2021 Hyundai Veloster N Gains More Than Just a New Transmission

Psst—want some sweet lightweight sport seats?

Hyundai recently teased the arrival of an updated Veloster N with an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. At the time, the South Korean brand shared little else about its reworked high-performance hatchback. Fortunately, Hyundai Motor America's director of product planning, Scott Margason, revealed a few more details about the Veloster N in a recent conversation with MotorTrend. Here's what we learned:

Notably, the reworked 2021 Veloster N—and its newly available self-shifting transmission—arrives this fall. While Margason was mum on many details about the updated model, he did confirm the U.S.-market 2021 Hyundai Veloster N will welcome a set of lightweight sports seats to its features menu.

Besides featuring additional bolstering and likely shedding a few pounds relative to the model's current seats, the 2021 Veloster N's lightweight sports seat also includes a kitschy—but incredibly cool—backlit "N" badge on its backrest (briefly shown in the video below) similar to those available on the outgoing BMW M3. Hopefully, the seats also offer available heating, too, as those on the 2020 Veloster N lack the bum-friendly feature. 

It's likely the 2021 Veloster N will also benefit from a few extra horses under its hood. Consider how the larger Sonata N Line sedan relies on a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and manages to pump out an estimated 290 horsepower. Currently, the Veloster N's turbo 2.0-liter four-pot makes a maximum of 275 horsepower when equipped with the optional Performance package (standard models make do with "only" 250 horses).

Although the Veloster N promises several improvements for the 2021 model year, it still remains the sole full-blown N-badged vehicle in the U.S. (meaning, beyond N Line trim levels). Margason, however, noted that shouldn't be the case for much longer, and the brand plans to "grow the N lineup beyond just Veloster." What Hyundai ultimately adds to the U.S. N model line in the coming years remains a mystery, however, the brand has repeatedly teased its intention to develop a mid-engined halo model for its performance-oriented sub-brand.