As someone who firmly believes every car should have a rear windshield wiper as standard or optional at the very least, I’m glad to see the Ioniq 5 N will have one. It wouldn’t make sense to keep it exclusive to the performance version, so it’s only a matter of time before Hyundai will offer it for the regular electric crossover. A new prototype of the spicy N derivative has been caught undergoing final testing on a rainy day at the Nürburgring.
Already confirmed to launch later this year, the first-ever N model from Hyundai without a combustion engine looks even more like an oversized hatchback than the standard Ioniq 5. It’s because of the stiffer suspension setup bringing the spicy EV closer to the road. Expect sportier-looking wheels and bigger brakes, while that roll cage behind the rear seats certainly won’t be offered in the production model.
Hyundai has already promised the Ioniq 5 N will not be a Kia EV6 GT in a different suit as it’ll utilize many parts tweaked by the N division. Executive Technical Advisor Albert Biermann previously revealed the dual-motor setup will be good for around 600 horsepower, so it’s going to outpunch its Kia cousin by more than 20 hp. There’s no word about torque, but we will remind you the EV6 GT is good for 564 pound-feet (740 Newton meters).
Extra oomph aside, the Ioniq 5 N will offer artificial gear changes courtesy of a button-activated Virtual Grin Shift (VGN) mode. It’ll enable the sporty electric crossover to mimic the sensations offered by an i30 N hot hatch fitted with a dual-clutch automatic transmission. It’s also getting N Sound Plus, which is marketing jargon for artificial sounds, including a pseudo rev limiter. Owners will be able to add their own fake noises the audio system will pump through the speakers.
What else to expect from the Ioniq 5 N? Hyundai will install a dedicated drift mode that’ll adjust how the torque is distributed at each wheel thanks to an electronic rear limited-slip differential to help the driver go sideways in a controlled manner. Speaking of the driver, they will get to choose from Eco, Normal, Sport, and N modes – each with its own settings for the throttle response, steering weight, and damping.
There’s no word about range, but with the N version prioritizing performance, logic tells us the hotter variant won’t be as efficient. In the United States, the EPA has rated the dual-motor Ioniq 5 with all-wheel drive at 256 miles of range.
