# Hyundai Veloster (현대 벨로스터)
The **Hyundai Veloster** (현대 벨로스터) is a compact three-door coupé hatchback produced by [Hyundai Motor Company](https://www.edgepedia.org/hyundai-motor-company) from 2011 to 2022, distinguished by an asymmetrical body with one long door on the driver's side and two doors on the passenger side. The first generation launched as a 2012 model, a second generation arrived for 2019, and the performance-focused Veloster N became Hyundai's first N-brand vehicle sold in the United States before the line was discontinued after the 2022 model year.[1](https://news.cision.com/hyundai-motor-company/r/hyundai-revolutionizes-the-coupe-with-the-all-new-veloster-at-the-detroit-international-auto-show%2Cg536419) • [2](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/hyundai/veloster/2012) • [3](https://www.caranddriver.com/hyundai/veloster-n-2020)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Production run | 2011 to 2022, built at Hyundai's Ulsan plant in Korea; world debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 10, 2011[1](https://news.cision.com/hyundai-motor-company/r/hyundai-revolutionizes-the-coupe-with-the-all-new-veloster-at-the-detroit-international-auto-show%2Cg536419) • [4](https://paultan.org/2022/06/21/hyundai-veloster-production-to-be-discontinued/) |
| Signature layout | Two-plus-one door configuration: a single conventionally hinged door on the driver's side and two on the passenger side[2](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/hyundai/veloster/2012) |
| First-generation powertrain | 1.6-liter direct-injected four-cylinder with 138 hp, paired with a six-speed manual or Hyundai's first dual-clutch transmission; EPA-rated 27 mpg city and 37 mpg highway with the manual[5](https://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/veloster/2012/review/) |
| Second generation | Production began March 2018 in Ulsan with US availability in the second quarter of 2018; torsional rigidity increased 27.6 percent over the preceding model[6](https://www.hyundai.com/content/hyundai/ww/data/news/data/2018/0000015698/attach/Hyundai%20Reveals%20All-new%202019%20Veloster%20and%20Veloster%20Turbo.pdf) • [7](https://www.hyundai.com/au/en/hyundai-info/news/2019/09/new-Veloster-Sports-coupe-cool-for-the-2020s.html) |
| Veloster N output | Turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder, 250 hp standard and 275 hp with the optional Performance package; front-wheel drive with a six-speed manual or, from the 2021 model year, an optional eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission[3](https://www.caranddriver.com/hyundai/veloster-n-2020) • [20](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2021-hyundai-veloster-n-offers-n-eight-speed-wet-dual-clutch-transmission-301101735.html) • [21](https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/newsroom/detail/0000000702) |
| N performance figures | 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, 0.97 g on the skidpad, and a 154-foot stop from 70 mph in Performance-package trim[8](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a24512652/2019-hyundai-veloster-n-hot-hatch-performance/) |
| Racing version | Veloster N TCR with a 350-hp 2.0-liter turbo engine, sharing about 85 percent of core components with the i30 N TCR, sold for €135,000[9](https://www.hyundai-n.com/en/brand/press/hyundai-veloster-n-race-car-makes-world-debut-20190114) |
| End of production | Non-N Veloster dropped from the US lineup for 2022; the entire model was discontinued after 2022, ending an 11-year run[4](https://paultan.org/2022/06/21/hyundai-veloster-production-to-be-discontinued/) • [10](https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1136353_hyundai-veloster-n-discontinued) |
## First generation (2012–2017)
Hyundai introduced the Veloster at the Detroit auto show in January 2011 as a compact coupé aimed at cars like the Mini Cooper and [Scion tC](https://www.edgepedia.org/scion-tc), pairing coupé styling with hatchback practicality.[1](https://news.cision.com/hyundai-motor-company/r/hyundai-revolutionizes-the-coupe-with-the-all-new-veloster-at-the-detroit-international-auto-show%2Cg536419) The defining feature was the asymmetrical three-door layout: the driver's side has one long door, while the passenger side has two conventionally hinged doors, so rear-seat passengers enter from the curb side.[2](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/hyundai/veloster/2012)
