2020 Hyundai Veloster N Will Get Eight-Speed, Dual-Clutch Automatic Transmission
If you wanted Hyundai’s latest hot hatch but couldn’t work three pedals, there’s good news for you.
Hyundai's joyous little Veloster N has so far been an experience reserved for the driving elite—those capable of operating three pedals in harmony. But the delight of wheeling a Veloster N belongs to this small subset of drivers just as much as fire does the Greek gods, which is why Hyundai, the proverbial Prometheus of this story, will soon make the Veloster N more approachable with the addition of an automatic transmission.
Hyundai confirmed the new transmission via its social media channels on Monday, stating that the hatch will soon be offered with an eight-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. Unsurprisingly, this new box will be shifted via steering wheel-mounted paddles, as depicted in brief flashes of a video posted to the company YouTube channel.
Quickened shift times and more gear ratios may allow Performance Pack-equipped cars with their 275 horsepower to limbo under the six-second zero-to-60 mark, which the manual models narrowly miss, finishing the sprint in 6.1 seconds. They likely won't take the acceleration crown from the reigning king of front-drive hatches, the Honda Civic Type R, which does zip-to-60 in 5.4 seconds, though they may reel the heroic Honda in some.
Hyundai's social media posts also suggest the updated Veloster N will gain light-up N motifs on the seatbacks, which may also signal the addition of heated seats—a feature the Veloster N has so far lacked. These options aren't yet listed in Hyundai's online Veloster N configuration software, so The Drive reached out to Hyundai to verify when these will be available. We will update this story when we hear back.
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