The refreshed 2020 Hyundai Veloster N isn’t available in Oz, but its new N 8-speed dual-clutch transmission will be available on i30 N and Fastback N next year.
Boasting such settings as N Grin Shift and N Power Shift, the all-new N 8-speed wet dual-clutch transmission (N DCT) has been debuted on the refreshed Veloster N in Korea overnight. While that car isn’t available in Australia, the transmission will be fitted to both the Aussie-delivered i30 N and i30 Fastback N early next year (2021).
Given buyers are moving away from manual transmissions like as if you’ll catch coronavirus from them (too soon?), Hyundai wanted its new eight-speeder to “provide the engaging experience of a manual transmission with the convenience of an automatic transmission”.
So, what’s this N Grin Shift all about, then? Activate it and torque is increased by seven percent to 377Nm by allowing turbocharger overboost and maximises transmission response for 20 seconds – “performance that is certain to induce “driver grin”,” Hyundai’s press guff said.
There’s also N Power Shift which activates automatically when you pin the throttle at more than 90 percent. Apparently, this gives the driver “a responsive feeling of dynamic acceleration when shifting”. Then there’s N Track Shift that can magically (not by actual magic) “discerns when road conditions are optimal for dynamic driving and activates automatically, selecting the right gear and shift timing just like a professional race car driver to provide optimal performance”.
We’re looking forward to giving these new transmission settings a thrashing when this new transmission arrives here on the updated i30 N and i30 Fastback N early next year.
Question: Do you miss the good old days when manual transmissions were the first-choice ‘box on hot hatches? See you in the comments.
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