New Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is a high-performance electric car with more than 600bhp. Here’s everything else you need to know...
On sale: Late 2023 | Price from: £65,000 (est)
If you could use the Scoville chilli scale to measure the spice of an electric car, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N would be at a Carolina Reaper level of heat, because when it goes on sale it will be one of the most powerful electric cars you can buy.
So, how has the team at Hyundai’s N performance division achieved that, exactly? Well, the Ioniq 5 N has two electric motors (one on each set of wheels, giving it four-wheel drive) that produce 601bhp. That’s more than double the power of the regular Ioniq 5.
However, the Ioniq 5 N doesn’t just have a big power output, because the steering, suspension and brakes have also been tweaked to improve performance and handling.
Unlike some hot hatchbacks, it doesn’t have a manual gearbox or a throaty engine note (like you’ll find with the Hyundai i20 N – our 2023 Hot Hatch of the Year). But, being electric, it does have a trick up its sleeve, because it can mimic a gearbox and the sound of an engine (by sending appropriate noises through the car’s speaker) with its ‘N e-shift’ and ‘N Active Sound +’ driving modes. Speaking of which, the Ioniq 5 N has 12 driving modes in total to choose from, including an ‘N Grin Boost’ mode that lifts power to 641bhp (from 601bhp) while lowering the 0-62mph time to just 3.4sec.
Powering the electric motors is an 84kWh battery, which is larger than the 77kWh battery you get with the regular Ioniq 5 and its Kia EV6 GT sibling. While figures for range are yet to be confirmed, it’s likely that the Ioniq 5 N will be able to travel around 250 miles officially. That’s similar to the EV6 GT, which has a smaller battery and less power.
As with the regular Ioniq 5, the N version will have a maximum charging rate of 350kW, meaning a 10-80% top up should take around 18 minutes if you can find a suitably powerful charging point. For context, the EV6 GT can top up in a similar time.
Being the hot version of the regular Ioniq 5, the N model has the same retro-futuristic styling, but adds aggressive details such as orange styling cues, a boot spoiler and bespoke 21in alloy wheels. Inside, it’s a similar story, with the Ioniq 5 N featuring a bespoke steering wheel and sports seats.
Full pricing for the Ioniq 5 N is yet to be confirmed, but it’s likely to start from around £65,000, which is slightly more than the EV6 GT will cost you.
Keyword: 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N revealed