2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N First Drive: N-ything You Can Do, Ioniq Can Do Better
Hyundai’s new high-performance electric SUV flips the bird to the EV doubters.
"I know EVs are torquier and quicker than ICE cars but I'm still going to miss the noise and the fury of a gasoline car." Bad news, friends: We're just back from a brief get-to-know-you drive of Hyundai's 641-hp Ioniq 5 N, and it seems Hyundai has just torpedoed that reasonable-sounding anti-EV argument.
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Where'd They Hide the Engine?
We're not just talking about fake engine noises piped through the speakers, although, yes, the Ioniq 5 N has those, and among the choices is a gas-engine soundtrack as good as any computer racing simulator. The killer app is a feature called "N e-shift" (apparently not pronounced "any shift," judging by the dirty looks we got from the engineers). Using an ingenious combination of motor torque and regenerative braking, N e-Shift makes the Ioniq 5 feel—not sound, butfeel—as if it has a twin-clutch automatic transmission.
The physical sensations it generates are identical to Hyundai's own DCT, including some of its less-than-gentlemanly mannerisms, such as bucking in response to an ill-timed shift. The digital dash displays an 8,000-rpm "tachometer," and the acceleration mimics the torque curve of a four-cylinder turbo engine. It'll even bounce off an imaginary limiter, cutting off all acceleration if the driver forgets to paddle-up. Combined with the synthesized engine noises, the effect is eerily accurate; you can almost convince yourself that Hyundai stuffed one of its N-spec turbo engines into the generous confines of the Ioniq 5, our 2023 SUV of the Year.
Software Can Do Anything … Well, Almost
Granted, N e-shift is a useless gimmick that negates the chief advantage of an electric performance car—specifically, instant access to a bottomless well of torque. But it proves a point: Skilled software engineers and a bit of imagination can make an EV do practically anything a gearhead wants.
Well, almost anything. Another of the Ioniq 5's features is N Drift Optimizer. (If you're sensing a theme, you're right—Hyundai has appended "N" to nearly everything the Ioniq 5 N does. We're surprised the door handles aren't called N Cabin Access Enablers.) Hyundai claims this feature makes it easy for novices to drift their Ioniq 5 Ns. It doesn't. We tried it on a wet skidpad and were unable to hold a sustained drift; the car either spun or straightened out, despite following the instructions Hyundai's engineers (N-gineers?) were shouting over the walkie-talkie. None of the other journalists participating in our session were able to hold a drift, either, and even the engineer who told us he designed the system for novices like himself couldn't manage more than a brief flash of oversteer. Oh, yes, we did see an Ioniq 5 going full tail-out (and you can, too)—driven by an accomplished drifter with the N Drift Optimizer turned off.
Still, the Ioniq 5 N's software does a lot of cool stuff, such as giving the driver the ability to program the torque split. (Yep, this has an N-name too: N Torque Distribution.) You can drive the Ioniq 5 N with 100 percent of its power coming from the rear motor, or feel the effects of a 50/50 split, or—if you love understeer and hate fun—race your Ioniq 5 in front-wheel-drive mode.
Let It Do What It's Gonna Do
For all the other N gadgets, we had the most fun, both on the track at the Korea International Circuit and on the road, when we simply put the car in its aggressive N mode, turned off the N e-Shift and N Active Sound+ (the phony engine noises), and let the 5 N do what it was going to do.
And what it did was nothing short of delightful. The sporty 5 builds on the basic tail-happy nature of the E-GMP platform, willingly rotating in the curves in a manner that is gradual and easy to catch. The chassis has a lovely balance, and the tires—235/35 R21 Pirelli P-Zeros all around—deliver gobs of grip. Steering is reasonably communicative, with a light effort that lets you drive with your fingertips and pick up what feedback comes through. The brakes, as experienced through the pedal, are brilliant. Hyundai did some extensive reworking here, particularly with the mix of regenerative- and friction-braking. Not that the driver will know; the brake pedal simply works as well as expected on any good performance car.
If anything, the Ioniq 5 is a bit too easy to over-drive. Even without pressing the boost button—er, sorry, theN Grin Boostbutton—to conjure the full 641 horsepower, the otherwise-601-hp Ioniq 5 N picks up speed so rapidly that we repeatedly found ourselves blasting into corners carrying way more speed than intended. The powertrain's silence masks the rapid acceleration; you'd be surprised how much we rely on aural feedback when we drive. Come to think of it, perhaps those fake N-gine noises aren't such a gimmick after all.
Better Living Through Electricity
Overall, the Ioniq 5 N is an impressive track machine, and it ain't bad on a curvy road, either. We got very little opportunity to push hard on public streets—blame Korea's draconian speed limits and local drivers who largely obey them—but, as with the other N cars, there is true brilliance in the chassis. All the more amazing when you consider this is a two-ton-plus SUV, or when you simply step back and realize just how big the damn thing is.
That's because Hyundai's N-gineers did more than simply crank up the power and edit lines of code. There is a wealth of hardware changes to the N over the regular Ioniq 5, including fitment of a modified version of the Genesis GV60's front suspension, new steering gear, and stiffening of the body shell with additional welds and adhesive. The motor- and battery-cooling systems were also beefed up, accompanied by user-selectable modes that optimize temperatures for both drag and track use. The latter is set up for 20 minutes of track performance followed by a 20-minute breather. We're sure the anti-EV crowd will cling to that one as evidence of ICE superiority. Well, folks, you're not wrong. The technology is still evolving.
Out on real-world roads, the N's ride is noticeably firmer than the regular 5's, but not unpleasantly so, though the big Pirellis do generate enough noise on some road surfaces to drown out the synthesized engine sounds. One of the things we love about the gas-powered N cars is you can shut off all the high-performance stuff for a comfortable commute. The Ioniq 5 N needs far less taming; even in N mode, it's nowhere near as punishingly stiff as the Elantra N and the Veloster N can be, and that's just fine—those cars do their best curvy-road work in their penultimate chassis setting anyway.
Where the Ioniq 5 N Needs N-provement
Complaints? Well, there's the sheer complexity of activating the various N features, not just through the center screen but with the plethora of buttons that have been added to the steering wheel as well. We had trouble keeping all the functions straight, despite (or perhaps because of) the cheat-sheet Hyundai gave us, which consisted of a dozen index cards. Surely an owner will figure them out over time, but we'd recommend at least a three-year lease just in case.
Our other big complaint is with i-Pedal, Hyundai's one-pedal driving mode. Most of the braking comes on at the top of the accelerator pedal's travel, making it hard to modulate. Conversely, the N pedal function, intended for enthusiastic driving, didn't seem to generate enough regen on the track, although it's entirely possible we missed a setting in the plethora of N menus.
In all, we didn't come away feeling differently than after our previous prototype drives at the Nurburgring and in the snow, and we remain convinced Hyundai can deliver the thrills of the ICE N cars in an electric SUV. We love that Hyundai has taken steps to show a skeptical public that EVs can offer the same visceral thrills as an internal-combustion vehicle. Perhaps in future decades we'll chuckle at the Ioniq 5 N's frivolity, or maybe EVs that mimic DCTs will be the norm. One thing is for sure: If you don't think an EV can thrill, you must, must,mustdrive the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. We think even the skeptics will find it as N-gaging as we did.
After a two-decade career as a freelance writer, Aaron Gold joined MotorTrend’s sister publication Automobile in 2018 before moving to the MT staff in 2021. Aaron is a native New Yorker who now lives in Los Angeles with his spouse, too many pets, and a cantankerous 1983 GMC Suburban.
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