I was given the change to check out the new Hyundai Veloster N and offer my opinion to Hyundai on it. As someone who was really not impressed with the previous generation Veloster, it seems to me like Hyundai really heard all the criticism and is finally delivering the car everyone originally wanted. Here's my take on the new car:
The Good
STYLING:
Apologies for the poor photo quality, but this car really does look great in person. They've really improved the wacky proportions of the original car and made it into a more cohesive design. It is closer to the CRZ revival that hot-hatch fans have been looking for. If you can tolerate the three-door design, it really is a good-looking car.
SOUND:
I was not expecting the insanely loud crackle and pops of the exhaust. If you closed your eyes, you would think that you were hearing something more along the lines of a Ferrari than a Hyundai.
PRICING:
While I was not given the official numbers, Hyundai did seem to want to keep this priced lower than it's competitors. This could be a deciding factor for some if it slots about $2,000 below similarly equipping hot hatches.
The Bad
INTERIOR:
It looks and feels cheap on the inside. While not the worst economy car interior, I would expect a lot more from a car that may retail above $30,000. On the bright side, I was told that this particular model did not feature the final interior design. So it's possible that it may be improved before the official release.
SIZE:
While usable, the backseat and trunk are still on the small side. The problem is that it's wheelbase and weight are almost the same as the Focus ST and GTI. So you're losing a lot of the space benefits of a hatchback, but not really gaining the small car feel of something like the BRZ.
In conclusion, I think this will ultimately be the car that helps Hyundai break into the performance sector. They've tried before with the Tiburon and Genesis Coupe, but this could be the one to finally do it. Unfortunately, Hyundai is toying with the idea of having N-variants of their whole lineup. (Is anyone dying to have a Santa Fe N?) I'm optimistic about the success of the Veloster N, but also disappointed that we won't be getting the i30 N instead in the US.