Auto123 reviews the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N.
The Hyundai Veloster has a strange history. It arrived on the market with great expectations, but it was an oddity, a compact (very compact) car with atypical styling and a three-side door configuration, assembled on the chassis of the Accent of the time.
Those elements didn’t necessarily help the first Veloster’s cause, however its automatic transmission was surprisingly able and behind the wheel, it was a step up from the Accent, to say the least. And probably those very design quirks actually helped make it successful, though probably a bigger boost came from the bang it offered for the buck The base version went for about $19,000 and a fully loaded edition for $22,000, with an impressive amount of equipment.
A turbocharged version was added to the lineup a few years later; in that case, we concluded that was a good idea hobbled by bad execution.
Then the overall sales decline of the car – meaning, anything not SUV or pickup - accelerated, and one of the victims of that was the Veloster - the regular Veloster, that is, because Hyundai decided to keep the variant produced by its N sports division in the catalog. This was an excellent decision we wholeheartedly approved of, especially since this time the good idea has been accompanied by excellent execution.
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First contact
My first turn at the wheel of the sprightlier Veloster was in the summer of 2019, when the N variant arrived on our Canadian market. A manual transmission variant turned my weeklong drive into a week of pure pleasure. Let’S face it, when you drive a wide mix of vehicle types and formats week after week, some of those weeks are simply more fun than others. Particularly when the fun is sort of unexpected.
Such was the case with the Veloster N. I found the model to be well-built and above all, capable of transmitting real sensations to the driver – a quality that is, unfortunately, in too-short supply these days.
So, a good first contact.
And the second?
Well that happened early on in 2020, this time at the wheel of a version with automatic transmission (eight speeds and dual clutch).
My impressions of 2019 were confirmed in 2022. The Veloster N is just one hell of a sports car, capable of transporting the driver to a pretty happy place.
And what's the secret to its success? Ask the team at the N division and they could bore you to tears with a detailed outline of the spec sheet, but in a nutshell, a lot of the fun comes because the chassis is very stiff, the suspension travel is minimal and both the steering and braking are precise and well calibrated.
There’s some real solid workmanship at play here. And it’s coupled with a verve-y powertrain based around a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, which thanks to 275 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque is unlikely ever to deliver a dull moment. The Veloster N weighs only 1,428 kg, so the power-to-weight ratio is excellent, and the whole thing is well managed by the gearbox, whether you let it do its job independently or help things along using the paddle shifters on the steering wheel.
And all this is supported and enhanced by the driving position that you can easily fine-tune once you're settled in the driver's seat. In fact, the whole interior environment is a mood creator. The Veloster N exudes sportiness, even when it’s standing still.
My behaviour
It's customary to describe the road manners of the models we test. It's expected, appropriate and often necessary. Here, though, my behaviour is also of interest, because during my week with the Veloster N, something that often strikes me when testing different vehicles came up, which is how much the nature and purpose of a vehicle can influence the way you behave in it.
This was striking with this lively little sports car. Wherever I had the opportunity, I found myself putting my foot down to exploit the horses on hand and hear the engine play its symphony. Of course, I usually push every vehicle I test to see what's in it, but this was constant. Every acceleration, every corner entry and exit; it was intense the whole time, and most uncommonly so.
I should point out this isn’t a given, even in models explicitly meant to be sporty. Especially not so continuously and persistently. That says a lot about the Veloster N and its appeal. To call this thing seductive is putting it mildly.
Rest assured, of course, that everything was done in accordance with the rules of the road, albeit at the outer limits of those rules.
Clearly, when a vehicle succeeds in modifying your behavior, there’s something positive going on. In that sense this Veloster N reminds me of the Mazda MX-5, or even the Porsche Boxster. Sometimes that happens at the other end of the spectrum as well, for instance my test drive of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class convertible last summer had me camped in the cruising lane being lulled by the great comfort offered by the car. An electric model, meanwhile, invites you to take it easy and to look for fuel efficiency.
Conclusion
I’d go so far as to call the Veloster N a little masterpiece. Be careful, though, because this model is not for everyone. For one week, for sure, I was blown away. But over the long haul, my back would surely prefer a smoother ride on a daily basis.
But for those looking for a sporty car that will give them a ton of fun for their money, smooth-schmooth. And that applies winter and summer, because with a front-wheel drive configuration and a real handbrake, you're going to looking for reasons to get out when an inch of snow falls.
Road Tests and Reviews
