Review: the 2022 hyundai veloster n is the cream of the current hot-hatch crop

Tech/Convenience Features

Unlike other Hyundai vehicles the Veloster N is not as loaded up with features as we expect from Hyundai vehicles, but in this case I’m fine with it. I want to experience the drive for myself, not be babysat. But the Veloster N does come with the usual suite of safety features like traction control, stability control, ABS etc. Below are some of the convenience features:

• Heated front seats
•  8.0″ Touch-screen navigation system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
•  Rearview camera with dynamic guidelines
•  USB/auxiliary connectivity
•  Bluetooth Hands-free Phone system
•  Heated steering wheel
•  Remote keyless entry with push-button ignition
•  Blind Spot Detection (BSD) with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA)

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2019-22 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Hyundai Veloster 2.0 Premium 3-door

The Hyundai Veloster was redesigned for the 2019 model year after a one-year absence from the market. The sporty hatchback features an unusual door configuration, with the passenger side having two conventionally hinged doors and the driver side only a single door.

Overall evaluation	G
Structure and safety cage	G
Driver injury measures
Head/neck	G
Chest	G
Hip/thigh	G
Lower leg/foot	G
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics	G

Action shot taken during the driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy’s position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver’s survival space was maintained very well.

The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury.

The driver’s space was maintained well, and risk of injuries to the dummy’s legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Measures of occupant compartment intrusion on driver side

Test ID	CEN1805
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	7
Footrest (cm)	4
Left toepan (cm)	3
Brake pedal (cm)	4
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	1
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column	1
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	3
Upper dash (cm)	4
Lower instrument panel (cm)	4

Driver injury measures

Test ID	CEN1805
Head
HIC-15	173
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.0
Extension bending moment (Nm)	10
Maximum Nij	0.21
Chest maximum compression (mm)	23
Femur (kN)
Left	0.6
Right	0.2
Knee displacement (mm)
Left
Right
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left
Right
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.42
Right	0.62
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	3.1
Right	0.5
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	74
Right	35

Interior Design For Hyundai Veloster N 2022

The cabin of the 2022 Veloster N has been cleverly designed, and makes good use of the available space provided by the unconventional, asymmetric design. But the driver’s door is long and difficult to get in or out of in tight parking spaces, and the passenger doors facilitate entry. There’s surprisingly wide front and rear space inside the car, and most adults can sit in the back seat without much of a complaint.

Hyundai revamped the interior of the Veloster last year, installed booster seats, and introduced a new driver for the 8-inch infotainment screen that’s clear and easy to use, along with an excellent “nixie tube” display for audio functions.

The Veloster focuses on the driver, giving him a sporty, low-slung driving position. The controls are logically grouped and placed within easy reach. Filled with soft leather and the steering wheel and gearshift knob covered in leather, Hyundai has equipped the Veloster N to give you comfort, with a six-way adjustable driver’s seat that gives a seating position that perfectly hugs the curves of your body. I found front and side visibility to be good, but the massive rear roof pillars create large blind spots.

Design & Interior

The original Veloster stunned the world with its funky three-door design. Few vehicles these days have features that make them unique, but a three-door hatchback in the U.S. is just that. Of course, the sporty Veloster N also has Hot Wheels styling to make it look deranged, but it’s not overboard like the Honda Civic Type R. Still, with a hefty rear spoiler, a large rear diffuser, aggressive 19-inch alloy wheels, vents that could swallow squirrels, and exhaust pipes that look like the launch pads for high-flying fireworks that you cross state lines to buy, you know the hatchback means business.

Fundamentally, the Veloster is an affordable compact car. These vehicles are built to fit into a tight budget. Getting rid of the budget bones is nearly impossible for all automakers to do. So, you’re going to find a lot of hard plastics and materials that look like they’re from a Super 8 Motel in Virginia Beach. The things that really matter, though, the things that matter to people who buy this car because of the way it drives, are great.

The performance bucket seats with a backlit “N” logo are fantastic. They’ll hold you in when going around twisties but won’t break you back on a long drive. The steering wheel is meaty, the drive mode buttons are easily accessible on the wheel, and the paddles are easy to locate. Even the shifter, which often goes overlooked, has an “N” badge and some thought to the way it fits into your hand. There’s even a small line of shift lights at the top of the instrument cluster to let you know when to shift.

