2021 Hyundai Veloster N Debuts with New 8-Speed Automatic Transmission

The 2021 Hyundai Veloster N has just debuted with an available eight-speed dual clutch automatic transmission (DCT). The hot hatch was one of the few cars left that was manual-only, but the addition of the new automatic transmission should help increase its appeal to more drivers.

As one of the most engaging and personality-driven cars you can buy today, it was important for the Korean automaker to maintain the high fun factor that the manual car offered. The DCT-equipped Veloster N can accelerate to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds, which is faster than the manual model’s time of 6.1 seconds. 

DCT-equipped models use a wet clutch and come with a new feature Hyundai calls “N Grin Shift” or NGS, which increases torque by 7 per cent for 20-second bursts by allowing turbocharger overboost and maximizing transmission response. It works in combination with “N Power Shift” or NPS, which automatically engages when a driver is using more than 90 per cent throttle to limit a drop in torque as the transmission shifts up. Another weird acronym NTS, which stands for N Track Sense Shift, helps a driver by automatically detecting when road conditions are best for enthusiastic driving and tailoring the transmission for the best performance.

The 2021 Hyundai Veloster N also gets new optional unibody bucket seats that have a light up N logo in the seatbacks. With suede-like Alcantara inserts and aluminum trim details, these new seats look sportier and much more upscale than the previous ones, but are also 2 kg lighter than the standard seats.

The Veloster N also gets an updated infotainment system. Pricing for the DCT automatic and the new optional seats has not yet been announced. Fuel economy for the DCT model hasn’t been released either, but you can expect a small bump in efficiency over the manual version.