The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N just made its world debut today and it is perhaps the most bonkers electric vehicle (EV) out there. Not because it is the fastest, nor is it the most extreme-looking one, but simply because it screams “I wish I wasn’t an EV” in just about all areas – The most obvious one being the fact that it comes with a fake 2.0-L turbo engine sound complete with pops and bangs.
We’ve become familiar with the Ioniq 5 as the model is locally available in Malaysia. Now try to recall the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and throw in “driving enthusiast” bits and pieces onto it. It gets an un-EV-like gaping lower grille, black treatments here and there to make it look slimmer than it really is, red accents, swooping side intakes on the front bumper, and a much more aggressive spoiler at the back.
The wheels are 21 inches in size and they are forged alloy wheels. Wrapping these wheels is a set of Pirelli P-Zero tires.
And it’s not just all show and no go with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. With a dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) setup, the drive system outputs a maximum of 609 hp and 740 Nm of torque. That is way more than what the normal AWD Ioniq 5 makes (305 hp/605 Nm). 0-100 km/h is done in 3.4 seconds onward to a top speed of 260 km/h.
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As for the EV numbers, the Ioniq 5 N packs a larger battery pack with an 84 kWh capacity compared the usual Ioniq 5’s 72.6 kWh or 58 kWh capacity. The electric range of the Ioniq 5 N will be announced during its first regional market launch. Like its ‘normal’ counterpart, charging can be done at a maximum rate of 350 kW with DC charging and this takes 18 minutes to charge the Ioniq 5 N from 10% to 80%.
Boring numbers aside, the Ioniq 5 N is built on three main pillars – “Corner Rascal”, “Racetrack Capability”, and “Everyday Sportscar”. Among the Ioniq 5 N’s many exclusive performance features are N Battery Preconditioning, N Race, N Pedal, N Brake Regen, N Drift Optimizer, N Torque Distribution, N Launch Control, N Grin Boost, N Active Sound +, N e-shift, N Road Sense, and Track SOC. That is a lot of “N” treatment on the first all-electric N car.
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Most importantly, you must know that with the “N Active Sound+”, the Ioniq 5 N emits a fake 2.0L turbo engine sound when set to “ignition” (There’s also “evolution” and “supersonic”). If you don’t believe us, you can watch the videos to hear it yourself. It even comes with fake pops and bangs. And with the “N e-shift”, the Ioniq 5 N simulates the experience of driving a vehicle with an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT), complete with the “shifting jolts” that you get from the real one.
Hyundai says that the Ioniq 5 N has been developed with “Rally-inspired” handling. It all sounds like the company is going all out to cater to the “driving enthusiast” crowd, which some say is a dying breed.
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Here are some of its performance and handling highlights that may entice you, provided you are a driving enthusiast:
- 42 additional welding points and 2.1 meters of additional adhesives
- Reinforced motor and battery mountings
- WRC-inspired integrated drive axles (IDA) front & rear
- Strengthened steering column
- Specially tuned N R-MDPS (Rack-Mounted Motor-Driven Power Steering) system with a higher steering ratio and enhanced torque feedback
- Instant turn-in behavior and enhanced throttle sensitivity
- Integrated Torque Kick Drift which allows the driver to simulate clutch kick
- e-LSD
To keep up with the enhanced driving performance, the Ioniq 5 N is said to boast a higher resistance to heat induced power degradation thanks to an enhanced battery thermal management system. The cooling area has been increased, a better motor oil cooler is used, as well as a better battery chiller. The Ioniq 5 N is also equipped with an “N Battery Pre-conditioning system” to get the battery operating at optimum temperatures for either “Drag” or “Track” racing.
As for the brakes, they are bigger on the “N” Ioniq 5 but since the regen braking is so strong, the hydraulic brakes act as more of a support. The regen braking itself can generate 0.6G of decelerative force.
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Inside, the Ioniq 5 N is the first to get the latest N steering wheel. For the first time, the “N” logo sits proudly smack in the centre of the wheel. With an almost AMG-like steering wheel, the images of the Ioniq 5 N’s interior suggest a rather fun driving experience – We’d have to try it ourselves to confirm that.
With the “driving enthusiast” in mind, the cabin of the Ioniq 5 comes with knee pads and shin support on the centre console. The N bucket seats have reinforced bolsters and are positioned about 20 mm lower compared to the basic specification.
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The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is perhaps the most interesting electric car of the year. While still being an EV, it does quite indirectly say that petrol cars are just honestly much more fun to be driven. The Ioniq 5 N believes in this so much that it simulates just about everything a petrol car does (gear shift jolts, engine sounds, pops & bangs, and even a clutch kick). It is almost as if it wishes it wasn’t an electric car – Kind of like a vegan steak.
GALLERY
