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 electrified high-
performance model – the Ioniq 5 N which is undergoing final testing at the famous
Nürburgring circuit in Germany in preparation for its debut next month.
The Ioniq 5 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.
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.
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 provides 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 even before the price has been revealed.
