Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review

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Is this self-styled ‘corner rascal’ the driver’s EV we’ve been waiting for?

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Electric cars have come a long way in a short time, but even with Porsche and BMW having now entered the fray, it’s still the case that none manages to convey a sense of simple, irrepressible yet grown-up fun. The EV world lacks a protagonist that has you reaching for the keys simply to go in search of a good B-road, but fear not: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is here to address this gap in the market.

That, at least, is what its maker claims. And it is some claim. Fifteen years ago, if Hyundai promised it was going to redefine what ‘fun’ meant in a given class of performance car, few would have paid attention. But the brand has been on an ambitious path over the past decade, hiring top European engineering execs and giving its teams freedom to innovate and, yes, have a little fun on the R&D side.

The first fruits of Hyundai’s N sub-brand burst into view in the form of petrol-powered, front-driven turbo hot hatchbacks, ruffling establishment feathers at every turn. The i30 N and i20 N were less rounded than some but they were quick, agile, honest and demonstrated a fiery appetite for being driven hard. They put Hyundai on the radar for enthusiasts, and have earned the company the right to herald its first electric N-division ware with tongue-in-cheek descriptions such as ‘corner rascal’.

Of course, if the 2235kg Ioniq 5 N really is a reprobate in the bends, and in the best possible way, nobody will care a jot about the questionable marketing lines. It will be a game-changer. What we will now discover is whether that’s the case, and also, with the aid of the telemetry gear, just how quick this curious, 641bhp electric hot hatch-cum-super-crossover is when its twin motors are fully uncorked.

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DESIGN & STYLING

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Hyundai Ioniq 5N Road Test 02 side panning

The regular Ioniq 5 has less than subtle design undertones that reference Lancia’s Delta Integrale. It’s therefore no surprise that lowering the body 20mm, flaring the arches 51mm and adding some unmistakable but restrained N-related detailing has resulted in an even more striking-looking car that borders on the menacing.

Get up close to an Ioniq 5 N and you will notice the gloss black diffuser and front splitter that bookend the body, and contribute to overhangs that are quite a bit longer than those of the standard car. Meanwhile, at a glance, the 21in wheels and red pinstripe are the giveaways. This is also a large car – larger than it appears – with a footprint roughly equal to that of a BMW M3.

Underpinning the Ioniq 5 N is the same Hyundai/Kia E-GMP chassis found beneath the Kia EV6 GT. However, the N uses a more recent, higher-density version of the company’s nickel-manganese-cobalt lithium ion battery, which now packs 84.0kWh for a claimed range of 278 miles. It drives two 21,000rpm electric motors – one for each axle – that can develop that heady combined figure of 641bhp for short periods of time.

Key to this output – which, incidentally, is precisely equal to what you get in a Lamborghini Huracán Performante – is a two-stage inverter for the rear unit. It boosts the current before it reaches the motor, swelling output.

To safeguard performance and reliability, the Ioniq 5 N also gets its own high-capacity oil cooler, as well as an improved battery ‘chiller’ and considerably more intake real estate in the front bodywork.

When you consider that the Ioniq 5 N has a far larger contact patch, courtesy of its 275-section Pirellis, as well as that beefed-up driveline, an electronically controlled limited-slip differential for the rear axle, and a body-in-white strengthened by 42 more welding points and 2.1 metres of structural adhesive, it’s no surprise that it treads more heavily than the regular dual-motor Ioniq 5. 

At a claimed 2235kg (14kg more than our as-tested weight), the N is some 190kg heavier. However, that weight looks less inflated in the context of other high-performance EVs. A Porsche Taycan 4S Sport Turismo weighs almost exactly the same as the Hyundai, despite the South Korean car’s more powerful motors and additional cabin and luggage space. To put it another way, the Ioniq 5 N also weighs 200kg less than the new BMW M5.

If the Hyundai has a party piece, it is perhaps the N e-Shift system – a digital overlay that simulates gearshifts and that can either run in full ‘automatic’ mode or with manual intervention, via two paddles mounted to the steering wheel. We will explore  the effectiveness of this novel set-up in a moment.

