When Hyundai first unleashed the Veloster N a few years ago, we eagerly awaited the arrival of this potent hot hatch to see if it could indeed bring the fight to the benchmark Volkswagen GTI. The quirky three door hatch proved to be a hit with buyers, and we even had the chance to experience the Veloster N on the winding turns of the Road America circuit in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. But Hyundai is also known for having a surprise or two under its belt, and in a Instagram post that was released earlier today, Hyundai’s N brand confirmed that the Veloster N is finally getting a DCT option.
A key weakness of the current generation Veloster N is that it is currently available with a manual transmission only. While the stick itself is a very solid unit (we will elaborate more on that in a future review) it also helped limit the Veloster N’s appeal when it comes to luring in younger buyers and was a key advantage that the GTI had over the Hyundai (it can be equipped with a manual or DSG transmission.) The addition of the DCT appears to be Hyundai’s way of showing the world that it is dead serious about usurping the Volkswagen from its throne, and it promises that a DCT Veloster N can be just as fun to drive as its manual counterpart. The post itself also reveals a few key details about the DCT, with N revealing that it will be a “Wet Dual-Clutch Transmission” which could be the same unit that is also expected to see duty in the upcoming Sonata N-Line. The accompanying video also flashes all the key bits right in front of the viewer’s face, with a brief shot of the stubby shift knob and the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters quickly transitioning to a digital gauge cluster that says “N Grin Shift.” The broader N-Grin system is typically associated with the built in drive modes (Eco, Normal Sport, N, and N Custom) but we have never seen N Grin Shift before, so we hope that translates into a nice surprise when the car eventually makes its way to showrooms. A light up seat emblem in the back of what appears to be a tweaked sport seat serves as one final compelling Easter egg for the masses.
The video also indicates that the DCT is coming to the 2020 model, which suggests that we will not have to wait very long to hear more about it. The 2020 version has not even been fully unveiled yet to boot, but if Hyundai is keen on getting it out into the public eye as quickly as possible, we will certainly not complain about not having to wait as long as some of the other product launches that have either been postponed or outright delayed by the ongoing Coronavirus outbreak. We suspect that the current engine tunes will not change for 2020, with buyers choosing from either the 250 horsepower base 2.0 liter turbocharged four cylinder, or a 275 horsepower version that is part of an optional Performance Package.
*2019 model featured in image gallery
With the upcoming DCT transmission perhaps bringing the Veloster N full circle, we hope that the automatic version can bring just as much fun to buyers as it’s three pedal counterpart especially when pushed through its paces at the track or at your local driving road. And stay tuned to Car-Revs-Daily for our Michigan flavored review of the manual equipped Veloster N which will arrive very soon.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.