Along with the Hyundai Accent small car, one of our favorite hot hatchbacks is going to be retired. Hyundai recently stated that the Veloster N would not be making a comeback for the 2023 model year. Hyundai claimed that the decision was made in response to the launch of the Elantra N and Kona N.
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Except for the High-Performance N Model, the Hyundai Veloster is dead.
- For the 2022 model year, Hyundai will only offer the high-performance N model of the Veloster.
- The Veloster N’s 275 horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is mated to either a six-speed manual transmission or the recently introduced eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission.
For the 2022 model year, Hyundai says it would offer fewer trim levels, though it wouldn’t reveal which ones. The Veloster, which is currently in its second generation, is currently offered in 2.0, 2.0 Premium, Turbo R-Spec, and Turbo variants in addition to the powerful N model. The 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine in Veloster 2.0 versions produces 147 horsepower and is mated to a six-speed manual gearbox as standard, with an optional six-speed automatic transmission. A 201-hp turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine with a manual or dual-clutch automatic transmission powers the turbo versions.
The base price of the 2021 Veloster is $19,905 for the 2.0 with a six-speed manual transmission. Starting at $24,445 for the Turbo R-Spec and $26,755 for the Turbo. The base price for the Veloster N is $33,255 for the manual and $34,755 for the brand-new dual-clutch automatic.
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The Hyundai Veloster N Is Currently Unavailable
The choice is a part of the company’s overall shift away from conventional hatchbacks and toward sedans and small crossovers. Hyundai started by phasing out the non-N Veloster models about this time last year. Since then, it has released stunning N versions of the Elantra sedan and Kona crossover, breaking the Veloster N’s brief reign as the only performance car in the American Hyundai lineup. The Veloster N will be discontinued after the 2022 model year because there is no longer a need to maintain the model solely for its best and fastest variation.
If you enjoy hatchbacks, you may want to grab a brand-new one while you can. It not only won our Performance Car of the Year title in 2020, but it also outperformed every other vehicle in the test, including the Lamborghini Huracan Evo and the first-ever mid-engined Corvette. Hyundai will continue to make performance-oriented sedans and crossovers with the N badge, but the company’s first hot hatchback will always hold a special place in the hearts of aficionados. even if there were just an odd number of doors included.
Except for the N, Hyundai has discontinued all Veloster models for 2022.
Other than the flagship N, Hyundai has officially discontinued all Veloster models in the country.
A claim that the South Korean automaker may discontinue various Veloster versions due to weak sales first appeared online in April. Hyundai quickly clarified, however, that non-N branded Veloster models would continue to be produced through the 2022 model year. By July, it had changed its mind and announced that the range will be reduced.
A Hyundai representative confirmed the discontinuation of the Veloster 2.0, 2.0 Premium, R-Spec, Turbo, and Ultimate versions for the 2022 model year in a statement provided to Car & Driver.
This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering that Hyundai only sold 6,785 Velosters in the United States in 2020.
The entry-level 2021 Veloster model, powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 147 horsepower and 132 lb-ft (179 Nm) of torque, had a starting price of $18,900. The 2.0 Premium with heated front seats, a bigger 8-inch infotainment system, and an eight-speaker Infinity premium audio system was then priced at $23,100. The Veloster was also offered in Turbo R-Spec form, which started at $23,450 and included a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 201 horsepower and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque.
The Veloster N, with its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine producing 275 horsepower and 260 lb-ft (353 Nm) of torque and mated to either a six-speed manual or an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission, has always been the most spectacular model available.
The ride ends just as the Veloster N was getting going.
It appears that eccentric, high-performance, front-wheel-drive hot hatchbacks are a dying breed, along with midsize sedans. Hyundai today revealed that the Veloster N, its performance-oriented variant, is being phased out while the Elantra N and Kona N continue to be produced. Which is unfortunate because the most recent Hyundai Veloster N had superb dynamics and was narrowing the gap with the Honda Civic Type R, the gold standard of FWD performance vehicles.
The Veloster N gave the Veloster the engine and suspension we believed it deserved all along when it initially made its debut in the United States in 2019. This qualifies it as a finalist for our 2019 Car of the Year award. The Honda Civic Type R had just arrived on our shores and redefined what front-wheel drive performance meant, so its timing wasn’t ideal.
With the addition of an eight-speed DCT as an option and the Performance Package becoming standard for 2021, the Veloster N was improved even more. If this is the final Veloster, it’s a beautiful note to go out on, even if it could use one more iteration, as we stated in our PVOTY review. Sadly, it appears that we won’t have that opportunity. The Veloster N has been discontinued; the non-N Veloster passed away last year. This is due to the release of the Elantra N and Kona N for 2022. That implies that the Hyundai Veloster, a unique three-door hatchback that was first unveiled in 2011, is indeed no more.
