Hyundai Ioniq 5 N - new age of speed

What is it?

A new era of performance for Hyundai – and possibly the entire car industry.

Not since the original Nissan Skyline GT-R showed up has a mainstream brand so casually and easily turned the performance car market on its head. Hyundai only launched its first performance car, the i30 N hot hatch, in 2018 and yet just six years later it has leapt into the same stratosphere as supercars.

That’s not hyperbole either, the Ioniq 5 N has genuine supercar levels of performance – up to 478kW and 770Nm. That’s more than the latest Porsche 911 GT3 RS, better than the Lamborghini Huracan STO and more than the Ferrari Roma.

Is the Ioniq 5 N a dynamic match for any of those cars? Is it as desirable? Will it steal customers from Porsche, Lamborghini and Ferrari? The answer to all those questions is ‘no’ but the fact is, Hyundai is now asking those questions – and that is a seismic shift in the automotive world.

ROAD TEST: 2021 Hyundai Ioniq 5 review

Does it have any racing pedigree?

The answer is a surprising ‘yes’ – because Hyundai was one of the new brand’s that supported the short-lived FIA eTouring Car World Cup (ETCR). It only ran for two seasons but Hyundai entered a Veloster-based entry both seasons and undoubtedly learnt a lot.

But the company has also been taking lessons from its World Rally and regular TCR programs to pour into the N division road cars for years.

What’s under the bonnet?

Power (and a lot of it) comes from a pair of electric motors, which makes the I5N all-wheel drive too. While based on the same modular ‘e-GMP’ platform as the standard Ioniq 5, Kia EV6 and EV9, for this version performance is the top priority.

It uses the fourth-generation of Hyundai battery technology, replacing the standard 77.4kWh battery with a larger 84kWh unit. This allows for the previously mentioned, mind-bending figures of 448kW/740Nm of standard performance and 478kW/770Nm of N Grin Boost burst.

Even those lower figures are way beyond anything the brand has offered. The current i30 N hot hatch, with its 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine makes 242kW/348Nm less than the I5N; a stunning stat to wrap your head around.

Hyundai claims the Ioniq 5 N can take just 3.4 seconds to run 0-100km/h when N Grin Boost is engaged (and only 3.5 seconds in standard settings) which is as fast as a Lamborghini Huracan. And also the first time in history a Hyundai has been compared to a Lamborghini in performance terms.

To help control the power the Ioniq 5 N is fitted with N Launch Control, N Torque Distribution, N Pedal and an electronic limited slip differential. However, even with all this the performance is simply going to be too much for some to be comfortable with.

Quite simply, this is like graduating from a hot hatch to supercar, in speed terms. That’s not an easy jump to make and will likely leave many owners playing catch-up, at least in the early days.

How does it handle?

While the straightline performance is unquestionably awesome, where the I5N impresses the most is actually in the way it rides and handles. That’s because pretty much every electric car is quick in a straight line, the near-instant torque means fast acceleration is a given. But making an EV that turns well and rides without shaking your fillings loose is more difficult.

Which is why having driving engagement and simply having fun behind the wheel was a major development priority, even ahead of outright speed. Other, very similar, EV offerings have bone-jarring suspension tunes simply to control the extra weight and try to make it sporty, but Hyundai’s boffins managed to find a way to keep the ride compliant and comfortable in ‘Normal’ mode and sharp but not unyielding in the ‘Sport’ setting.

Coupled with well-sorted steering and all the fancy technology, like torque vectoring, the Ioniq 5 N handles really well for a car of its size on both the road and the track. The trick is, while it’s supercar-fast down the straights, it’s taller and has a lot less downforce than a true supercar, so you’ll find yourself needing to slow down a bit more for the corners.

Where would you most like to drive it?

While we were able to test the I5N on the track at Sydney Motorsport Park, where we experienced its ability to drift and rocket out of corners with N Grin Boost engaged, we actually had a lot of fun on the road too.

And that’s thanks in large part to two systems Hyundai has developed specifically for its electric performance cars and done so only to make the driving experience more engaging and not any quicker.

The first of these is N Active Sound+, which is an artificial soundtrack that provides three different audio options that are connected to the speed of the car. The idea is that the sound – delivered through internal and external speakers – helps you to feel more connected to the drive.

The three “sound profiles” are Ignition (petrol engine effect), Evolution (an electric-style concept) and Supersonic (fighter jet inspired).

The second key ‘fun’ system is N e-Shift, a virtual gearbox, that allows you to use the steering wheel-mounted paddles to change up and down through digital gears (as it has a single-speed transmission). N e-shift has cleverly designed “virtual shift jolts” as well as its own sound effects and even a fake ‘rev limit’ that halts acceleration unless you shift up.

Both systems sound like total gimmicks and you’re free to ignore them, but if you do activate them you’ll find yourself enjoying the drive a lot more – or at least this reviewer did. The disconnected sensation you feel without noise or the need to change gears has been an obstacle for high-performance EVs but these two systems do a great job of bringing it back.

And that means driving down your favourite twisty country back road is genuinely fun again.

What’s the interior like?

Befitting its price (more on that in a moment) and position in the range, the I5N cabin is overtly sporty but with a premium look and feel. There’s loads of dark leather and Alcantara all offset with the trademark N Performance Blue stitching.

Some of the standout new features include the N Light seats, which are fitted lower than the standard Ioniq 5 and offer more lateral support for high-speed driving.

The other is the new N exclusive steering wheel, which is finished in semi-perforated leather and features several N-specific buttons, including the drive mode selector, two N Custom mode buttons and a bright red one marked ‘NGB’ (to activate N Grin Boost).

The hi-tech look is completed by two 12.3-inch digital displays integrated into a single panel, with an adjustable instrument display in front of the driver and the infotainment on the other screen.

How much does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N cost?

Hyundai has been moving further and further upmarket in the past decade and the Ioniq 5 N is the next major step. It’s priced from $111,000 (plus on-road costs), which not only makes it its first six-figure model, it also makes it the most expensive car the brand has offered in Australia.

Would I buy one?

While the price is confronting, the reality is on a bang-for-your-buck basis the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is one of the best value cars on the market today.

Its power and torque are mind-blowing and its handling is a cut above any of its current rivals. It actually sets a new benchmark for electric performance cars, with only the Porsche Taycan matching it for its combination of speed and driving enjoyment.

This really does feel like Hyundai’s ‘Godzilla moment’, when it takes a step up in the minds of so many people and redefines what the brand means and how it is viewed by the wider car community.