Elsewhere, the Ioniq 5 N gives the driver the option of shifting the torque distribution frontwards or (more advisedly) rearwards through 11 settings. There’s also the fact that the car can develop 0.6g of deceleration force via its N-specific, in-house-developed regenerative braking system. Hyundai claims this is an industry-leading figure, and the effect is forceful enough to rotate the car into bends.

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INTERIOR

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Hyundai Ioniq 5N Road Test 26 interior

The regular Ioniq 5 has a good interior and it is enhanced in this N version.

On the one hand, the upgrades are traditional ‘performance car’. There are some nicer pedals and a 370mm sports steering wheel that’s roughly the same size as what you will find in an RS-badged Porsche, as well as a pair of purposeful yet comfortable, figure-hugging seats. They allow for a hip point 20mm lower than you get in the standard Ioniq 5, the driving position of which would not have been appropriate for a performance car.

Alas, the posture you adopt in the N still isn’t wholly convincing, and the cavernous space around you, which otherwise makes the Ioniq 5 such an excellent family car, diminishes the sense of sporting intent a touch, but ergonomically this cockpit still inspires enough confidence to enjoy driving the car fast.

As well as the racy additions, the Ioniq 5 N generally also feels more luxurious than the standard car. There are fewer hard plastics on show, and there’s a more useful set of centre console bins. The fixed centre console also has subtle knee pads on its flanks – a signal of intent if ever there was one. The same can be said for the airbag cover: there’s no Hyundai logo to be seen here, just an enormous ‘N’.

In short, it’s all very usable, and there are real buttons for the things you need while driving – useful in a car that, ridiculously, will officially hit 60mph in a time more or less equal to that of a McLaren F1.

We should also touch on one of the overt strengths of the regular car, which is carried over into the N. That is the huge reserves of second-row leg room, which is superior to what you find in any traditional super-saloon. It’s the same story for head room.

Hyundai is currently readying an Ioniq 6 N, and while that car will have certain in-built advantages over its hatchback-shaped sibling, passenger ergonomics will still play second fiddle to the overgrown hatchback shape espoused by the 5.

Multimedia system

The Ioniq 5 N uses the regular car’s 12.3in central touchscreen. It’s paired with another 12.3in screen that functions as an instrument display.

The standard car’s useful smattering of physical switchgear is also present, and makes changing the volume and adjusting the climate controls hassle-free. There is, however, no doubt that the touchscreen display itself is a little too far from the driver for comfort, and prodding icons required more of a reach than any of our testers would have liked.

The Ioniq 5 N’s brace of large displays do provide a mountain of information, mind – including tyre pressures, temperature of each motor and the battery, g-force, plus brake and throttle utilisation. You will find the settings for the N’s various dynamic toys too. The use of a big central speedo – or yellow rev counter, if you so choose – also adds a touch of flair to proceedings. When you are not using the native system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are quite neatly integrated.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

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Hyundai Ioniq 5N Road Test 30 motor

The Ioniq 5 N is an extremely fast car. In fact, for a car that will carry the whole family, plus luggage, and has vehicle-to-load capability that means you run a coffee machine at a campsite, or even charge another EV from the drive battery, it’s borderline supersonic. During tests at MIRA proving ground, our test car hit 60mph in 3.5sec and 100mph in 7.8sec, making it as quick as the BMW X6 M Competition we recently tested – just about the fastest traditional super-SUV the affordable side of Ferrari’s Purosangue.

Straight-line speed is only half the story, however, if not even less than that. With a 223bhp motor on the front axle, complemented by one with 378bhp at the rear (hit the N Grin Boost button on the steering wheel to increase those figures to 235bhp and 406bhp for 10-second stints), in its default driving mode the Ioniq 5 N always has a sensational turn of pace. But so does every other high-performance EV.

Where the Hyundai breaks new ground is with its N e-Shift function, which manipulates the torque delivery to replicate the effect of having eight gears, with shift quality mimicking that of a dual-clutch gearbox. Engine-braking effect and the vigour of upshifts can be tailored by the driver, but there is always neat ‘rev-matching’ for downshifts, as well as a satisfying redline of 8000rpm.