The 2012 model used a 1.6-liter direct-injected four-cylinder producing 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque, with a six-speed manual standard and a dual-clutch automated manual optional; it was Hyundai's first application of a dual-clutch transmission.[5](https://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/veloster/2012/review/) [Acceleration](https://www.edgepedia.org/acceleration) was modest: Edmunds measured 10.2 seconds from 0 to 60 mph in a dual-clutch car, and reviewers noted poor rear visibility and cramped rear seats as drawbacks alongside strong feature content and fuel economy.[5](https://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/veloster/2012/review/) A Veloster Turbo with a Gamma turbocharged GDi engine was added in 2012.[11](https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/footer/corporate/vehicle-history/2010/veloster) In Insurance Institute for Highway Safety testing of 2012–17 models, the Veloster earned a Good rating in the moderate overlap front test and a Marginal rating in the driver-side small overlap front test.[2](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/hyundai/veloster/2012)
## Second generation (2019–2022)
The redesigned Veloster entered production in March 2018 at Ulsan and reached the US market in the second quarter of 2018, retaining the two-plus-one door configuration and adding a standard multi-link rear suspension.[6](https://www.hyundai.com/content/hyundai/ww/data/news/data/2018/0000015698/attach/Hyundai%20Reveals%20All-new%202019%20Veloster%20and%20Veloster%20Turbo.pdf) The available 1.6-liter turbocharged engine produced 201 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque.[6](https://www.hyundai.com/content/hyundai/ww/data/news/data/2018/0000015698/attach/Hyundai%20Reveals%20All-new%202019%20Veloster%20and%20Veloster%20Turbo.pdf)
**Structural and chassis work.** Hyundai reported a 27.6 percent increase in torsional rigidity over the preceding model, achieved through advanced high-strength steel, hot-stamped A-pillars and side sills, and 121 meters of structural adhesive, thirty times more than the previous generation.[7](https://www.hyundai.com/au/en/hyundai-info/news/2019/09/new-Veloster-Sports-coupe-cool-for-the-2020s.html) A Torque Vectoring Control system applied precision braking to the inside front wheel in turns to improve grip and cornering stability.[7](https://www.hyundai.com/au/en/hyundai-info/news/2019/09/new-Veloster-Sports-coupe-cool-for-the-2020s.html)
## Veloster N
The Veloster N, launched for 2019, was the first vehicle from Hyundai's N performance brand sold in the United States; the N designation refers to the [Nürburgring](https://www.edgepedia.org/nurburgring) racetrack and Hyundai's Namyang proving grounds, and Hyundai reserves it for purpose-built performance vehicles, distinct from the appearance-and-power N-Line badge.[12](https://www.jdpower.com/cars/expert-reviews/2020-hyundai-veloster-n-review) It was Hyundai's first serious sport-compact offering in the US, aimed at the Volkswagen GTI, Ford Focus ST, and [Subaru WRX](https://www.edgepedia.org/subaru-wrx).[13](https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a24851703/2019-hyundai-veloster-n-track-test-review/)
