As the brand continues to grow, Hyundai has successfully split off Genesis into its own luxury entity, and to continue this trend, Hyundai has developed its performance “N” line. Essentially, N represents performance versions of Hyundai vehicles. The “N” is short for Namyang, which is the location of Hyundai’s research and development center. The first car to take the N mantle in North America is the 2019 Hyundai Veloster, which has been redesigned for 2019.

The Veloster N’s new look rounds out many of the pronounced characteristics of the pre-update Veloster but still keeps its general look. The Veloster N ups the visual ante with a larger grille, lower front end and side skirts, larger rear hatch spoiler, and unique red lines along the bottom of the car. The Veloster N also features two large exhaust outlets pushed closer to the corners—replacing the single central exhaust port in the other Veloster trims.

The Veloster N boasts range-topping power and performance. Its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine makes 275 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, outperforming the rest of the line by a long shot. Power is sent to the front wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission, which features rev-matching.

The Veloster N also features standard performance elements like 13-inch front brake rotors and 11.8-inch rear brake rotors. If you want even more stopping power, buyers can opt for larger 13.6-inch front performance brakes and 12.4-inch rotors in the back. The Veloster N also features a Power Sense axle design and a multi-mode electronically controlled suspension system, which are all geared for ideal performance and power delivery.

The Veloster N is available in four colors, including Ultra Black, Chalk White, Racing Red, and Performance Blue, which is exclusive to the N. The wheel wells house standard 18-inch alloy wheels, which come with Michelin Pilot SuperSport tires, or available 19-inch wheels, which have Pirelli P-Zero summer tires. However, the defining characteristic of the Veloster’s hatchback layout is its three-door design. One the driver side, there is a single large door, but the passenger side has two doors—one for each row.

Inside, the Veloster has been heavily updated with a new floating touchscreen and a more conventional control layout. After previous models received criticism for being unintuitive, Hyundai made its controls are far easier to use while still managing to have a somewhat unique look defined by the right side of the center stack, which flows from the dash into the center console. The Veloster N’s most defining cabin feature is its cloth sport seats with bolstering along with unique design features on the steering wheel, shift knob, and door sill plates. The instrument panel even has a mode that will alert the driver when RPMs are too high.

The Veloster N also comes with the latest version of Hyundai’s infotainment suite and an updated touchscreen, featuring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for enhanced smartphone integration.

Additionally, you can tweak many of these systems via its N Grin Control System, which can tune the throttle response, exhaust note, active differential tuning, suspension, steering feel, and yaw-control characteristics. N Grin Control provides Normal, Sport, N, Eco and N Custom drive modes.