Credit to Hyundai, because it would have been easy for this idea to come over half-baked and wholly unconvincing. In reality, the opposite is true. In each ‘gear’ the delivery of propulsive force has enough of a hint of shape about it, and the made-up ratios are intuitively concocted too. Second gear runs to about 60mph, fourth to about 120mph.

Have a look at our in-gear figures (above) and you will see a fully tabulated matrix – the first time we have ever been able to do this for an EV. Yes, it is fantasy, but so what? The car’s optional, synthetic exhaust note, pumped into the cabin through eight internal speakers (there are a further two on the exterior) help create an illusion.

As for in-gear acceleration figures themselves, the Hyundai’s are roughly equal to what we recorded for Aston Martin’s DBX 707.

It is, of course, possible to drive in the Ioniq 5 N as you would any other EV, albeit with plenty of configurability in the accelerator response (three modes) and the regen (four). It will zip along happily – and, whenever the moment arises, rapidly – in its natural single-speed mode, though its alter ego as a four-cylinder turbo petrol tearaway is only ever a push of the wheel-mounted N-custom button away.

Track Notes

Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 N is not really about lap times, but it still makes plenty of provision for those who want to explore the car’s full capabilityon a circuit. N Race mode can limit peak power to maximise range for longer stints, and there’s a similar mode for the battery. Both features helped the car set a sub-8min Nordschleife lap without overheating – still not something that many super-EVs can manage.

The dry handling circuit at MIRA was our chance to explore the Ioniq 5 N’s true limit handling, and the car didn’t disappoint. The Ioniq 5 N hasan N Drift Optimiser function that helps you hold slides, and even a torque-kick function to easily instigate them, but we wouldn’t bother with either.

Turn the ESC all the way off and the Ioniq 5 N will hold slides like a BMW M car, and even in higher-speed corners will rotate on a trailing brake then pivot joyfully, with World Rally Championship-esque alacrity, into big yaw angles with delicious ease.

The only thing to note is tyre wear. The Ioniq 5 N may have reinforced axles and steering-column mounting points, but rubber is harder tobeef up. Too much fun and you will overheat – even delaminate – the rears with surprising ease. Come with spares, behave yourself,or wait for some precipitation.

More broadly, Hyundai is using real motorsport to underscore the credentials of its fastest EV to date. Last year, a drift-spec version of the Ioniq 5 N slithered up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, and in June this year a transmogrified version of the road car competed in the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb in Time Attack specification. The driveline hardware was the same as that used for the road car, albeit governed by PP-specific software.

Motorsport is hardly a novelty to Hyundai, of course. The firm has 29 WRC wins to its name, and in 2019 and 2020 won the manufacturers’ championship with the i20 WRC.

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RIDE & HANDLING

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Hyundai Ioniq 5N Road Test 03 rear cornering

To manage traction and, in certain circumstances, enhance agility, the Ioniq 5 N uses torque vectoring by brake intervention on the front axle and a mechanical limited-slip diff at the back. That LSD is configurable through three modes, as are the ESC and the character of the steering, and there are three modes for the dampers that control MacPherson strut (front) and multi-link (rear) suspension.

It’s a lot to digest, yet you quickly learn that the Ioniq 5 N is an uncomplicated car to drive fast. In the UK, our advice is to be conservative with the sportiness of suspension and firm, well-sped steering but aggressive when it comes to the diff (max attack, please) and the ESC (halfway off).

The result is a car that will carry plenty of pace, generating excellent traction and good lateral grip, but can then be leant on at any moment, neatly changing its attitude via the throttle pedal alone in pedigree style. When it comes to safely enjoying that quarter turn of opposite lock, the Ioniq 5 N is one of the finest players there is.

The synthesised gears play their part too. They give meaningful context to your road speed, and there’s nothing quite like a downshift or two to get you set – both mentally and mechanically – for a good corner.

