Hyundai Motor premieres first high-performance EV IONIQ 5 N

The IONIQ 5 N – Hyundai Motor Co.'s first all-electric high-performance car under its N brand – made its world premiere on Thursday, with company executives vowing to make the model a game-changer for "driving fun" among motorsport enthusiasts.

The South Korean automaker unveiled the fully electric performance vehicle at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in West Sussex, England, where its Chairman Chung Euisun showed up – the first time he has done so for such a new car ceremony since he took the top post in 2020 – an indication that Hyundai pins high hopes on the latest model.

At the event, Chang Jae-hoon, Hyundai’s chief executive, said: “The IONIQ 5 N is a symbolic model that heralds the start of the Hyundai Motor Way, our key electrification strategy.”

“The N brand’s winning combination of technological know-how and motorsport experience is pushing the limits of vehicle performance, resulting in the IONIQ 5 N, a game-changer for electric high performance.”

The high-performance car combines the standard IONIQ 5 model’s Electrified-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) with the N brand’s motorsport-bred technologies, the company said.

NEW FEATURES

The IONIQ 5 N spins up to 21,000 revolutions per minute (RPM), providing 478-kW power output.

Its top speed is 260 km per hour with explosive acceleration, taking only 3.4 seconds to go from zero to 100 km/h with its N Grin Boost engaged.

That performance, industry watchers said, is on par with that of Audi's high-performance RS line electric car, the RS e-tron GT, BMW's all-electric i4 M50 and the Porsche Taycan GTS.

The IONIQ 5 N sits on an 84-kWh battery for vigorous power output.

Hyundai said the new performance car sets a new benchmark for thermal management in severe racetrack conditions.

The vehicle’s enhanced thermal management system boasts a higher resistance to heat-induced power degradation – loss of maximum power due to overheating.

Before driving, the IONIQ 5 N driver can utilize a function called N Battery Pre-conditioning to optimize the battery cells to the most power-efficient temperature, Hyundai said.

During a recent Nürburgring racing circuit test, the battery temperature of the car did not exceed the optimal level of 42 degrees Celsius after completing two consecutive laps of the challenging circuit in Germany, it said.

DRIVING FUN

Hyundai said its state-of-the-art technology delivers "driving fun" that electric cars often lack.

As an everyday sports car, the IONIQ 5 N provides an engaging shift feeling and “emotional” driving through the integrated N e-shift and N Active Sound+ functions.

N e-shift gives a sense of control over power delivery and shifting while N Active Sound+ delivers not just a futuristic EV sound but also internal combustion engine (ICE) engine and exhaust sounds that provide a more engaging experience behind the wheel, the company said.

“Together, they enhance the fun and joy of driving by simulating the jolt feel and sound of an ICE vehicle,” a company official said.

The N model further distinguishes itself from the standard IONIQ 5 with a change of proportions. The car is 20-millimeter lower overall, 50 mm wider at the bottom to accommodate wider tires and 80 mm longer due to the more prominent diffuser.

The IONIQ 5 N features a red accented front splitter and side skirts, while parts of its front, side and rear panels have been painted black.

It also has a sportier steering wheel with the prominent N logo, flanked by N buttons that set the desired drive mode, arranged to suit the driver’s preference.

TO BRING TO MARKET IN SEPTEMBER

Hyundai Motor plans to launch the IONIQ 5 N model in Korea by the end of September and then take it to North America, Europe and other parts of Asia.

Unlike its rivals’ high-performance cars, which often come with high price tags, Hyundai plans to offer the IONIQ 5 N in a modest price range, company officials said.

“The IONIQ 5 N will change the landscape of the electric vehicle market. It will play a big role in solidifying Hyundai’s EV market leadership,” said CEO Chang.

Write to Nan-Sae Bin and Sungsu Bae at binthere@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.