speed manual is the only available gearbox, though it’ll match revs on downshifts if your heel ‘n’ toe is a bit rusty, and an electronically-controlled limited-slip diff apportions more grunt to the wheel with the most grip. No performance claims have yet been made, but expect a 0-100km/h time of around 6.0sec and a 250km/h top speed.

Adaptive suspension is standard, as are sizeable brakes measuring 345mm front and 315mm rear covered by 18-inch rims wearing 225/40 R18 Michelin Pilot Super Sports with 19s wrapped in 235/35 R19 Pirelli P Zeros are optional.

The Veloster N retains the i30’s highly configurable nature, with virtually every mechanical component - steering, suspension, throttle, diff, ESP, rev-matching and exhaust note – able to be adjusted via the centre touchscreen and the driver’s favoured combination of settings assigned to the ‘N’ button on the steering wheel.

Differentiating the Veloster N from its more prosaic siblings is a unique twin-spoke wheel design and body add-ons with paintwork limited to four colours: Ultra Black, Chalk White, Racing Red and the Performance Blue hero colour taken from Hyundai’s World Rally Car.

Currently the Veloster N is only confirmed for the US and Korean markets, with Hyundai Australia stating a local release is "unlikely" as there are "no current plans for RHD production but we are reviewing it."