A few years ago, if you had told someone that a couple of Korean brands were at the cutting-edge of hot hatches and performance cars, they'd probably laugh at you as that drove away in the Australian-built Commodore.
But that's not the case anymore, those Australian Holden factories have closed their doors, Kia have a turbocharged sports sedan on sale, and Hyundai is throwing around hot hatch concepts.
Hyundai's latest concept is a little tamer than the Veloster-based off-road beast that was unveiled just last week, but looks just as fun to drive.
Dubbed the Veloster N Performance concept, the Korean manufacturer has thrown a range of go-fast parts at the hatch that "visual appeal and dynamic performance".
At the front end the hatch has been hit with a revised bumper and ram air hood, and new side skirts wearing the same orange accents sit at the sides. A new diffuser sits at the rear, and a massive three-strut wing sits on the roof.
The 19-inch racing wheels come from OZ, and are wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero Corsa tyres. Beneath these wheels sit a serious braking system comprised of six-piston callipers at the front, and four-piston callipers at the rear. They grab on to 380mm and 360mm discs respectively.
Unfortunately, it looks like the standard power train is still present in the car, as the brand made no mention of it. Despite the lack of modification, this turbocharged 2.0-litre pumps out 205kW and 352Nm of torque.
While no power upgrades were made, the suspension system received an overhaul which included new coilovers and anti-roll bars at the front and rear. These will help cornering, and get power down to the front wheels through the six-speed manual transmission.
Hyundai hasn't skimped on the go-fast parts on the inside either, a combination of Alcantara and leather can be found throughout the cabin. Sabelt sports seats take pride of place, and the same orange accents are present.
No official announcements have been made about the Veloster N Performance's production, but considering that it's just a SEMA concept at this stage, we aren't holding out for one.