Along with the Veloster N, Hyundai has also stopped producing the Accent, a base model vehicle since 1995, as well as the PHEV and hybrid Ioniq. The Accent (like the Veloster) is permanently discontinued, but the Ioniq line will continue to exist as a Hyundai EV subbrand. The Hyundai Venue crossover will take its place as the brand’s entry-level vehicle, according to Hyundai.
Sedans continue to play a significant role in Hyundai’s lineup, and the Elantra and Sonata are still available. Even then, we can’t help but question how long those models will remain in light of the fact that the Accent and Veloster are already obsolete, and there are speculations that the Sonata may follow suit.
For the time being, we lament the passing of the Veloster N and the peculiar hatchback it was built on. Hyundai Veloster is no more. The Hyundai Veloster is here to stay.
The Accent is also scrapped.
Update: Hyundai revealed their 2023 model lineup, which excludes the Accent and Veloster N. Hyundai claims that the Veloster N was discontinued as a result of the Elantra N and Kona N expanding the N brand. The Venue, which is now Hyundai’s entry-level model, and a larger SUV portfolio that includes it are to blame for the Accent’s extinction.
Hankyung, a South Korean website, reported that Hyundai will stop producing the Veloster in South Korea in July, citing unnamed sources.
After 11 years, Hyundai Motor Company is reportedly totally phasing out the Veloster moniker. According to reports, the decision would help Hyundai increase sales of the Elantra N, also known as the Avante N in its native Korea, as well as the next-generation Kona.
It will have a model year of 2022.
It was suggested earlier this week that the Hyundai Veloster would be discontinued after the 2021 model year. The eccentric coupe’s sales have been dropping in recent years, and a news source suggested it would be retired after the current model year. However, the South Korean automaker denied the rumor.
Hyundai responded to Car and Driver’s inquiry by confirming that the Veloster will remain in production and receive a 2022 model year. Although the model range will be streamlined for 2022, the three-and-a-half door hot hatch is now offered in 2.0, 2.0 Premium, Turbo R-Spec, Turbo, and Veloster N models.
Although it is too soon to predict which trim level would be dropped, it is probably reasonable to assume that the top model will remain available. The starting price of the Veloster N for the 2021 model year is $33,255 for a manual transmission and $34,755 for a dual-clutch automatic. As a reminder, the 2.0 variant with 147 horsepower is the entry-level 2021 Veloster, costing $19,905.
Sales of the sports car decreased by almost 50% in 2018 compared to 2019. Just 7,581 of the model’s vehicles were sold by Hyundai, compared to 12,849 the year before. Although there is no information on changes for the Veloster for the 2022 model year, this looks likely given the declining sales trend since 2016.
Our Senior Editor Jeff Perez found the 2021 Veloster N to be “one of the best hot hatchbacks we’ve ever driven” during our evaluation of it earlier this year. The upgraded model was lauded for its “larger brakes, improved seats, and the Performance package.” It was described as “punchy, stylish, agile, and an outstanding bargain.”
Hyundai is getting rid with the Veloster, why?
Due to the Ioniq EV’s increased range, the Hyundai Ioniq hybrid and plug-in hybrid will be withdrawn, along with the slow-moving Accent subcompact.
On Thursday, Hyundai revealed the updates for the 2023 model year, confirming the discontinuation of a few models. The Veloster N hot hatch, about which we are most angry, will also be discontinued by Hyundai, along with the tiny Accent and the hybrid and plug-in hybrid Ioniq hatchback models.
It’s not surprising that the hotter N won’t be around as the ordinary Veloster was canceled last year owing to poor sales. Hyundai attributes the Veloster N’s demise to the launch of the Elantra N and Kona N, and while both vehicles are certainly entertaining in their own right, we’ll always have happy memories of Hyundai’s original noisy boi.
Hyundai’s justification for discontinuing the Accent is logical: small SUVs like the Venue and Kona are more appealing and modern, especially as consumers turn away from sedans and toward crossovers. Hatchback versions of the Hyundai Accent were once available, however that service was stopped a few years ago. The Venue SUV, which starts at $20,295 including delivery, is currently the Hyundai brand’s entry level model. It’s unknown if the Kia Rio, the Accent’s business cousin, will also go out of business.
The Hyundai Ioniq hybrid and plug-in hybrid hatchbacks won’t be around in 2023 after the completely electric model was discontinued last year. It’s a little surprising that Hyundai is continuing to develop its new Ioniq lineup, which now includes the Ioniq 5 and the recently introduced Ioniq 6. Instead, shoppers looking for compact Hyundai hybrids can consider the Elantra HEV and Tucson HEV.
The remainder of the Hyundai lineup will mostly remain the same in 2023. The Palisade SUV is the lone exception; it recently underwent a modest redesign and is scheduled to go on sale later this year.