Sure, the materials aren’t that nice, but does it really matter when the car has a freaking set of lights to tell you to shift?

The Veloster N’s largest weakness is also what makes it so unique — the three-door design. There’s no way to get into the back from the driver’s side. That part of the hatchback has an elongated driver’s door, which makes it hard to get out of in tight parking spots, forcing you to go in through the tiny door from the passenger side. As if getting into the back wasn’t a chore, the rear seats are tiny, borderline claustrophobic because of the Veloster N’s roofline. The wonky lines also result in poor rearward visibility.

If anything, it’s better to think of the Veloster N as a strict two-seater with an emergency set of rear seats like a regular coupe. For daily use, the 19.9 cubic feet of cargo space in the Veloster N makes it sound larger than it is, because the opening is tiny and the way the rear end tapers into a pyramid makes it a nightmare for those of us that failed geometry to make things fit into the back. Again, this is secondary if you look at the Veloster N as a performance vehicle.

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2023 Hyundai Veloster Engine

You will find 3 motors inside the supply intended for 2023 Hyundai Veloster. Basic types continue by using a trustworthy but more mature-age group 2.-liter by natural means-aspirated inline-several, which will work for about 147 horsepower. Higher trims feature a present-day, 2.-liter turbocompresseur inline-several with 201 hp. This engine appears like the perfect calculation because of an excellent harmony between strength and general productivity. Nonetheless, we have to claim that most competition really characteristic far better miles per gallon rankings. Lastly, there exists a performance, N product into the future, using 275 horsepower.

2023 Hyundai Veloster Engine

Hyundai Veloster N Interior

There aren’t any changes on the interior of the Veloster N since I last reviewed it, as far as I can see. The interior is quite simple with a more traditional layout. The highlight of the interior is the pair of heavily bolstered front seats, which are amazing at keeping you in place even on the most twisty roads. I found the seats to be perfect for my size, however, people that are bigger will find them to be quite tight around the torso area. 

The rear seats are surprisingly roomy. I had a couple of inches of knee room in the back with the front seats set to my seating position, I’m 5’ 8”. The added door on the passenger side is great for getting in an out, you don’t have to bend like a contortionist to be able to get to the back seats. I wish Hyundai would’ve included the small door on the driver’s side too, as the driver’s door is longer than the passenger door to make easier to get in from that side. But the bigger door can be a problem when getting out of the car in tight city parking lots.

Another surprise with the interior was the amount of trunk space, the Veloster’s trunk is quite large for a small car like this. The trunk is deep, giving you a lot of room for your favorite camera gear, groceries, or anything else you can think of. The trunk has a volume of 565 liters; as you can see from the picture below, I was able put in quite a bit of stuff with a lot room to spare.

Child seat anchors

Applies to 2019-22 models

Overall evaluation	A
Vehicle trim	Turbo Ultimate
Seat type	leather

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

Overall evaluation	A
Vehicle trim	Turbo Ultimate
Seat type	leather

13

G	Good
A	Acceptable
M	Marginal
P	Poor
	Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol	Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol	Lower anchors
	Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
	No hardware available

Details by seating position

1
Tether anchor
	hard-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors
3
Tether anchor
	hard-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors

Technical measurements for this test

Seat position 21

3

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	19
Clearance angle (degrees)	69
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	24
Clearance angle (degrees)	80
Tether anchor
Location	Floor
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes

Seat position 23

1

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	31
Clearance angle (degrees)	78
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	No
Depth (cm)	2-4
Force (lbs)	30
Clearance angle (degrees)	59
Tether anchor
Location	Floor
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes

Blast and Furious

Of course, when driven to its full potential the 2022 Veloster N leaves little time for pondering the cost-conscious philosophy guiding its passenger compartment design. The vehicle’s 2.0-liter, turbocharged engine staccatos 275 horsepower and 278 lb-ft of torque out of its twin tailpipes, a gloriously garrulous narrative made possible by an overboost feature that pours on the pound-feet at full throttle.

