The nice people at Hyundai have scrambled my mind with the 2025 Ioniq 5 N, a devilish little electrical compact crossover which may simply be a motorsports game-changer.
Most electrical autos are a blast to drive in a straight line, with unbelievable acceleration and accessible energy. However their weight turns into a legal responsibility on the race monitor, and battery cooling can put a damper on the enjoyable nicely earlier than working by way of a cost.
Like many “sporty” variations of best-selling vehicles—suppose the Toyota Corolla GR or the Acura Integra Sort S—the Ioniq 5 N will get extra energy, a wider stance, and upgraded tires. The automotive nonetheless has all of the tech options we’ve come to anticipate in a Hyundai like computerized emergency braking, a driver-assistance system that helps ease fatigue on the freeway journeys, wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a big digital gauge cluster and infotainment display.
Nevertheless, the corporate needed to construct an EV that might entice ICE fanatics over to the electron world. By and enormous, fanatics don’t care about tech options. As a substitute, we wish emotion. We need to really feel linked to the automotive, just like the automobile is an extension of ourselves. We need to really feel pleasure and pleasure and sure, only a contact of worry.
Whoo boy does this factor rock.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Corridor
Inexperienced Automobile Reviews despatched me out to Laguna Seca Raceway with 5 particular questions—in daring under—to reply. I spent the day amidst skilled drivers and Hyundai engineers, dutifully fulfilling my task and questioning on the absurdity of hooning a ridiculously highly effective automotive on a compelling monitor and getting paid for it. Y’all, it was a superb day.
Does N Grin Increase put a smile in your face within the Ioniq 5 N? Did you apply it to the monitor?
N Grin Increase is the equal to a go-fast gold coin in a online game. Press the purple button labeled NGB on the steering wheel and the Ioniq 5 N provides you all 641 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque for 10 seconds. Drivers can do that so long as the battery is at a 30% or greater state of cost.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Corridor
Laguna Seca Raceway is a sophisticated monitor with loads of blind crests, tough decreasing-radius turns and a 0.2-mile entrance straight. This straight, I figured, could be a superb place to spice up, and thus grin.
I’m not fairly certain how briskly I used to be going once I hit the button. I had simply finagled my approach out of flip 11, a 90-degree left-hand flip, so it couldn’t have been greater than 35 or 40 miles per hour. I floored the accelerator, waited a couple of seconds and smacked my proper thumb on that NGB button.
Did I grin? Sure. Did I additionally panic? Once more, sure. I had been utilizing one in every of Hyundai’s pre-programmed propulsion sounds—extra on that in a minute—and as quickly because the NGB kicked in, all went silent. It was like I used to be all of the sudden in a hyperspace vortex the place time and physics meant nothing.
House, nonetheless, was in full impact as I careened in direction of flip one, a blind crest that turns barely left that has terrified me each single time I’ve been to this monitor. I risked a quick glimpse of my speedometer and noticed 105 miles per hour.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
“That is positive,” I assumed. “I’m positive, the whole lot is ok.”
I managed to remain within the throttle over the crest with none sort of Code Brown second, however the hysterical laughter that got here out of me served as a reminder that I used to be certainly experiencing a tiny little bit of worry. I acquired on the brakes arduous and someway managed to get by way of flip 2, the Andretti Hairpin, earlier than NGB deactivated itself, the faux noises got here again on and I used to be again to a barely extra manageable tempo.
Hyundai later instructed me that NGB will be set to one in every of three audible sounds and doesn’t should be silent. On reflection it was sort of cool for the automotive to go quiet, because it was very clear one thing was occurring. I simply wasn’t essentially ready for it.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
How do the faux gearshifts work within the Ioniq 5 N? Why did Hyundai select this and did it ever think about a two-speed gearbox?
The Ioniq 5 N performs video games with the motive force with a simulated shiftable transmission, whereas it’s truly simply working its motor up the rev vary. Positive, I might preserve it in Auto mode and let the 2 electrical motors spin all the best way as much as 21,000 rpm, or I might let the pc within the N e-Shift function manipulate my feelings a bit, protecting the motor—my notion of the motor—at a most of seven,750 rpm and divided into eight steps, making me really feel extra at one with the automotive.
Mixed with the simulated sounds—and be affected person, I’ll get there—shifting the automotive gave me a way more visceral expertise. Auto mode is ok for toddling to the grocery retailer, however that is Laguna Seca, dammit. I needed to really feel like I used to be driving the automotive. I needed to be in management.
The best way the Hyundai engineers developed the simulated shifts is so easy it borders on genius and certainly borrows from a driving simulator. When in handbook mode, if I exploit the precise paddle to upshift, the torque briefly drops then blips up, all in a nanosecond. From the motive force seat it felt at minimal like a delicate push, however once I was on the throttle it was sufficient to jolt my head again just a little, similar to an actual transmission would do when below load.
