Hyundai Veloster N getting 2.5-liter turbo with 300 horsepower?

Looks like the pieces from the rumormill continue to come together around the Hyundai Veloster N. In 2018, Korean outlet Motorgraph wrote that Hyundai was working on a Theta III engine for front- and rear-wheel drive, and mid-engine applications. The 2.5-liter turbocharged versions would be rated at 280 hp when turning the front wheels, 300 hp when turning the rears. Fast forward to last week, when a keen spotter sent The Korean Car Blog a picture of a Veloster N prototype with a piece of paper bearing the words "2.5 Turbo Engine T-GDi" taped to its door. That engine would indeed be the Theta III Smartstream turbocharged four-cylinder known to be headed for Hyundai Group products like the Kia Sorento and Genesis GV80 crossovers. The mill makes 277 hp and 311 pound-feet of torque in the Sorento, and 300 hp with 311 lb-ft in the GV80.

Since the Veloster N pulls with its front axle, the question is whether the old intel about 280 hp still holds. If so, and that engine were slotted into a new generation of the Veloster N, 280 hp could be the output served up in the standard model. Currently, the base model makes 250 hp from its 2.0-liter Theta II turbo four-cylinder. That output can be upped to 275 hp with the Performance Package. The honchos in the N division make a point of saying their hot hatches are about more than numbers. Nevertheless, getting to the triple-century mark would make a better story for the buyers who care about spec sheets as much as handling, competitors like the Honda Civic Type R making 306 hp and 295 lb-ft. This 2.5-liter would also be a likely candidate for the coming Tucson N, making 300 hp.

Before we see how this turns out for the Veloster N, the next big step for the three-door is an eight-speed, wet-clutch DCT teased last week. The Korean Car Blog says the new transmission will get extras like an extra oil pump and accumulator, too.

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