Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Debuts With Up To 641 HP, Simulated Eight-Speed Gearbox

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has officially debuted, making its world premiere at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed. It’s N’s first high-performance electrified model, but it won’t be its last. Hyundai says the hot Ioniq 5 is N’s “first step” in its electrification strategy, with future EVs to follow from the sub-brand. 

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N features two electric motors. The total output for the model is 600 horsepower (448 kilowatts) and 545 pound-feet (740 Newton-meters) of torque, which could slightly change before production commences. That increases to 641 hp (478 kW) and 567 lb-ft (770 Nm) of torque with the N Grin Boost function engaged, which lasts for 10 seconds. 

17 Photos

The all-wheel-drive powertrain can propel the N to 62 miles per hour in 3.5 seconds, decreasing to 3.4 with N Grin Boost. It has a top speed of 161 mph (260 kph). 

Hyundai offers the model with its highest capacity battery with 84.0-kilowatt hours available. It has 800-volt technology for ultra-fast charging, taking the battery from 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes. 

Tech For The Track

Drivers can optimize the battery’s performance with Hyundai’s N Battery Pre-conditioning. This allows the driver to choose between a Drag or Track mode. The Track one optimizes the battery temperature to deliver the most laps. Drag mode offers a short burst of total power, and it’s just some of the software Hyundai uses to enhance the driving experience behind the wheel on both public roads and the track. 

The car’s N Race feature with two more modes offers even more control over the car’s energy usage. Endurance mode maximizes the on-track range, which is achieved by limiting the car’s peak power output. Sprint mode does the opposite, prioritizing full power output. N Launch Control, which offers settings for three different traction levels, helps the car deliver fast starts.

Hyundai didn’t provide the Ioniq 5 N’s curb weight, but it did reveal that it is heavier than the standard model. The automaker lists the entry-level Ioniq 5 SE Standard Range as weighing 3,968 pounds, while the beefiest version, the all-wheel-drive Limited, tips the scales at 4,663 lbs. 

The EV features larger wheels, a completely revised suspension setup, new aero bits, and an updated regenerative braking system that contribute to its weight. However, Hyundai has worked to counter the heft through software and other techniques. 

The model’s N Brake Regen system provides the primary braking force, with the mechanical ones supplementing them as needed, like during track driving. The regenerative braking system can deliver up to 0.6 G of deceleration force in normal conditions and up to 0.2 G when ABS is activated. 

Four-piston monoblock front calipers clamp down on 15.75-inch (400-millimeter) rotors, while single-piston ones grab 14.17-inch (360-mm) rear ones. Hyundai built the brakes from new lightweight materials with hybrid construction, resulting in the company’s strongest brakes ever. 

Software-Enhanced Driving Fun

The automaker developed the N Pedal as another solution to manage the Ioniq 5 N’s weight and size when behind the wheel. The software increases the regenerative braking force to create a weight transfer that improves the car’s cornering capability. It’s designed to provide instant turn-in.

Another nifty trick is the N Drift Optimizer, which gives away its purpose in its name. The system manages multiple vehicle systems to maintain a drift angle. If a driver requires more effort to initiate a drift, Hyundai integrated the Torque Kick Drift function to help. It simulates the clutch kick action used in rear-wheel-drive vehicles. The Ioniq 5 N also comes with N Torque Distribution with up to 11 levels of adjustability and an electronic limited-slip differential. 

Further enhancing the driving experience are Hyundai’s N e-shift and N Active Sound + systems. N e-shift brings the feeling of the company’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission to the Ioniq 5 N. It simulates the jolt between gearshifts by controlling the motor’s torque output.

N Active Sound + compliments N e-shift by offering three distinct sound themes. Ignition simulates the sound of Hyundai N’s 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. Evolution takes inspiration from the RN22e, while the Supersonic sound theme features variable volume during cornering that uses a twin-engine fighter jet as its source. The simulated sounds and shifts will help communicate to the driver what the EV is doing. 

Sporty New Looks

The Ioniq 5 N is larger than the standard model, measuring 1.6 inches (40 mm) wider at the bottom and 3.2 in (80 mm) longer. It also sits 0.79 in (20 mm) closer to the ground. The car features a lower bumper lip spoiler, active air flaps, and a functional mesh air curtain. Hyundai accents the contrasting black trim with N-exclusive Luminous Orange on the bumper, side skirts, and rear diffuser. It wears 21-inch forged aluminum wheels wrapped in Pirelli P-Zero tires tuned for the EV. 

Inside, Hyundai installed its newly designed N steering wheel, featuring the performance brand’s logo for the first time. It features four buttons – Drive Mode Select, N Grin Boost, and two N Custom buttons. The two custom triggers allow drivers to set their desired customized drive modes mapped to each button. The paddles for the e-shift and N Pedal functions are behind the wheel. 

The automaker also increases driver comfort when on the track. The company installed a knee pad and shin support on the reinforced center console and added a sliding armrest. Hyundai also lowered the position of the bolstered seats by about 0.79 inches, available with a pixel pattern in either a cloth-and-leather or an eco-Alcantara-and-leather combination. 

The Ioniq 5 N will be available in 10 colors. Two – N Performance Blue Matte and N Performance Blue – are exclusive to the model. The other colors are Abyss Black Pearl, Cyber Gray Metallic, Ecotronic Gray Matte, Ecotronic Gray, Atlas White, Atlas White Matte, Gravity Gold Matte, and Soultronic Orange Pearl. The interior is only available in black with Performance Blue accents.

Price And Availability

Hyundai did not disclose the Ioniq 5 N’s price. The top Limited trim starts at $53,935 (price includes the $1,335 destination charge), and the N should cost more. The company didn’t say when it would go on sale but could reach dealers sometime next year. It said it would release range information later, which is when we could learn about its price tag and on-sale date in the US. The standard Ioniq 5 offers between 220 and 266 miles of range.