We've driven the Ioniq 5 EV, and it truly is an impressive vehicle in nearly every way. Now, the South Korean brand is taking the Ioniq 5 to all-new levels with the high-performance Ioniq 5 N. That "N" badge means it's meant for serious sportiness, and there's a lot to love about it. The Ioniq 5 N uses the same platform as the very quick, very thrilling Kia EV6 GT but with special tuning from Hyundai's N division.
If you didn't know, Hyundai's N vehicles include the Elantra N sedan and the upcoming Kona N crossover. 2022 was the last year for the Veloster N hatchback. All three vehicles are tremendous in their own way and are meant to be driven hard. The introduction of the Ioniq 5 N is the start of the N Division's push toward electrification of the line. It promises to deliver the goods, so let's take a closer look.
Astounding EV Power
The Ioniq 5 N has two electric motors, one for the front wheels and one for the rear, with a total of 601 horsepower under normal driving. Execute the car's N Grin Boost feature, and that number jumps to 641 horses. The standard Ioniq N with all-wheel drive churns out a substantial 320 horses, and the N more than doubles that with the N Grin Boost feature. But it's more than just high horsepower. The Ioniq 5 N also gets bigger wheels, better tires, larger brakes, wider fenders, better aero, and a sportier front end.
The 0-60 mph is an astounding 3.4 seconds with N Grin Boost, and the top speed is 161 mph. Coupled with the power, there's also an excellent all-wheel drive system that lets drivers make changes in order to distribute most of the power to either the front or the rear wheels as desired. The Ioniq 5 N also gets a nifty dedicated drift mode that allows you to slide out the back and power through a turn like a champ.
The Ioniq 5 N g also gets four different driving modes (Eco, Normal, Sport, and N) that each adjust the steering weight, suspension damping, and even the throttle sensitivity. The changes to the body also aid performance. The car is 20mm lower, 50mm wider, and 80mm longer than the standard Ioniq 5. The wheels are new forged aluminum 21-inch alloy wheels shod with Pirelli P Zero tires, which should prove to keep all the power planted properly.
The Simulated Gearshift Feels Real
The most unique aspect of the Ioniq 5 N is the simulated gearshift feature that makes the car feel like a high-performance gas-powered with a shiftable automatic transmission. When actuated, the paddle shifters mimic the shifting of gears, which should make the Ioniq 5 N feel truly engaging, shy of an actually manual transmission. This adds a feature not found on any other EV that we know of, and that might help potential sports car buyers make the leap from gas to electric.
While the interior of the Ioniq 5 N uses the Ioniq 5's interior as a base, there's more sportiness and driver engagement features to delight. The N sport seats have better bolstering to keep you planted as you drift and nail apexes, unique steering wheel buttons for drive modes, N Grin Boost, and regen braking levels. It looks like the N model uses the same 12.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system and 12.0-inch digital gauge cluster as Ioniq 5.
Like the other N cars, the Ioniq 5 N comes in one trim level, and it will likely crest the $60k price point, but the actual price has not been confirmed. Look for more details in the coming months, just prior to its late 2023 release date.
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The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is one of our favorite EVs. Read the full review below.
2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Limited AWD Review