What was once a handful off the line when managed by your clutch foot, the new DCT arrangement features a trouble-free launch control system that catapults the car to 60 mph in 4.8 seconds — faster than any other front-wheel drive hot hatch, and making the Veloster N the cheapest ticket on the market to a sub-5 second sprint. That’s an absurd spec that’s knocking on the door of much more potent fare from BMW et al. at twice the price.

More importantly, the dual-clutch setup insulates drivers only a little from the tumult of sensation delivered by the Veloster N when poured through a judiciously selected back road blender. Featuring a number of off-the-shelf drive modes (or the option of selecting your own chassis and drivetrain parameters via the Custom setting), this Veloster transforms from relatively buttoned-down, traffic-friendly commuter to full-on dervish at the touch of a button.

In “N Mode,” with its suspension and front differential settings at their most aggressive (and its exhaust burble amped up to a roaring torrent of combustion byproducts), there’s much joy to be had in haranguing the Veloster through unreasonably twisted squiggles on the nav screen. The DCT reacts instantaneously to finger taps up and down, but even in auto mode the transmission’s programming remains cognizant that fun is its primary mission, holding ratios as long as necessary to make it out of a corner at full steam.

Through it all, the Veloster N communicates the occasionally chaotic goings-on underneath its wheels with enough vocabulary to take home top marks at the bee. Lacking the sanitized, digital sheen of the Honda Civic Type R’s chassis tune, the lightweight Hyundai instead keeps drivers in the moment at every moment, sacrificing a little precision for a lot more involvement at the limit. It’s a trade-off that elevates the N into the top tier of both front-puller and four-wheel liftoff oversteer champs, and it’s an attitude that is sorely lacking when evaluating the current field of more refined, less rapturous driving experiences at its price point.

The Veloster N’s days may be numbered.
Hyundai

5 Harsh Ride Quality

via: Reddit

The 2022 Veloster N, like the older model years, is made for putting a smile on your face and hence the ride quality does take a toll. The front end comes with strut suspension and the rear gets a multi-link setup. Coil springs, adaptive dampers, and front and rear anti-roll bars are standard too.

via: Hyundai

Drive sanely at slow speeds and the ride quality would be a bit jarring due to the stiff setup. Even when the suspension is set to the softest setting, the ride is a bit unsettling. If you expect the ride to get sorted as the speeds rise, you would be wrong. There is quite a bit of vertical movement at freeway speeds, and the rear seat passengers wouldn’t find it very enjoyable.

8 A Fun To Drive Package

Via KiaHyundaiChannel:YouTube

Being part of the N line-up, the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N is here to impress the gearheads with its sure-footed driving dynamics and excellent body control. Take the car around a winding B-road and the well-calibrated suspension system along with the communicative and well-engineered chassis rewards you with excellent grip.

via: Pinterest

Both the front and rear come with an independent suspension system and with stiff tuning coupled with standard adaptive dampers and a limited-slip differential, the car is always under control. Coming in with multiple driving modes, namely Eco, Normal, Sport, and N Drive, the driver can attain the maximum out of this package with the Sport mode or the custom N Drive mode, making the Veloster N a hoot to drive.

3 Refinement Levels Are Acceptable At Best

Peter Nelson

This 2-liter turbocharged inline-4 motor that is present in the Veloster N is not as smooth and refined as the motor found in the Honda Civic Type-R and the Subaru BRZ. As a result, the engine does sound a bit coarse at the top-end. It is not the smoothest of the lot, too. However, this is not going to bog down the otherwise impressive driving experience.

Peter Nelson

Even the wind noise and road noise does creep into the cabin as the speeds increase on the freeways. With the low profile 19″ tires on offer, there is tire noise too. However, none of the rivals fares quite well in this regard, and hence it wouldn’t be a deal-breaker to many.

Overall Impressions

You may be asking yourself the question, should I buy a Veloster N?

I had fun driving the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N. Maybe it wasn’t as fun as the manual one, but it was still a great time. It’s one of only a handful of cars that are aimed at the pure enthusiasts. The Veloster N is extremely fun to drive, it’s agile, it’s powerful, pretty fuel efficient, and it’s not very expensive. The Veloster is also pretty practical, I had a child seat in the back and my kid enjoyed the ride and was comfortable.