The standard engine was a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 250 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque, with the optional [Performance](https://www.edgepedia.org/performance) package raising output to 275 hp; the six-speed manual was the sole transmission for the 2019 and 2020 model years, after which an optional eight-speed wet dual-clutch transmission was added for 2021, and front-wheel drive was the only drivetrain.[3](https://www.caranddriver.com/hyundai/veloster-n-2020) • [20](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2021-hyundai-veloster-n-offers-n-eight-speed-wet-dual-clutch-transmission-301101735.html) • [21](https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/newsroom/detail/0000000702) The Performance package car recorded 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds, 0.97 g on the skidpad, and a 154-foot stop from 70 mph in [Car and Driver](https://www.edgepedia.org/car-and-driver) testing.[8](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a24512652/2019-hyundai-veloster-n-hot-hatch-performance/) A drive-mode selector offered Eco, Normal, Sport, and N modes, with an N Custom mode tailoring throttle response, adaptive dampers, the limited-slip differential, rev matching, stability control, steering weight, and exhaust settings.[3](https://www.caranddriver.com/hyundai/veloster-n-2020) For 2021 Hyundai added an optional N 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission, a wet-clutch design with oil cooling that could handle the engine's maximum torque of 36.0 kgf·m and respond to torque as high as 58.0 kgf·m.[14](https://www.hyundaimotorgroup.com/en/story/CONT0000000000001164)
**Reception.** Road & Track named the Veloster N its 2020 Performance Car of the Year, with judges describing it as a front-wheel-drive car tuned to turn in and rotate playfully rather than resist direction changes, and noting that its roughly $30,430 price made a Volkswagen Golf R costing about ten thousand dollars more feel numb by comparison.[15](https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-comparison-tests/a29640493/2020-performance-car-of-the-year/) In a 2019 head-to-head comparison, Car and Driver found the [Honda Civic Type R](https://www.edgepedia.org/honda-civic-type-r) dynamically superior, with the 275-hp Veloster N positioned in price and straight-line performance between the Civic Si and the Type R.[16](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a25336198/honda-civic-type-r-versus-hyundai-veloster-n-hot-hatch-battle/)
## Motorsport
Hyundai debuted the Veloster N TCR race car at the January 2019 [North American International Auto Show](https://www.edgepedia.org/north-american-international-auto-show). Built by the Hyundai Motorsport Customer Racing team that developed the championship-winning i30 N TCR, it shared about 85 percent of its core components with that car, including the 350-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, and was produced at Hyundai Motorsport headquarters in Alzenau, Germany. Bryan Herta Autosport prepared two Veloster N TCRs for the 2019 IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, and customer cars were priced at €135,000 plus shipping.[9](https://www.hyundai-n.com/en/brand/press/hyundai-veloster-n-race-car-makes-world-debut-20190114) A Hyundai Motorsport-entered Veloster N TCR team took a TCR class podium at the 2020 Nürburgring 24 Hours, run almost entirely in wet conditions.[17](https://www.hyundai.com/content/hyundai/ww/data/news/data/2020/0000016538/attach/Hyundai_cars_take_class_win_and_podium_from_N%EC%B2%B4rburgring_24_Hours.01.pdf)
## Discontinuation
For the 2022 model year Hyundai dropped the non-N Veloster from the US lineup, leaving the N as the last variant.[10](https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1136353_hyundai-veloster-n-discontinued) In June 2022, South Korean media reported that Hyundai would end Veloster production at Ulsan, with 2022 model year units the last to leave the plant, citing poor sales and a desire to free production volume for the next-generation Kona.[4](https://paultan.org/2022/06/21/hyundai-veloster-production-to-be-discontinued/) Hyundai Motor America's sales figures show the decline: 1,920 Velosters sold in the US in 2022, down 9 percent from 2,112 in 2021.[18](https://www.hyundainews.com/releases/3732?lang=en_US) The N brand continued with the Elantra N and Kona N, which share the same 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder.[19](https://sportscar.racer.com/sportscar/20211101/2VTD7GH272WBD3OZFDPWN2GETI.pdf)
