Hyundai’s upstart N sport division has taken the fight to the very door of established car makers.
And, it’s about to take that fight to the next level, with the release of its first electrificed high performance model — the Ioniq 5 N.
The Ioniq 5 N is undergoing final testing at the famous Nürburgring circuit in Germany in preparation for its debut next month.
The N is the Hyundai counterpart of the Kia EV6 GT and while it shares the same hardware, it has been tweaked for the track with bigger brakes and better cooling.
Hyundai is yet to confirm the specs, but it is expected to have a larger battery and around 440kW of power.
It will also have “Virtual Grin Shift” which simulates the gear shifts of an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
Each simulated gear change is accompanied by a small jolt.
But here’s the thing — it actually makes the car slower in a straight line, although it can be turned off.
Then there’s N Active Sound + that provides three different sound themes: Ignition, Evolution and Supersonic.
Ignition simulates the 2.0 turbo engine of ICE N cars, while Evolution is an electronic sound inspired by the N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo Concept and RN22e.
Supersonic simulates a jet fighter. All sound options are customisable (and hopefully can be turned off).
By having a full-time presence at the track, Hyundai’s N team of engineers are able to evaluate and develop the durability and driving dynamics of its vehicles more effectively and more often.
“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,” Hyundai’s Till Wartenberg said.
“Ioniq 5 N just completed its 10,000km 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 10,000km test to push Ioniq 5 N’s limits.”
An enlarged cooling area with N-specific efficient radiator packaging, enhanced motor oil cooler and battery chiller complete the hardware enhancements similar to ICE vehicles.
These hardware cooling techniques are further reinforced by new heat management solutions, such as 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 two modes: ‘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 increased number of laps.
N Race gives drivers more direct control on the car’s energy usage, prioritising ‘Sprint’ or ‘Endurance’ driving. ‘Sprint’ is the default state of 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 slows temperature build-up and increases endurance.
Regenerative braking from the motors provide primary braking force with hydraulic brakes providing additional braking force if necessary.
Hyundai N engineers designed this unique regenerative braking system especially for Ioniq 5 N, offering up to a maximum of 0.6 G decelerative force – an industry leading figure – through regenerative braking alone.
Regenerative braking remains engaged even under ABS activation with a maximum of 0.2 G decelerative force.
Ioniq 5 N’s hydraulic brakes are enhanced with larger 400mm diameter discs, featuring new lightweight material and optimised airflow for cooling.
They reduced dependency on disc brakes increases the longevity compared to ICE vehicles.
Buyers are already queuing to buy the Ioniq 5 N before the price has been revealed.
It will debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, marking Hyundai N’s first participation at this iconic event. In the meantime, here’s a preview.
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