Personally, I’d go with the 6-speed manual, it just gives you more of a feeling of connectedness to the car and who doesn’t enjoy switching gears manually with the rev matching feature adding extra revs and exhaust noise at every downshift. Whether you pick the manual or DCT, it’s still a great car to own and we should be thankful to Hyundai for still catering to the car enthusiasts, however small that demographic may be.

6 Sporty Design Language

via: Pinterest

Even after more than 3 years of being in production with no major design changes, the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N still looks very funky and cool. When viewed from the front, the LED headlight with LED DRL, blackened out grille with a neat N logo, contrasting accents, and being one of the widest of the lot adds to the character.

via: Reddit

However, we wish it came with more funky color palettes since it only gets four colors as standard. Apart from that, there are no optional appearance packages and design upgrades, which would have helped in personalizing the ride according to the wish of the buyer. Nevertheless, subtle fender flares and character lines, dual exhaust, rear spoiler, and 19″ alloy wheels make it stand out from the bland-looking rivals of the lot.

2022 Hyundai Veloster N Standard Features

Let’s now discuss the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N’s standard features, which start at $32,500.

DRIVETRAIN

• Front Wheel Drive
• 6-speed manual transmission with rev-matching
• Limited-slip differential with electronic control
• Drive Mode Select with
  • Normal, Sport, or Sport+ modes
  • and seven chassis and powertrain settings
• Unique sport-tuned steering

EXTERIOR

• 19-inch alloy wheels w/ Pirelli P Zero tires
• LED Projector headlights and LED Daytime Running Lights
• Automatic headlight control
• Rear LED taillights
• Heated, dual power, body-color, manual-folding mirrors
• Side mirrors with integrated turn-signal indicators
• Rear spoiler with LED Center High-Mount Stop Light
• Rear diffuser
• 2-speed variable intermittent front windshield wipers with mist function
• One-speed Rear wiper

INTERIOR

• N Light Sport bucket seats
• 6-way adjustable driver seat with seat height adjustment
• Front passenger seat slide/recline
• Front passenger seatback pocket
• 60/40 split fold-down rear seatback with fixed head restraints
• Rear cupholders and storage console
• 8-inch touchscreen navigation
• Infinity Premium Audio system with external amp and 8 speakers incl. subwoofer
• SiriusXM Satellite Radio
• Bluetooth hands-free phone system with voice recognition
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Rearview camera with dynamic guidelines
• Active Engine Sound
• Speed-sensitive automatic volume control
• Illuminated driver and passenger vanity mirror with extension
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob
• Alloy pedals
• Automatic temperature control with auto defogging
• Tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel
• Steering-wheel-mounted audio, Bluetooth, and cruise controls
• 2-inch color TFT instrument cluster
• Power windows with driver’s side auto-down
• Proximity Key entry with push-button start

SAFETY

• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Lane Following Assist
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Driver Attention Warning
• Blind-Spot Collision Warning
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System

Which One to Buy?

There is just one 2022 Hyundai Veloster N trim level to choose from, and there are no option packages. There are just two gearbox options available: an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic or a six-speed manual. The color is entirely personal though I would probably want the manual gearbox for mine.

Paint Colors

Let’s now discuss the 2022 Hyundai Veloster trim level color options. There are four different paint colors offered:

1. Racing Red
2. Lunar White
3. Ultra-Black
4. Performance Blue

2022 Hyundai Veloster N Image Gallery

Final Thoughts

Okay, that’s it. I’m going to wrap this up. I went over the trim levels, MSRP, standard features, which trim level to buy, and the paint colors for the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N trim levels. If you found this helpful, informative, or entertaining, please like, and share.

In conclusion, the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N trim level offers a compelling blend of performance, comfort, technology, and safety. Its unique three-door design sets it apart from the competition, while its robust warranty offers added peace of mind. Whether you’re a driving enthusiast looking for a fun-to-drive car or a practical buyer seeking a versatile hatchback, the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N is a great choice.

Headlights

Trim level(s)

Performance trim

Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	Halogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating	A
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

car-simplercar-simplercar-simplercar-simplercar-simpler0 ft100 ft200 ft300 ft400 ft500 ft600 ftLow beamsOptimal low-beamilluminationHigh beamsOptimal high-beamilluminationHigh-beam assist creditSome glare

Low beams On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good in all 4 tests.

