Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Debuts As 641bhp Electric Hot Hatch

The first day of FoS is always littered with reveals but it’s very rare there’s an EV to get excited about. Well, as excited as we can get about EVs at this stage. Hyundai’s latest N creation is the Ioniq 5 N, it’s got up to 641bhp, hits 62mph in 3.4 seconds and tops out at 162mph. To cope with this extra power, the bones of the car have been reinforced to add rigidity, including the steering column and subframes. It also has rack-mounted motor-driven power steering which has a higher steering ratio and improved torque feedback.

Despite the unique characteristics of an EV allowing instant acceleration, Hyundai has added technology to the 5 N that allows it to act more like an ICE car. The N Drift Optimizer helps the car to maintain a drift by balancing vehicle controls with input from the driver. There’s also a torque kick drift function that mimics the clutch kick action of rear-wheel drive ICE cars. Torque distribution can be set to 11 different levels, thanks to the all-wheel drive configuration, drivers can adjust the setup to be more or less biased over each axle.

As the track alternative to the road-going Ioniq 5, the 5 N has some aptly named functions to show off its circuit skills. It’s boost function is similar to Genesis’ boost button and gives maximum acceleration for 10 seconds, in the 5 N Hyundai calls it N Grin Boost. Launch control has three different traction levels and there’s a pre-conditioning function so the battery will be optimally powered for either drag racing or track driving.

See also: Hyundai i20 N: A Hot Hatch That Encourages You To Misbehave

Whilst power is an important aspect, slowing down quickly is just as key for track driving. The Ioniq 5 N mainly uses regen braking to slow down and upgraded N-tuned hydraulic brakes add extra mechanical braking when necessary. The regen alone can apply up to 0.6 G of decelerative force, this minimises the risk of brake fade which is especially important for a heavy EV.

Further mimicking ICE cars, the e-shift simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission by providing a noticeable jolt between ‘gears’. It also has three soundtracks, one inspired by N’s 2.0T engines, one based on the RN22e and a fighter jet theme. The idea is to replicate the audible cues of traditionally powered race cars so the driver can work out how much power is being used without having to keep an eye glued on the dash. Range capabilities have yet to be announced but we imagine track driving is likely to drastically limit how far it can go.