The Ioniq 5 N turns in beautifully, its nose flat and its steering accurate, and seems to load up its steering and suspension with a natural ease no matter how ham-fisted the driver. It could be more responsive to a lifted ‘throttle’ on the entry, in the way the very best hot hatches (Hyundai’s own i20 N among them) demonstrate, but on-throttle verve makes up for it. This is the best driver’s EV out there, and a triumph of complex yet polished software engineering in the pursuit of plain four-wheeled fun.

Comfort & Isolation

Much of the appeal of traditional super-saloons resides in their ability to absorb big distances with ease, despite their obvious sporting chops on technical roads.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N news

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Meet the "monster": Inside Hyundai's Ioniq 5 N Pikes Peak racer
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The Ioniq 5 N is no different. As you would absolutely expect, there is a certain reactivity to the ride quality, even with the dampers in their softest mode, but it’s only ever sotto voce and never impinges on fundamental comfort.

As for noise, our test car is one of very few you will find in the overlapping section of the Venn diagram whose sides are labelled ‘Has more than 640bhp’ and ‘Is quieter than 70dBA at 70mph’. 

It’s easy company, the Ioniq 5 N. Elsewhere, some may find the shape of the firm, manual-adjust buckets not to their precise liking, and if you do there is limited scope for adapting the shape.

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MPG & RUNNING COSTS

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Hyundai Ioniq 5N Road Test 01 front tracking

The Ioniq 5 N’s rubber is an EV-optimised version of Pirelli’s P Zero compound, but there is rather a lot of it, so it’s no surprise that rolling efficiency isn’t the car’s greatest strength.

A touring economy of 2.5mpkWh gives the Ioniq 5 N a real-world motorway range of 200 miles – adequate, especially given the claimed maximum charging speed of 239kW, but unspectacular today. In mixed driving, expect 2.8mpkWh and a range of only 230 miles. Equally, nobody expects a 600bhp-plus BMW M5 to achieve 45mpg, do they?

More broadly, who might be interested in an Ioniq 5 N? Potentially, many. In terms of list price, Hyundai seems to have cleverly dropped the car into some clear airspace.

At £64,945, this groundbreaking Ioniq 5 N is considerably less expensive than, say, a Lotus Emeya or comparably powerful Porsche Taycan, although as we have discovered it is hardly inferior to those cars in matters of driver satisfaction or day-to-day usability. Bring combusted-engined alternatives into play and similarly capacious, powerful cars such as the BMW X5 M are vastly more expensive. Is the N a bargain? Relatively, yes. 

VERDICT

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Hyundai Ioniq 5N Road Test 35 static

Cars that truly change the game are vanishingly rare, even in the topsy-turvy era the automotive industry is currently weathering.

Yet the Ioniq 5 N is just that: a game-changer. Reading about this hot hatch-cum-super-saloon on paper, it is perhaps difficult to imagine that all its tricks and innovations wouldn’t feel a touch gimmicky.

Certainly, you wonder whether the established German performance brands simply take themselves too seriously to explore, for example, synthesised gearshifts, or throttle-adjustability that at times can seem almost cartoonishly easy to generate.

And perhaps that is their loss. The first N-badged EV from the South Korean marque with the Nürburgring test base and the nous to occasionally test its prototypes on British roads, 5000 miles from home, is blindingly good fun and capable of rising to any occasion in dynamic terms. It’s a heavy beast, and complicated in software terms, but a swift and natural-feeling companion, and has clearly been conceived with the aim of entertaining, rather than mindlessly impressing with vast grip and accelerative clout.

The electric driver’s car has landed, and it will slot into most of our lives with ease – and plenty of smiles. 

 

Richard Lane

Richard Lane, Autocar
Title: Deputy road test editor

Richard joined Autocar in 2017 and like all road testers is typically found either behind a keyboard or steering wheel (or, these days, a yoke).

As deputy road test editor he delivers in-depth road tests and performance benchmarking, plus feature-length comparison stories between rival cars. He can also be found presenting on Autocar's YouTube channel.

Mostly interested in how cars feel on the road – the sensations and emotions they can evoke – Richard drives around 150 newly launched makes and models every year. His job is then to put the reader firmly in the driver's seat.