Veloster N Begins Testing With Dual-Clutch Transmission, i30 N Getting One Too

It seems strange, but a lot of people don't want to change their own gears in a performance car. There are two possible reasons for this. First, it eliminates driver error from a race and in some cases, it makes the car faster outright, as we saw with a Golf R drag race. But there's also added convenience.

The hot hatch is hot, but it might also be your only car, and dealing with a heavy sports clutch on the morning commute is not ideal. This spy video shows the Veloster N beginning testing for its DCT gearbox switch. We could have sworn there was also an i30 N prototype, but we can't find it.

In any case, Hyundai never hid the fact that it was going to offer a twin-clutch. Hyundai Australia confirmed this for the i30 N last year, but it was also mentioned in the original press release. And according to both types of source, it should arrive towards the end of the year with an 8-speed DCT setup.

In case you're wondering, it's developed in-house, unlike many European gearboxes that come either from Getrag, Aisin or ZF. Will having one extra gear over the Golf GTI make a difference? We'd argue that a six-speed DCT might have actually been better for the 0 to 100 km/h sprint, but the fuel economy benefits are undeniable.

Both engine options should be offered with the twin-clutch. The base 2-liter turbo makes 250 HP, while the Performance option brings you 275 HP, a LSD, bigger wheels and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires. This applies to both the Veloster and the i30 N, obviously including the Fastback. Hyundai undeniably has more N projects coming, with rumors targeting crossovers like the Kona and Tucson.