Hyundai Ioniq 5 N locked in for 2023

An out of this world new model is headed to Australia with the promise of wild performance never before seen from this brand.

Hyundai’s high-performance N Division will introduce its first electric car in 2023.

Based on the award-winning Ioniq 5 electric hatch, the new model is expected to combine all-wheel-drive traction with serious power and sharpened style.

Hyundai will use lessons learned from its RN22e concept in the new Ioniq 5 N.

The most promising element might be what Hyundai calls “corner rascal”, a promise to make the car more fun to steer than electric rivals such as the Tesla Model 3.

Hyundai won’t discuss technical details for the machine, which is due to be revealed later this year.

The car features a torque-vectoring differential with drift mode.

But it has hinted at the car’s capability with a new concept car confusingly based on the new Hyundai Ioniq 6 sedan – a car that shares its bones with the Ioniq 5 hatch.

Powered by front and rear electric motors with a combined 430kW and 740Nm of power, the machine has a 77.4kWh battery that should help deliver a mid-three-second sprint to 100km/h, and a top speed in excess of 250km/h.

Hyundai’s first N-badged electric car will be based on the Ioniq 5 hatchback.

Those power and battery figures an exact match for the impressive outputs claimed by the Kia EV6 GT, a production car that shares key hardware with Hyundai cousins.

Like the EV6 GT, the Ioniq is expected to have a sophisticated torque vectoring system on the rear axle.

Hyundai says the system can vary power from side to side, pushing torque to the outside rear wheel to improve agility – and possibly, to induce sideways thrills.

The Ioniq 5 N could borrow powerful motors from the Kia EV6 GT.

The brand confirmed that a new N Drift Mode is on the way to future models, but would not say whether it will feature on the Ioniq 5 N.

Many electric cars claim brisk acceleration, but few are as engaging to drive as well-polished conventionally-powered performance cars.

Like the RN22e concept, the Ioniq 5 N is likely to have bigger wheels and brakes than regular models, with wider high-performance tyres to allow drivers to take full advantage of is performance potential.

Don’t expect the production Ioniq 5 N to have the show car’s huge wing and roll cage.

Hyundai is also flirting with sound and vibration effects to mimic the thrill of a high-performance engine, as well as 3D printing that may reduce the weight of an eventual production model.

The Ioniq 6-based concept car is officially a “rolling laboratory” to test new parts and ideas.

Hyundai vice president Till Wartenberg wouldn’t be drawn on specific details surrounding a production model, but we wouldn’t be surprised to see elements from the test sedan carry over into next year’s production hatch.

Running gear from the Hyundai RN22e concept could make it to showrooms next year.

“In just seven years, Hyundai N has become the fastest evolving performance brand,” he said.

“These rolling lab projects are great assets to prepare the N’s electrification vision turning into reality, the Ioniq 5 N next year.”