## References
1. [Hyundai Revolutionizes the Coupe with the All-New Veloster at the Detroit International Auto Show, Hyundai Motor Company via Cision](https://news.cision.com/hyundai-motor-company/r/hyundai-revolutionizes-the-coupe-with-the-all-new-veloster-at-the-detroit-international-auto-show%2Cg536419)
2. [2012 Hyundai Veloster, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety](https://www.iihs.org/ratings/vehicle/hyundai/veloster/2012)
3. [2020 Hyundai Veloster N Review, Pricing, and Specs, Car and Driver](https://www.caranddriver.com/hyundai/veloster-n-2020)
4. [Hyundai Veloster production to be discontinued as soon as next month, ending 11-year run, paultan.org](https://paultan.org/2022/06/21/hyundai-veloster-production-to-be-discontinued/)
5. [2012 Hyundai Veloster Review & Ratings, Edmunds](https://www.edmunds.com/hyundai/veloster/2012/review/)
6. [Hyundai Reveals All-New 2019 Veloster and Veloster Turbo, Hyundai Motor Company news release (PDF)](https://www.hyundai.com/content/hyundai/ww/data/news/data/2018/0000015698/attach/Hyundai%20Reveals%20All-new%202019%20Veloster%20and%20Veloster%20Turbo.pdf)
7. [New Veloster: Sports coupe-cool for the 2020s, Hyundai Australia](https://www.hyundai.com/au/en/hyundai-info/news/2019/09/new-Veloster-Sports-coupe-cool-for-the-2020s.html)
8. [2019 Hyundai Veloster N—Big Performance in a Small Package, Car and Driver](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/a24512652/2019-hyundai-veloster-n-hot-hatch-performance/)
9. [Hyundai Veloster N Race Car Makes World Debut, Hyundai N](https://www.hyundai-n.com/en/brand/press/hyundai-veloster-n-race-car-makes-world-debut-20190114)
10. [Hyundai Veloster N discontinued due to Elantra N and Kona N arrival, Motor Authority](https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1136353_hyundai-veloster-n-discontinued)
11. [Vehicle History 2010 VELOSTER, Hyundai Worldwide](https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/footer/corporate/vehicle-history/2010/veloster)
12. [2020 Hyundai Veloster N Review, J.D. Power](https://www.jdpower.com/cars/expert-reviews/2020-hyundai-veloster-n-review)
13. [2019 Hyundai Veloster N Track Test, Road & Track](https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a24851703/2019-hyundai-veloster-n-track-test-review/)
14. [Veloster N Adds Speed and Fun with the New N DCT, Hyundai Motor Group](https://www.hyundaimotorgroup.com/en/story/CONT0000000000001164)
15. [Road & Track's 2020 Performance Car of the Year, Road & Track](https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/car-comparison-tests/a29640493/2020-performance-car-of-the-year/)
16. [2019 Hyundai Veloster N Versus the Honda Civic Type R, Car and Driver](https://www.caranddriver.com/reviews/comparison-test/a25336198/honda-civic-type-r-versus-hyundai-veloster-n-hot-hatch-battle/)
17. [Hyundai cars take class win and podium from Nürburgring 24 Hours, Hyundai Motor Company news release (PDF)](https://www.hyundai.com/content/hyundai/ww/data/news/data/2020/0000016538/attach/Hyundai_cars_take_class_win_and_podium_from_N%EC%B2%B4rburgring_24_Hours.01.pdf)
18. [Hyundai Motor America Reports Record-Setting December, Q4 and 2022 Sales, Hyundai Newsroom](https://www.hyundainews.com/releases/3732?lang=en_US)
19. [Sports Car, November/December 2021, Racer magazine (PDF)](https://sportscar.racer.com/sportscar/20211101/2VTD7GH272WBD3OZFDPWN2GETI.pdf)
20. [2021 Hyundai Veloster N Offers N Eight-Speed Wet Dual-Clutch Transmission](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/2021-hyundai-veloster-n-offers-n-eight-speed-wet-dual-clutch-transmission-301101735.html)
21. [Hyundai Unveils the New VELOSTER N with 8-Speed DCT](https://www.hyundai.com/worldwide/en/newsroom/detail/0000000702)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Technology and the built world › Transport and spaceflight › Road transport › Automobiles › Korean and other Asian models*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Edited: Sep 18, 2026; Sep 30, 2026; Oct 15, 2026 · Last review: Oct 15, 2026*
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License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license