Hyundai->ke201 might not be among the automakers you should consider when buying a high-performance vehicle, but the South Korean brand is known for rigs like the i20 WRC. Based on the i20 supermini->ke3257 built in countries like Turkey or India, the WRC is the first high-performance car created by the new "N" sub-brand.

The 300 horsepower squeezed out of the 1.6-liter engine proves Hyundai is enjoying great progress and likely previews a bunch of cool, road-going cars that are scheduled to arrive over the next few years. If you think the i20 WRC is an awesome machine, then you will be delighted to find that Hyundai built yet another semi-exotic vehicle.

It goes by the name Veloster Midship, and surfaced at the 2014 Busan Motor Show in South Korea. Unlike the regular Veloster, this model has its powerplant mounted where the rear seats should be. What's more, Hyundai ditched the 1.6-liter four-pot found in the production car for a larger, 2.0-liter Theta GDI unit. If you're not familiar with it, the 2.0 GDI motivates the Kia Forte->ke3202, Hyundai Sonata->ke1859 and Hyundai Santa Fe->ke1023.

But make no mistake, the Midship's plant is anything but regular. The Koreans did some tweaking and forced it to generate 295 horsepower. Pair that amount of oomph with a lightweight, aluminum suspension and a more rigid chassis, and you're looking at some sort of super-hatchback->ke304.

Click past the jump to read more about the 2014 Hyundai Veloster Midship Concept.

2014 Hyundai Veloster Midship Concept

Specifications
  • Make: Array
  • Model: 2014 Hyundai Veloster Midship Concept
  • Engine/Motor: inline-4
  • Horsepower: 295
  • [do not use] Vehicle Model: Array

Hyundai Veloster Midship Concept in detail

Visually, the Veloster Midship is a lot more menacing than the production version we're familiar with. Fitted with an aerodynamic kit that includes optimized bumpers and flared fenders, the concept also gains a pair of rear fender intakes that are supposed to send huge amounts of air to the mid-mounted engine. Around back, a large diffuser and a huge wing are in place to provide more downforce for better handling. Naturally, Hyundai had to ditch the hatch to make way for the engine, which is under a shiny, aluminum shield.

Adding more good news to the "love it" pot is the fact that this concept is fully functional. The bad news though is that Hyundai has no plans to transform this beefed-up Veloster into a production model. At least not now...

Hyundai Veloster