Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Review & Prices

If it seems a bit odd that Hyundai has made the Ioniq 5 N – a high-performance electric car – it really shouldn’t. Porsche, Audi, and Tesla have been treading the fast EV path for a while now, and Hyundai has made some brilliant hot hatches in recent years with the i20 N and i30 N in particular. But taking the sensible-socks Ioniq 5 and turning it into a fire-breathing hot hatch feels like a whole new thing. It's a bit like painting go-faster stripes on your fridge.

It gets ever more mind-bending when you look at the technical spec — 650hp, four-wheel drive, massive front brake discs, and steering tuned for better feel and feedback. The people in charge of making this Ioniq 5 N were once upon a time in charge of designing Ford’s last Focus RS, so it’s in good hands…

But that seems positively retro compared with the vide game-style features packed into the Ioniq 5 N — there are varying driving modes to make the most of the 84kWh battery and the two-motor layout. Because lots of car enthusiasts have been moaning about electric cars lacking the fun of a gearshift, the Ioniq 5 N gets a thing called an 'N e-shift', which is meant to replicate the feeling of gears being changed. It also gets ‘N Active Sound +’, which plays a mixture of Star-Trek-like sci-fi sounds, mixed with traditional internal combustion noises, just to remind you how quickly you’re going. Or it can sound like a high-tech fighter jet, if you’ve just been watching Top Gun: Maverick. 

You might feel like you're in a jet because push the throttle down and you will be going very quickly indeed. Make use of another gadget, called N Launch Control, and this big, two-tonne-plus electric car will be able to hit 62mph from a standstill in just 3.4 seconds. 

Of course, you don’t just have to drive the Ioniq 5 N in a straight line. Indeed, Hyundai fits it with yet another gadget — called N Road Sense — which actually detects when you’ve gone past a twisty road warning sign and prompts you to kick all the systems up to Sport mode so you can have some fun in the bends.

The big brakes are linked to a clever braking system that uses both regenerative braking (slowing down using the drag of the electric motors) and mechanical brakes, and aims to provide a seamless transition between the two.

There are even more clever bits — there’s an N Battery Preconditioning setup that allows you to choose between Drag mode, for massive-but-short bursts of acceleration, or Track for turning in repeated hot laps. There’s also a hilariously named N Grin Boost which ramps up the power to maximum for 10 seconds, to give you an overtaking boost. For track days, there’s an N Race system, which gives you the choice of Endurance or Sprint settings, depending on how many laps you want to do.

On the outside, the Ioniq 5 N gets a traditional beefy bodykit, and you’ll be able to get it in Hyundai’s now-traditional N-Sport colours of bright blue with red accents. The wheels are 21-inch forged aluminium rims, and the whole car is 80mm longer, 50mm wider, and sits lower to the ground than a standard Ioniq 5. At the front, there are active air flaps for helping to keep the brakes cool.

Inside, there’s a bespoke three-spoke steering wheel with Porsche-style driving mode rotary switches, and high-backed bucket seats covered in Alcantara man-made suede. It’s roomy and practical too, with big back seats and a 500-litre boot. 

What we don’t know just yet is what the Ioniq 5 N will weigh (figure on it being over two tonnes, though), and how much the extra performance impacts the range, although even with the bigger battery, it’s unlikely to match the 300 miles that a regular Ioniq 5 can do. It’s also not going to be cheap — this will be at least a £65,000 Hyundai. Yup, from the brand that once brought you the Accent. 

Like what you hear? Check out the latest Hyundai Ioniq 5 N deals through Carwow, and see how much you could save with our regular Ioniq 5 deals, too. You can also browse used Hyundai models from our network of trusted dealers, and Carwow can even help you sell your car.