2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N details revealed

Exciting and energetic new electric car from auto giant Hyundai is unlike any other EV on the market and will change the game forever.

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is one EV you will hear coming.

The N has external speakers to mimic the sound of a snorting turbocharged engine, complete with raucous pops and bangs.

If tradition isn’t your thing, then more futuristic noises can be activated. One of them – supersonic – sends more noise to the outer side of eight in-cabin Bose speakers “as if you were piloting a twin engine fighter jet”.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N will sound like its got a feisty turbocharged engine under the bonnet.

The electric performance car is promised to be the fastest, most powerful and most engaging Hyundai ever created, with learnings from the world rally championship.

The car is designed to fuse attributes of a traditional internal combustion engine (ICE) sports car with the brutal acceleration of an electric car.

Paddle shifters allow you to mimic changing gears, while a drift mode is designed to kick the tail out under acceleration.

“We put an enormous amount of energy and thinking developing the Ioniq 5 N,” says Till Wartenberg, vice president of Hyundai’s N brand and motorsport division.

“No shortcuts were taken.”

Hyundai has put a massive amount of energy into developing the Ioniq 5 N.

Hyundai says the prodigious torque of two electric motors and a supercar-like 478kW of power – the same as a Porsche 911 Turbo S – ensure the Ioniq 5 N will deliver on a promise of brutal acceleration.

With a larger 84kWh battery pack and more powerful electric motors, the Ioniq 5 will reach 100km/h in a claimed 3.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 258km/h.

They’re impressive numbers, although only in the ballpark of the Tesla Model Y Performance and Kia EV6 that are its most natural rivals.

Hyundai says the focus for its first EV N was squarely on driving enjoyment and corner carving talent over raw straight-line speed.

It’ll have two motors combining for 478kW.

“The goal of this project was not to deliver a fast car in a straight line but believe me, this car is fast,” says Tyrone Johnson, director of vehicle development, Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center Gmbh.

He boldly claims the Ioniq 5 N is “the first ever EV to truly dedicate itself to car enthusiasts”, a buyer type the company says “are the last group to be electrified”.

Considering the existence of highly accomplished performance cars such as the Porsche Taycan, Audi RS e-Tron GT and Tesla Model S Plaid it really is a bold claim.

It’ll hit 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds.

The Ioniq 5 N’s “corner rascal” talent starts with 21-inch Pirelli P Zero tyres tuned for the weight and pace of the Ioniq 5 N. There are also bolder bumpers, active aerodynamics, additional air intakes and “Luminous Orange Matte” design highlights.

But Hyundai also re-engineered the more mainstream five-seat SUV from the ground up.

The body has been strengthened, the steering system revised and the suspension redesigned.

Hyundai gave the adjustable dampers a wider field of operation, “meaning the bandwidth of the suspension from Comfort to N mode is increased further”.

The braking system has been heavily redesigned to deal with high-speed track attacks – there are 400mm discs up front and 360mm at the rear – while also maximising efficiency so more laps can be driven between charges.

It is likely to cost well north of $100,000.

“We believe regen will redefine braking performance in all high performance EVs in the future,” says Johnson while explaining that the Ioniq 5 N can accept up to 0.6G of regenerative braking force by reversing the flow of electricity in the electric motors.

There’s a plethora of electronic modes and optimisations, some of which sound like they’re from Fast & Furious blockbusters. They include N Drift Optimizer, Torque Kick Drift, Drag Mode, N Race and N Grin Boost.

It’ll drive like no other electric car before it.

The company has also engineered fake engine revs to maximise engagement with drivers.

“The result is a more precise, interactive driving experience,” he says.

It will even penalise drivers who incorrectly select one of the eight virtual gear ratios.

“The system also has a rev-matching function and if you mis-shift you will definitely feel it.”

Full details and pricing of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N will be released closer to its 2024 on-sale date.

Best guesses are it will cost upwards of $110,000.

Originally published as 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N details revealed