Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review

Crafted for hoons, by hoons, this high-performance machine delivers big thrills for big dollars in a way we’ve never seen before.

The future of performance cars is bright.

It’s also black, sticky, and smeared across the tarmac at Sydney Motorsport Park, where Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N fleet torched dozens of Pirellis at its Australian launch.

Like dinosaurs in the shadow of an enormous asteroid, petrolheads have watched warily as electric vehicles grow in power.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N delivered driving thrills at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Cars are about to change forever.

But the best of them will still be incredibly fun to drive. And this Hyundai is - by a significant margin - the most fun electric car on sale.

It’s one of the most fun cars to drive of any variety, regardless of propulsion systems.

There’s something for everyone in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, a car with a staggeringly broad set of skills.

Multi-mode suspension delivers a composed ride.

Want a silent everyday cruiser with a high-tech interior and plush ride?

It’s more comfortable than the regular Ioniq 5, and has more features to boot. It would want do, given an asking price of $111,000 plus on-road costs.

How about spaceship sound effects, neck-snapping acceleration and V8-shaming lap times?

Orange highlights and low profile tyres help it stand out from the crowd.

A combined 478kW of combined power from front and rear electric motors returns a truly rapid 3.4 second sprint to 100km/h, matched by starfighter sound effects that will get you giggling.

Feel like reliving the zenith of petrol-powered supercars with rock-hard suspension, a thumping paddle-shift transmission, ripe exhaust note and all-wheel-drive traction?

This Hyundai will do a fine impression of an unhinged Nissan GT-R, with a burbling engine note and delightful dollops of sideways fun on track.

The car is tuned to thrill drives of all ability.

There are more than 100,000 possible combinations of motor, suspension, steering, brakes, sounds and general driving behaviour.

You might be bewildered. But you’ll never be bored.

Most electric performance cars are one-trick ponies with astounding straight-line thrust, but little in the way of flair or engagement.

The Ioniq 5 N steering wheel has shift paddles and shortcuts for driving modes.

Hyundai took a different direction with this car, prioritising driver involvement over lap times or acceleration figures.

Drivers can select their preferred responses from the steering, brakes, suspension, driveline and stability control systems.

There is a level of customisation unmatched by any car on sale.

Drivers can customise the way the car handles.

Albert Biermann, the Hyundai technical adviser who was once the head of its global research and development arm, as well as the N Performance brand, says Hyundai invested years in a synthesised replica of a high-performance paddle shift transmission, complete with petrol-inspired sounds.

We expected the fake gearbox to be farcical - but it’s great.

In the same way that PlayStation or Xbox gamers might choose to drive in a manual mode for more engagement, the Hyundai’s brilliantly judged paddle shift function makes for an immersive experience.

It helps enthusiasts connect with the car by making it more relatable to conventional driving experiences.

Other sensations are new, such as an “N Pedal” that combines electric energy harvesting and torque vectoring on the rear axle to instigate lurid slip angles on track.

Hyundai’s briefing also included instructions on how to “clutch kick” the Ioniq - a technique drifters use to induce or extend a powerslide by breaking traction with a jolt of torque.

You do that by pulling both paddles at the same time while in drift mode.

A bashful Biermann says “that was not my idea”, and that he “does not care for drifting at all”.

Tim Rodgers with the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

But this car is designed to appeal to a broad set of enthusiasts, and other members of his team live to drift, so the feature made it into production.

It reflects Hyundai’s ambition to create a brave, balanced and technically accomplished car.

After all, drifting is a risk-versus-reward tightrope act that requires a rare combination of confidence, balance and skill.

The same traits found in Hyundai and its Ioniq 5 N.

2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N at Sydney Motorsport Park.

VERDICT

Thrilling to drive and genuinely innovative, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N lights the way for the future of performance cars.

4.5 stars

HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 N

PRICE About $120,000 drive-away

POWER Dual electric motors, 448kW and 740Nm

WARRANTY/SERVICE Five years/unlimited km, Capped service price not available

SAFETY Eight airbags, auto emergency braking, radar cruise, lane-keep assist, lane departure warning, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, 360-degree camera

RANGE 448km

LUGGAGE 527 litres

SPARE Repair kit