DRIVEN: 2021 Hyundai Veloster N - Is THIS The Hot Hatch You Were Looking For?

I’ve had the 2021 Hyundai Veloster N for a few days and really haven’t put it or its new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission to the test. With a spring snow coming in the next couple of days, it’s now or never.

Even as I’m on the freeway heading toward a twisty road, the fun is beginning thanks Hyundai’s N button. Similar to a Race, Track, or Sport+ mode in other cars, the N button on the right side of the Veloster N’s steering wheel sets every vehicle system on high alert. The throttle is at its sharpest, the transmission holds gears lower and longer, the adjustable dampers get stiffer than Matt Gaetz at a high school pep rally, the traction control takes a break, and the stability control loosens up.