Us-bound i30 N sibling rated
The i30 N’s US counterpart offers just as much accessible fun
The concept of the ‘world car’ – once the holy grail of the motor industry – seems to be dying. Manufacturers no longer seem obsessed with off-setting the huge cost of developing new models by selling them in as many different countries as possible. Either that, or we didn’t ask nicely enough, because we’re told there are no plans to bring the Hyundai Veloster N to Europe.
This is the range-topping version of Hyundai’s quirky four-door coupé. It’s closely related to the i30 N, sharing the same 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and ambition to disrupt the established order through the combination of accessible performance and attractive pricing. In the US, the standard 247bhp version is only a couple of hundred dollars more than the less powerful Volkswagen Golf GTI. The upgraded Performance version tested here adds a power boost to 271bhp, a limitedslip differential, bigger brakes and upgraded tyres yet still slips under the $30,000 barrier.
Like the i30 N, this Veloster has been created to prioritise thrills over refinement, feeling markedly more primal than lesser versions. There’s more than a hint of old-fashioned turbo lag, a couple of beats of pause as the engine fills its lungs when asked to pull hard at short notice. Once on boost, it pulls convincingly, enthusiasm barely diminishing as the 6750rpm redline gets close and with a hard-edged exhaust that sounds genuinely good, rather than just loud. The switchable N mode adds some pops and bangs on a lifted throttle, while also sharpening up various other dynamic functions.
Like its i30 sibling, the Veloster N produces a fair amount of torque steer. It never feels wayward, but there’s no doubting the work that the front tyres and suspension have to put in to deliver the boosty motor’s output over rougher surfaces. Grip levels are keen, the limited-slip differential delivers plenty of frontend bite in slower, loaded turns and the Veloster proves willing to take an impressive amount of directional advice from the throttle pedal.
It’s hard to see the logic in Hyundai’s decision not to bring the Veloster N here, or in denying the i30 N to the US. Both seem different enough not to tread on each other’s toes, and indeed both were developed together with the heavy involvement of Hyundai’s Nürburgring testing facility. Although the Veloster N’s appeal would likely be more limited than its hatchback sibling’s, it’s a fun, honest and quirky car that offers American buyers plenty of bang for their bucks. It’s just a shame we can’t buy those thrills for pounds as well.