Hyundai Veloster N Spied With Bigger 300-HP Turbo Engine

Apr. 17, 2020 12:45 PM ET by Karl Furlong Spy Shots / 7 Comments

The latest outputs are up there with the Civic Type R.

With an abundance of SUVs and sedans on the market, Hyundai has been spending a lot of time cooking up some hot hatch treats for the enthusiasts craving more power. Although the vaunted i30 N hatchback isn't sold in North America, we do at least have the Hyundai Veloster N, which we now know will be receiving a new dual-clutch transmission.

What has been less certain is whether or not the Veloster N will retain its 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, which produces up to 275 horsepower when equipped with the Performance Package. But a newly spied Veloster N with a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine leads us to believe that the hatch will get a power upgrade as well, based on the photo shared by The Korean Car Blog.

In the photo, the Veloster is parked with a sticker on the door announcing its 2.5-liter T-GDi engine to the world - hardly the kind of subtlety usually employed prior to manufacturers officially releasing the details of a new model.

The report includes a diagram of the bigger engine's specifics, with meaty outputs of 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque - that's right up there with the Honda Civic Type R's 306 hp/295 lb-ft and, with its new dual-clutch box, the updated Veloster N could easily end up being the quicker car. The 2.5-liter Smartstream engine is also going to be used in models like the new Kia Sorento and Genesis GV80, with similar outputs.

If the spy photo turns out to be the real deal, the Veloster N could turn out to be one of the most potent Korean cars we've ever seen. But it may not be the most potent of all, because earlier this month, the MR23T was spotted - a mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive hatchback with almost 400 hp. That prototype's 2.3-liter turbo, boosted by an electric motor, is yet another step up in performance.

Whatever Hyundai is cooking up, it has succeeded in whetting our appetites and we can't wait to see whether the next wave of hot hatches from the Korean marque can truly match up to the segment's stalwarts like the Civic Type R and the Volkswagen Golf GTI.