The low beams created some glare.

High beams On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left and gradual right curves and fair on the sharp left and sharp right curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle’s low beams on the sharp right curve.

Technical measurements for this test

Trim level(s)
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	Halogen reflector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall ratingApplies to 2019-22 models	A

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	107.4 m	11.1 %
Straightaway left edge	67.5 m	11.1 %
250m radius right curve, right edge	81.9 m	None
250m radius left curve, left edge	84.7 m	23.0 %
150m radius right curve, right edge	59.9 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	61.7 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	159.5 m
Straightaway left edge	78.3 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	85.6 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	86.7 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	62.6 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	63.4 m

Should You Get One?

Oh my god yes. Seriously. Stop reading this and go to a Hyundai dealership to test drive one. You’re either going to love it or hate it. It’s not as sharp, precise, quick around a track, or useful as the Civic Type R, but it’s more fun. The Veloster N doesn’t take itself seriously. It’ll be great on an autocross course and quick around a track, but the main thing is that you’ll be having fun. And you’ll be smiling.

You also have to love Hyundai’s lineup for the Veloster N. For 2022, the previously optional Performance Package is now standard. So, the only things you can choose from are exterior paint schemes and what transmission you want. That’s brilliantly simple.

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4 Quite The Value For Money Proposition

via pinterest

Offered for a base MSRP of $32,500 and coming in with a single trim configuration, the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N turned out to be the most value for money moniker of the segment. In comparison to the rivals like the Honda Civic Type-R and the Volkswagen Golf GTI, the Veloster N is packed to the brim with all the features, making it an even more enticing proposition.

via: FaceBook

Apart from that, it is one of the fastest in the segment too. Even the performance numbers turned out to be superior to most of the rivals, like the Subaru BRZ and Volkswagen Golf GTI. As a result, the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N manages to tick all the boxes for a powerful, feature-packed, safe, and fun-to-drive motoring option for this price segment.

Technology and technologies in the 2022 Hyundai Veloster N

The 2022 Veloster N has been missing a lot of technology for years, but Hyundai has added key features to upgrade the N to modern standards. And despite the lack of adaptive cruise control, the N comes with a decent suite of advanced driving aids including Blind Spot Monitoring, Lane Keeping Assist and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, to name a few.

Hyundai Veloster N . Hyundai Veloster N

Hyundai’s infotainment system is very practical and easy to use, and now comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen navigation system. It supports both smartphone connectivity, Blue Link connected services and a standard Infinity stereo system. There is a set of USB and 12V ports for charging and data connections, but no wireless charging pad. Voice commands are limited to a few functions, but the system responds well.

Veloster N Styling

I liked the styling on the regular Veloster, the N takes things a bit further while still keeping the asymmetrical design this car is famous for. At the front, there are small difference with a few extra added elements to the lower bumper which stand out in red against the car’s dark grey paint. The sides feature a small design element in front of the rear wheel well, with a red line along the side skirts. The rear bumper is slightly different with horizontal reflector lights, exhaust tips on both sides vs in the middle for the Veloster 1.6T we reviewed. The roof mounted spoiler is much bigger, but it suits the car and is nothing like the hideous thing you find on the Civic Type R. The overall stance of the car is much more aggressive and the car sits lower than the 1.6T’s.

10 Top-Notch Performance From The 2-Liter Motor

Via Gogumastik:YouTube

The 2-liter turbocharged GDI inline-4 motor of the outgoing 2021 model is offered with this 2022 iteration as well. The motor is capable of producing 275 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, and this makes it one of the most capable performance hatchbacks of the segment. In comparison, its arch-rival, the 2022 Volkswagen Golf GTI, offers a lower 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque.

Via: Hyundai

The excellent horsepower and torque also convert to one of the fastest accelerating cars in the segment. The Veloster N can do the 0-60 mph in just 5.1 seconds. The quarter-mile time of 14.2 seconds is pretty impressive, too. The excellent mid-range is where this motor shines the most, and the car accelerates like a bat out of hell on the highways and racetracks.

