Hyundai Veloster N 2.5 T-GDi Prototype Raises More Questions Than It Answers

Like the original, Hyundai has gifted it with a 2+1 configuration for the doors and a selection of aspirated and turbo four-cylinder powerplants.

Veloster N is the name of the range-topping model, packing 275 metric ponies from 2.0 liters of displacement and a short-throw manual transmission with six ratios. We all know that a dual-clutch transmission is coming, but until now, the possibility of a 2.5-liter turbo was unascertained by the higher-ups and bean counters from Hyundai.

The following photograph – coming courtesy of a member of the Autospy.net community – leaves little to the imagination. "2.5 Turbo Engine" and "T-GDi" should refer to the Theta III family of engines. There's been talk about the Theta III since February 2018, and a 2.3-liter version is also in the pipeline with forced induction.

Also marketed under the Smartstream brand name, the 2.5 T-GDi develops 304 PS and 422 Nm of torque in the second generation of the Genesis G80. The luxury sedan further flaunts an eight-speed automatic of the torque-converter type, but then again, this version of the 2.5 T-GDi is adapted for rear- and all-wheel applications instead of FWD.

With 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet on deck, the new engine would pit the Veloster N above the Honda Civic Type R. It remains to be seen if the eight-speed DCT with wet clutches is going to be offered with the 2.5 T-GDi, and speaking of which, upgrading to 2.5 liters seems like the right thing to do for the mid-cycle refresh of the Veloster N.

The i30 – a.k.a. Elantra GT in the United States – has already been facelifted but Hyundai didn't mention a thing about what's hiding under the hood of the i30 N. Known as Project C, the highest-performing version of the pre-facelift i30 N is lighter and more akin to carve corners than the South Korean hot hatchback's stock specification.