The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Fakes Backfires and Gear Shifts Like an ICE Hot Hatch
Are you interested in your EV mimicking a gas-powered car?
Hyundai has almost completely unveiled the Ioniq 5 N, and in terms of a fun-to-drive EV, things are looking quite promising before its full reveal at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July. Especially after some extensive thrashing on Germany's Nürburgring, where Hyundai's N Division maintains a test facility.
The idea behind it is taking the stylish Ioniq 5 and giving it the N treatment, similar to what the brand's pulled off quite well in the past with the Veloster N (RIP) and Elantra N.
But there's one big, important question to immediately point out: How do you give an EV the same vivacious, turbocharged personality that these cars are known for? Simple: Synthesize it! Hyundai says that it's developed "N Active Sound +" and "N e-Shift" to improve driver feedback and provide similar theatrics to bangin' off gears. Three different sound themes—Ignition, Evolution and Supersonic—simulate the turbocharged 2.0 found in the Veloster and Elantra N, including the burbles and pops it'll spit out of its exhaust pipes. I don't think I'm alone in saying that I really want to try this out. Whether it's very fun, or very lame, I must know.
It's also taken a hallmark of EV driving, regenerative braking, and turned that up to 11 as well. Hyundai boasts that the Ioniq 5 N's can pull up to 0.6 G on regen-alone, which might not bode well for comfortably carting around passengers on the daily. But for track work, this sounds like it could be fun to play with and use to one's advantage.
It'll even regen when ABS kicks in, for those who are used to trail-braking deep into corners at the helm of fun front-wheel drive fare. It's also neat that using all of the brakes really works to one's advantage, too—it could potentially mean more laps.
The brakes themselves sound like they'll cut the mustard, measuring out to 15.7 inches and featuring improved cooling characteristics. And if it sounds like the ability to heavily use regen will impede good ol' fashion hydraulic actuation, Hyundai says the two systems work together harmoniously.
Finally, heat management and energy usage are given special attention, as these have a big impact on how many laps or what kind of lap times the car can lay down. The Ioniq can use "N Battery Preconditioning" with its "Drag" and "Track" modes to optimize it for any occasion. Drag mode conditions battery cell temperatures for maximum power, whereas Track is more range optimized. "N Race" is also included, which gives the driver more direct control and maximum power output.
So far, there's no official word on the suspension that's bolted up underneath, but if it mirrors a similar driving experience to the Veloster N and Elantra N, there's a solid chance that handling will be nothing short of superb.
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