After driving all of the recent Kia/Hyundai models and liking quite a few of them, the guys at The Straight Pipes were allowed behind the wheel of the all-new and extremely exciting Veloster N.
We all saw this one last month at the Detroit Auto Show. So why is it still wearing camouflage? Well, the car was getting ready for its debut in Canada, where it hadn't been shown yet. The guys were the ones who drove it into the display area, which must have been cool.
Pre-production cars need to be destroyed because they aren't legal on the road. This Veloster N is also built entirely by hand, so it's the most expensive Hyundai wearing the 2019 model year badge.
Underneath the black camo is a new color called Performance Blue, which is unique to N vehicles. Red stripes can also be seen, along with bigger brakes and a crazy dual exhaust system. Oddly, Elantra wheels with winter tires have been installed, for obvious safety reasons.
Europe got the i30 N last year, but the Veloster is the first N car to be launched in North America. This combines the quirky styling we love about the Veloster with some hardcore performance gear.
Under the hood is a 2-liter turbocharged engine capable of delivering up to 275 horsepower. It's infinitely adjustable, thanks to driving modes, and will even blip the throttle by itself on downshifts.
This YouTube channel also likes to play with infotainment screens a lot. And while Hyundai usually gets top reviews from them, the Veloster N is even more popular because the volume and tuning controls are more accessible.
The price is a big unknown right now, and they believe it will sit between the Ford Focus ST and the Honda Civic Type R. However, we know the European i30 N is obscenely cheap, so the Veloster N could be the bargain of the year.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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