Hyundai will finally show the world its high-performance EV, the Ioniq 5 N, at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. In the meantime, the car is being put through its final testing paces at the Nurburgring race track to which, in part, the N badge pays homage.
The Nurburgring and Namyang, Korea
The other N in the N badge is the Namyang R&D Center located in South Korea, and it's between there and Hyundai's development office at the 'Ring that the performance of the Ioniq 5 N has been crafted. Based on the same E-GMP platform as you'll find under the regular (and big-selling) Ioniq 5, the N version gets four-wheel drive and a host of electronic aids to try to turn it into a big battery-powered hot hatch.
We don't know the precise power output yet, but the fact that its sister car, the Kia EV6 GT, develops a robust 585hp probably gives us a pretty decent idea.
What will make the Ioniq 5 N different to the EV6 GT will be how Hyundai meets its three 'pillars' of what makes an N-car an N-car. Those are: Corner Rascal, Racetrack Capability and Everyday Sportscar. Corner Rascal will be taken care of by a dedicated drift mode, allowing the car to perform pin-point precision slides and skids (within the safety of a closed track, of course).
Improved battery cooling
Racetrack Capability? Well, that refers to the beefed-up battery, which Hyundai aims to be able to provide 20 minutes of flat-out trackday driving, followed by a quick 15-minute top-up in the pits, before heading back out for another 20 minutes. To do that, an enlarged cooling area with N-specific efficient radiator packaging, enhanced motor oil cooler and battery chiller were deemed necessary. There are also special control modes for the battery, called N Battery Preconditioning and N Race.
N Battery Preconditioning pre-sets the temperature of the battery cells to their most power-efficient temperature. The battery preconditioning function is split into 'Drag' mode and 'Track' mode to accompany different performance driving scenarios. In 'Drag' mode, the optimum temperature is set for immediate use of maximum power, while in 'Track' mode, the lowest possible battery temperature is optimised for an increased number of laps.
N Race gives drivers more direct control over the car's energy usage, prioritising 'Sprint' or 'Endurance' driving. 'Sprint' is the default state of the Ioniq 5 N prioritising full power on demand for the driver. 'Endurance' is a setting that maximises Ioniq 5 N's range on the racetrack. This is achieved by limiting sudden power spikes that slow temperature build-up and increases endurance.
What will the Ioniq 5's battery range be like in road-going conditions? We simply don't know yet, but again the Kia EV6 GT's 424km range is probably a good indication.
Engine-style sounds and 'gearchanges'
The Ioniq 5's brakes have been uprated, too, to turn it into a true N-car. They offer up to a maximum of 0.6 G braking force - an industry-leading figure, according to Hyundai - through regenerative braking alone. Regenerative braking remains engaged even under anti-lock braking activation with a maximum of 0.2 G braking force.
How about some tactile feedback? Well, obviously, electric cars - even fast ones - are pretty quiet, but Hyundai will add some artificial noise to the Ioniq 5 N. The N Active Sound + system consists of a 10-speaker system (eight internal, two external) with three different sound themes available for drivers: Ignition, Evolution and Supersonic. Ignition simulates the 2.0 turbo engine of the likes of an Hyundai i30 N, complete with pop-and-bang sound effects as if the Ioniq 5 N still had an exhaust. Evolution is an N signature electronic sound inspired by the N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo and RN22e concepts. Supersonic simulates a fighter jet to give the drivers the sensation of a fighter pilot - or at least that's what Hyundai says.
There will also be a simulated gearchange system using the paddles behind the Ioniq 5 N's steering wheel. This has been designed to simulate the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission of a combustion-engined car and will feature a 'rev-counter' that 'revs' to a simulated 8,000rpm.
"The Nürburgring is where every N model is honed to the Nth degree, so our first high-performance, all-electric N model must also prove itself here," said Till Wartenberg, Vice President and Head of N Brand & Motorsport at Hyundai Motor Company. "Ioniq 5 N just completed its 10,000 km durability test on the Nordschleife, which is an important milestone that proves the vehicle's high endurance and racetrack capability. And yet, we just began our second 10,000 km test to push Ioniq 5 N's limits."
We'll find out more at Goodwood on July 13.