Hyundai Motor UK has announced pricing and specification for the IONIQ 5 N, with the order books now open, N brand’s first high performance electric vehicle will be available from £65,000. Since IONIQ 5’s release in 2021, the model has enjoyed praise from industry and customers alike for its combination of style and practicality combined with the efficiency and high-speed charging ability of its 800V E-GMP architecture. The IONIQ 5 family now grows further with the introduction of the IONIQ 5 N.
IONIQ 5 N represents the N brand’s future and a new way for high-performance enthusiasts to electrify their passion for driving on road and track. With DNA from the brand’s driver-focused N models, the E-GMP-based IONIQ 5 provides the perfect foundation to create N’s first high-performance EV. As well as demonstrating performance and handling in line with N’s traditional core values, IONIQ 5 N is also the first high performance EV to provide the enthusiast driver with an emotional, aural, and sensory connection to the vehicle.
The conversion from multiple award winning zero emission SUV into EV hyper hatch begins with enhancements to the body-in-white (BIW) structure with 42 additional welding points and 2.1 meters of additional adhesives, reinforced motor and battery mountings whilst front and rear subframes are enhanced for lateral rigidity. To enhance steering response and feedback, IONIQ 5 N’s steering column has been strengthened for improved rigidity with a specially tuned N R-MDPS (Rack-Mounted Motor-Driven Power Steering) system with a higher steering ratio and enhanced torque feedback. IONIQ 5 N also benefits from Electronic Controlled Suspension (ECS) that adapts suspension stiffness according to the drive mode to improve rear wheel damping and suspension, securing an agile and immediate response. To increase axle stiffness, Integrated Drive Axles are used front and rear.
As well as physical enhancements to the body, suspension and drivetrain, IONIQ 5 N also takes advantage of the array of sophisticated electronic control technology found in the E-GMP platform.
- N Pedal – an intelligent software function designed to provide instant turn-in behaviour and enhanced throttle sensitivity. Drawing on similar technology used on IONIQ 5’s i-Pedal’s regenerative braking system, N Pedal prioritizes fast and exhilarating cornering over energy efficiency. By utilizing decelerative force, an aggressive weight transfer is created, resulting in sharper corner entry.
- N Drift Optimizer – this helps to maintain drift angles by balancing multiple vehicle controls responding to real-time inputs. An integrated Torque Kick Drift function allows the driver to simulate the clutch kick action of rear-wheel-driven ICE vehicles for more immediate drift initiation.
- N Torque Distribution – fully variable front and rear torque distribution that can be adjusted to 11 levels. The e-LSD (electronic limited slip differential) at the rear axle optimizes cornering performance and control. Additional wheel sensors and broader damping capacity with increased damper size widens the performance range of the electronically controlled suspension.
Many performance enthusiasts have been outspoken about the lack of driver feedback behind the wheel of EVs and to counter this, IONIQ 5 N offers two functions to engage enthusiasts: N e-shift and N Active Sound+. Both modes work collectively to deliver a more engaging physical and aural experience behind the wheel.
- N e-shift simulates the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission of internal combustion engine N cars, simulating gearshifts by controlling motor torque output and mimicking the jolt feeling between shifts, providing a precise, interactive driving experience that feels closer to ICEs than previous EVs. N e-shift allows the driver to control the simulated gearshifts with the steering column paddles usually used to control regenerative braking.
- N Active Sound+ is paired with N e-shift to enhance the driving experience of EVs by creating a more engaging and exciting sensory experience for the driver. It incorporates a 10-speaker system (eight internal, two external) that offers three distinct sound themes. The ‘Ignition’ theme simulates the sound of the i30 and KONA N’s 2.0T engines and ‘Evolution’ provides a signature high-performance sound inspired by the RN22e, the E-GMP based Rolling Lab concept. The ‘Supersonic’ theme is a unique concept inspired by twin-engine fighter jets, featuring variable volume during cornering. The objective of N Active Sound+ is to provide drivers with an acoustic reference to gauge the power being utilized.
IONIQ 5 N also features several technical enhancements over the standard IONIQ 5, with a powertrain enhanced for performance in both power output, battery cooling and braking. IONIQ 5 N’s electric motors spin up to 21,000 RPM providing up to 609PS in normal conditions, or 650 PS when N Grin Boost (NGB) is engaged, maximising acceleration for up to 10 seconds. Furthering its track capabilities, IONIQ 5 N also features N Launch Control, with three different traction levels for the fastest possible start.
IONIQ 5 N carefully controls heat induced power degradation with an enhanced battery thermal management system comprising of an increased cooling area from independent radiators for the battery and motor, revised motor oil cooler and battery chiller. The driver can also utilize N Battery Pre-conditioning to optimize the battery cells to the most power-efficient temperature by choosing between ‘Drag’ mode for a short burst of full power or ‘Track’ mode that optimizes the lowest possible battery temperature for more laps. Track SOC (state-of-charge) automatically calculates battery consumption per lap.
The N Race feature of IONIQ 5 N further optimizes the EV’s endurance on the circuit, giving drivers more direct control over the car’s energy usage and create an ideal performance window to achieve their driving performance targets. With N Race, drivers are given the strategic choice to prioritise ‘Endurance’ or ‘Sprint’ modes. ‘Endurance’ maximizes range on the racetrack by limiting the peak power, which results in a slower build-up of battery temperature, whilst ‘Sprint’ prioritizes power and provides shorter bursts of full energy.
IONIQ 5 N boasts N-tuned brakes, which represent Hyundai’s most powerful braking system yet. It features 400-mm diameter ventilated front discs with four-piston monobloc callipers and 360-mm rear discs. These brakes are constructed with new lightweight materials and optimized airflow for improved cooling efficiency. In addition, the regenerative braking system typically used for enhanced efficiency has been reinterpreted in IONIQ 5 N to enhance braking performance. It serves as the primary source of brake force, while the mechanical brakes supplement additional braking force when required, ensuring enhanced endurance on the track.
Designed to deal with the harsh braking demands of track driving, Hyundai N engineers designed N Brake Regen, an N-specific region braking system. It offers up to a maximum of 0.6G decelerative force — an industry leading figure — through N Brake Regen alone and remains engaged under ABS activation with a maximum of 0.2G. The risk of brake fade due to the EV’s relative heaviness is minimized by maximizing regen braking power, which results in lower brake force applied to the mechanical brakes, resulting in lower friction brake temperatures.
IONIQ 5 N is also the latest model to receive the updated CCnC Navigation system, featuring faster processing, new graphical interfaces and an N dedicated screen for N customer mode settings and data logging. IONIQ 5 N is also the first IONIQ model to feature wireless Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™. Shared with IONIQ 5 Ultimate and Namsan models, IONIQ 5 N is equipped as standard with a Head Up Display (HUD) with Augmented Reality (AR) but with a bespoke N dedicated layout. Also shared with the high end IONIQ 5 models is a high level of standard comfort and safety equipment such as heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2) and the latest suite of ADAS features such as Surround View Monitor (SVM) Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) and Remote Smart Parking Assist 2 (RSPA 2).
Like the standard IONIQ 5, the N variant is built on the 800V Electric Global Modular Platform, offering ultra-fast charging compatibility and Hyundai’s pioneering Vehicle-to-Load technology (V2L). Similarly, sustainable materials are applied throughout IONIQ 5 N, including recyclable paperette door decorative garnish, BIO PET yarn from sugarcane, recycled PET yarn from recycled PET bottles, BIO TPO from sugarcane and eco processed leather. IONIQ 5 N also adds recycled tire pigment paint and recycled poly Alcantara seat cover cloth.
