best electric car puts German competition to shame

Electric cars and emotions have never really gone together, but if Hyundai has anything to say about it, that will be a thing of the past. In the petrol N models, rationality loses out to emotion, and why not try to do the same with the electric versions?

With the Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai wants to convert people whose blood still flows ‘through their veins’. And that is remarkable. Once upon a time, it was the German brands that took the world by the hand with exciting and sporty models. The Volkswagen Golf GTI is a well-known example; even with a small middle-class car you could have a lot of fun for relatively little money.

This is the Golf GTI from Hyundai

It is all the more ironic that Hyundai, one of the most rational and pragmatic manufacturers, is making the electric car exciting. Perhaps the Ioniq 5 N will gain the same status as the Volkswagen Golf GTI. There is nothing comparable for sale in its class so far. That would be a shame for Volkswagen, but nice for the car enthusiast.

Hyundai’s courage is to be commended, because the Ioniq 5 N can just as easily be a hit as a flop. Technically, the fastest Ioniq 5 is a gem in any case, with two electric motors that together deliver 650 hp, four-wheel drive, an electronic limited-slip differential on the rear axle and a sports suspension.

Perhaps even more important is its appearance; where Hyundai held back with the petrol i30 N, it didn’t worry about a single sporty detail more or less with the electric Ioniq.

Electric car with eight gears

If you want, you can quietly guide the Hyundai through busy traffic. That happens, as we are used to from EVs, quietly and with a smooth build-up of power. But of course we don’t feel like doing that during this test drive. That’s why we immediately try the N Active Sound+ system, with various artificial engine sounds.

In Supersonic mode, the Ioniq 5 sounds like Luke Skywalker’s (Star Wars) Landspeeder taking off, while Ignition mode mimics the sound of an internal combustion engine, complete with a crackling pop from the exhaust pipes.

“It seems as if everything is still mechanical instead of electrical, the feedback is so clear.”

When you activate Ne-shift, the system simulates an eight-speed gearbox. This allows you to distribute the power perfectly between the two axles using the shift paddles. This is smoother than would ever be possible with a conventional combustion engine. In addition, the limited slip differential ensures that the wheels do not spin while they are processing all that power.

A real sports car

The Ioniq 5 N plays with the laws of physics and actually gives you the authentic feeling of a sports car from the heyday of the petrol engine. It seems as if everything is still mechanical instead of electric, so clear is the feedback from the steering wheel and pedals. The Korean goes into the bend extremely eagerly, lets itself be steered around the corner very precisely, responds immediately to every tiny steering movement and even with the slightest tap on the right pedal, rages with its many power and torque.

That can result in nervous road behavior, but the clever thing is that this does not happen. Perhaps there is an automotive version of Martin Gaus’ dog class: the car retains its playfulness, but is still easy to tame. And that with an equally impressive empty weight of 2275 kilos, the driving equivalent of severe obesity. Yet the sporty Ioniq 5 is fit as a fiddle and you can drive several laps at the limit without the 800 volt battery overheating. It can be even crazier with the drift mode – the N Drift optimizer.

Technology in disarray

The fact that the Ioniq 5 N feels so at home on the circuit is understandable. The Koreans did not just tune a regular Ioniq 5, but the entire technology was turned upside down. Major modifications were made to the bodywork: 42 extra welds, extra reinforcements and another 2.1 meters of glue joints. Both front wheels got two wishbones instead of one and the steering column was reinforced. In this way, Hyundai laid the foundation for all the driving pleasure.

Even when you’re just driving around town or on the highway, you won’t forget you’re in a sports car. The deep-set sports seats are standard, and instead of the dull gray interior of the regular Ioniq 5, everything inside is black – even the headliner. The instrument cluster has also been given a sporty makeover, and the N logo on the sports steering wheel lights up in the dark.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N price: 73,995 euros

We mentioned the Golf GTI earlier, but if you look at the price, the Ioniq 5 N plays in a higher class. It costs 73,995 euros. Although that is not so crazy for a car with so much power. It has modern 800-volt technology and a large battery of 80 kWh (net), which can charge from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes. Thanks to the WLTP range of 448 kilometers, you can make many circuit laps without a care.

Similar petrol cars, such as the Mercedes-AMG 45 S 4Matic+ (113,931 euros) or the BMW M2 (121,484 euros) are much more expensive. For a successful future of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, many signals are green.

Conclusion

Once again, Hyundai has outpaced its European competitors with a desirable, fast electric car. The road to GTI status is long and bumpy, but Hyundai has taken an important first step with the Ioniq 5 N. It’s amazing how the Koreans have made this heavy EV feel and sound like a lightweight combustion-engined sports car.