650PS Hyundai Ioniq 5 N breaks cover at Goodwood Festival of Speed

Gajanan Kashikar Updated: October 09, 2023, 06:48 PM IST

South Korean auto giant Hyundai has taken the wraps of its first-ever high-performance electric vehicle (EV), the Ioniq 5 N, at the legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed 2023 in West Sussex, England. The hotter Ioniq 5 N boasts a raft of upgrades to chassis, a dual-motor all-wheel drive system, N-spec equipment, and sporty inside and out.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: Power outputs, electric motors, battery, and charging

Powering the Hyundai's first-ever N model is a dual-motor setup with an output of 226PS at the front and 383PS at the rear. The motors together generate 609PS, while they can produce 650PS in the N Grin boost mode, which lasts 10 seconds. The Ioniq 5 N can hit 100kmph from a standstill in just 3.4 seconds and provides a top speed of 260kmph. Notably, it comes equipped with an 84kWh battery pack. While Hyundai did not announce its range at the unveiling, the high-performance vehicle carries the 800 volt charging architecture supporting 350kW charging speed, matching the standard Ioniq 5. This system allows it to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in a claimed 18 minutes.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: Chassis enhancements, performance upgrades, and N-specific features

To provide improved cornering and handling, Hyundai has strengthened the chassis of the Ioniq 5 N. It has also reinforced battery and electric motor mounts, enhanced steering column, and tweaked front and rear subframes for lateral rigidity. Additionally, the Ioniq 5 N gets World Rally Championship (WRC) derived integrated drive axles (IDA) both ends with extra reinforcement to withstand greater torque. There are also new and large 21-inch forged aluminum wheels, which have reduced total unsprung mass.

The Ioniq 5 N further gets N launch control with three traction modes, N Drift Optimiser with Torque Kick Drift function that not only maintains drift angle but also "allows the driver to simulate clutch kick action of a rear-wheel driver ICE vehicles", and N Torque Distribution with 11 different levels. Hyundai has also worked on the thermal management system for better cooling during aggressive track driving. In fact, the driver can use N Battery Pre-conditioning function with Track and Drag modes. The former enables more laps while maintaining low battery temperature, whereas the latter offers a brief burst of full power. Other features include 400mm front and 360mm rear disc N brakes, N brake regen, N active sound + for ICE-like sound and N e-shift to offer a feel of an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: Exterior and Interior

On top of the performance upgrades, the Ioniq 5 N is 20mm lower, 80mm longer and 50mm wider than the Ioniq 5. At the front, it comes with a sporty new bumper with a lip-spoiler and air flaps for enhanced cooling. Whereas, the rear gets a wing-style spoiler and diffuser to control the airflow for aerodynamic efficiency. On the inside, the all-black cabin features a new steering wheel with N branding for the first time, reworked centre console, and N-spec bucket seats, which are 20mm lower than the regular model. The N model still uses upholstery and other interior materials made from recycled and renewably sourced materials.