7 Reasonably Spacious For A 2-Door Hatchback

The Hyundai Veloster N has always been a reasonably spacious hatchback for the price, and that is what made it an instant success amongst American buyers. The same ethos has been carried forward with this 2022 iteration of the Veloster N, making it a reasonably comfortable proposition for four passengers.

via: Pinterest

The front seats are well-bolstered, and the driver and passenger will feel pretty cocooned while on the move. It helps in holding on to the seat while cornering, too. When it comes to the space, the headroom and shoulder were adequate. The legroom is the best of the lot as well. Even though the rear seat is not going to provide a comfortable traveling experience for a long time, it turned out to be better than Subaru BRZ and Toyota GR 86.

Hyundai Veloster N Price in Canada

Unlike in the past, the Veloster is only offered as the higher priced performance N version. In the years past, you could buy a regular Veloster. In Canada, the 2022 Veloster N has a starting price of $37,899 for the manual transmission equipped car and $39,499 for the DCT equipped car.

The only options available on the 2022 Veloster N are different exterior colors, which range from $0 for the white, $200 for four other colors, and $1,000 for the Shooting Star Matte color. These prices don’t include $1,725 for delivery & destination and taxes. Prices have increased by $2,900 since we reviewed the 2020 Veloster N.

Our review 2022 Veloster N had a sticker price of $42,324, the price included the Shooting Star Matte paint and delivery & destination.

Driving Experience

Those little hairs that are reserved for fight or flight purposes stand on end when you’re driving the Veloster N. Unlike the Civic Type R, which is a precise set of gardening snips, the Veloster N is a corded hedge trimmer. It feels portlier and cushier than the Type R, but that’s because it takes a different angle toward the same goal. The Honda focuses on being lightweight and agile, the Veloster N is more interested in being a crazed lunatic with an immensely powerful engine. One is more enjoyable than the other.

With things like sticky summer-only tires, an electronic limited-slip differential, and adaptive suspension, the Veloster N has an immense amount of grip around corners. It turns in sharply, and remains unwavering through a corner with only a hint of body roll. Around turns, the Veloster N is hilarious fun to chuck around and feel it stick. The adaptive suspension is soft and comfortable in its softest setting, while a few clicks through the different drive modes results in a teeth-chattering ride. Thankfully, there’s enough customization here for you to find the perfect setting for every stretch of road.

Getting to the corners is the tricky, but fun part of the equation. The turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is an old-school turbo motor. Its 275 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque come higher up at the rev range, resulting in turbo lag off the line. You’d better hold on when the boost arrives, because the motor kicks hard. The four-banger really is the star of the hatchback. It feels angry, possessed, upset. It’s on a mission to kill you, popping, banging, shouting along the way. It’s theatrical, but more importantly, it’s full of character.

Even with the turbo lag, the power overwhelms the front tires. Wheelspin ensues before the Veloster N rockets off. The 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission brings a few goodies that you won’t find on the 6-speed manual. There’s an overboost function that raises torque to 278 pound-feet for a few seconds, launch control, and “N Grin Shift.” The latter puts the vehicle into its most hardcore setting, sharpens transmission response, and increases engine revs for a serious boost in performance. It’s fantastic for passing someone on the highway and scaring passengers.

Usually, choosing an automatic transmission over the manual gearbox brings a few penalties. That’s not the case with the Veloster N. The 8-speed gearbox brings snappy shifts, a zippy zero-to-60-mph time of roughly 5 seconds, and special modes. The Veloster N doesn’t lose any of its charm with the automatic transmission and doesn’t feel like a major sacrifice. Regardless of the transmission you get, the Veloster N remains a car that’s built for people who like driving.

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9 Both Manual And DCT Automatic Transmissions Are Offered

Via Hyundai

Thankfully, the 2022 Veloster N still retains the 6-speed manual gearbox, which is a dying breed of any segment. This manual transmission takes the driving pleasure to another level and makes this sporty hatchback more involving. The shift quality is pretty good, and the tall sixth gear helps in better highway drivability and decent fuel efficiency.

Via CocoaHyundai

However, the shift isn’t as crisp as the Honda Civic Type-R, which offers the typical Honda gearbox. The 2022 Hyundai Veloster N also comes with an optional 8-speed wet-clutch DCT automatic transmission, and the gear shifts are lightning quick. Put the foot down and the gearbox is always ready to give the right cog every time. The shifts are adequately smooth, too.