CountersteerYour true stories of good and bad things that happen in cars.This week I had the privilege of stepping out of a Porsche 911 Speedster into a Lotus Evora GT and finally swapping that for a 2019 Hyundai Veloster N and you know what, I’m not even that mad. I’ll be test driving this new hot hatch all weekend; lob some questions my way on your way out of work.
The Veloster N is Hyundai’s new performance flagship for the U.S. and it ticks a lot of good boxes: it’s relatively inexpensive, it’s got a good feature list, and after putting about 50 causal miles on it I can confirm that it feels well-made and decent to drive.
How it hangs through hard driving remains to be seen, but so far I’m loving the displays (the tach has warm-up lights!), the feel of the shifter and general vibe of the car. Its aura isn’t quite as aggressive as a Honda Civic Type R’s, but this Hyundai’s definitely got some personality and the controls feel good in my hands.
I’m driving one with the $2,100 Performance Pack which boosts claimed output from 250 horsepower to 275. Torque is still 260 lb-ft, but this optional bundle also includes a limited-slip differential, variable exhaust, 19-inch wheels, and big brakes.
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This weekend I’ll put the car through the Malibu canyons, LA traffic and potentially Angeles Crest if I’m feeling ambitious. Drop your Qs in here and I’ll answer what I can in the review!
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