When it first came out as a 2012 model-year, the Hyundai Veloster received a bit of backlash. It looked like a sportscar and had the potential to be, but all the extra work needed to actually MAKE it a sportscar had been forgotten. A few months later, the turbo got the enthusiasts excited: maybe the 1.6L turbo engine was going to address what the entry-level model lacked.
But it didn’t. Despite winning design awards, the Veloster had mostly been a bit of a let down, something only the 2016 Rally Edition had managed to correct. Until now? What looks like a redesigned Veloster dressed up in camo has been spotted at the famous Nürburgring, which has lead people to believe that a production version of the racing-inspired RM16 N concept, introduced earlier this year in Korea, might actually land on the production line. And if the mule tested on the track is anything like the prototype introduced earlier this year, we are looking at a 295-hp mid-mounted 2.0L turbo engine hot hatch.
If the RM14 and RM15 concepts were based on the Veloster, this new design could hint at a future generation of the three-door hatch that’s been running almost dry on refreshes only, without any real plan from the manufacturer for a new generation. Is this meant to be a replacement, or an addition? The lines on the mule seem to hint at a certain continuity to the Veloster, but to what extent remains to be seen.
Check out the full series of camo pictures on ca.motor1.