Coming into corners I might downshift and get some engine braking to assist gradual the automotive down, and put a couple of electrons again within the 84-kwh battery (extra capability than another Ioniq 5). For science, I attempted exiting flip 11 in fourth gear and the automotive protested with a noticeable lag, similar to it will with an precise handbook transmission.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Hyundai might have gone the Porsche Taycan route and opted for a two-speed transmission, however once more, it’s seeking to construct a bridge for ICE fanatics to cross over to The Democratic Republic of EVs. The corporate is aware of fanatics like handbook transmissions and whereas this doesn’t have a clutch pedal, it at the very least provides the motive force a modicum of management.
Joonwoo Park, Vice President N Model Administration Group, instructed me {that a} two-speed transmission would additionally add weight and value. By eschewing an actual, bodily factor and merely including a couple of traces of weightless code to its easy single-speed transmission, Hyundai provides lightness and helps preserve the worth of the Ioniq 5 N to $67,475 together with $1,375 for vacation spot.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
What in regards to the Ioniq 5 N propulsion sounds themselves? What was the inspiration for this “simulated” a part of its expertise?
Okay, let’s speak in regards to the sound! Hyundai has integrated what it calls N Energetic Sound+ into the myriad selections drivers could make within the Ioniq N 5. After all, you may haven’t any sound, simply the slight metallic whirr or the electrical motors spinning up. That’s nice for on a regular basis driving however monitor shenanigans name for drivers to make use of all their senses, aural included.
The perfect sounding choice by far is known as Ignition. That is based mostly on the two.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine discovered within the Elantra N, full with lift-off pops and gurgles. My first session on the monitor was in silent mode with the single-speed gearbox doing its personal factor. After I turned on the N e-Shift and the N Energetic Sound+, I acquired the bodily movement of snapping off gears with the paddle shifters and the audible cues of a throaty little engine. Abruptly I used to be far more invested within the expertise, and my time reveals it. Positive, I’m no Max Verstappen, however my second session glided by a lot faster than the primary, and it was far more enjoyable as well.
2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup race automotive
The sound is pumped into the automotive from eight audio system, but in addition launched to the unsuspecting pedestrian by way of two exterior audio system. Park stated that these taking part within the new eN1 Cup racing collection in South Korea with the Ioniq 5 N might someday get to decide on their very own bespoke sound, so followers know who’s coming round that nook and on to the straight.
I feel I’d need mine to sound like a Mötley Crue guitar riff, however I digress.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Corridor
Preconditioning is as a lot about getting probably the most monitor time as it’s getting the quickest cost. How does this all work within the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5?
After all, EVs have a couple of disadvantages in relation to working scorching and heavy on the monitor. Positive, an ICE automobile will doubtless want extra gas throughout a day of monitor driving, but it surely’s a job accomplished in 5 minutes or much less. With an EV, there are such a lot of different elements that come into play to ensure the batteries can ship probably the most energy and recharge shortly.
First, there’s energy supply. The battery within the Ioniq 5 N will be set for a dash race with an optimum battery temperature of 86 to 104 levels Fahrenheit or an endurance race, the place the temperature ought to be a bit cooler, between 68 and 86 levels or so. Remember that these numbers are for optimum efficiency, not vary. Throughout my time on the monitor I misplaced 10% of my cost in every of my two endurance classes and the battery temperature stayed round 70 levels. I used 16% of my battery juice in my one dash session ending with a battery temperature of 93 levels.
The Ioniq 5 N has triple the quantity of cooling surfaces because the common Ioniq 5, a cooling aspect contained in the battery and its personal separate radiator as nicely. Additional, the pc can inform the motive force how lengthy it’s going to take to succeed in optimum temperature, so she is aware of simply how lengthy earlier than the following monitor session is a go.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Relating to charging, the Ioniq 5 N can fast-charge at a peak of about 235 kw because of its 800-volt structure. Nevertheless, anybody with any expertise with an EV is aware of that price shouldn’t be assured. Not solely does the charger must be dependable sufficient to ship the ability; the battery pack must be prepared to just accept it. Like most EVs, the Ioniq 5 N can situation the batteries for charging, getting temperatures in that candy charging spot between 68 and 86 levels.
Hyundai has put in 10 high-speed chargers on the Inje Speedway in South Korea to assist its new eN1 Cup racing collection. It additionally hopes to place chargers at tracks world wide together with the well-known Nurburgring, the place the corporate says the Ioniq 5 N can do two laps flat-out of the practically 13-mile monitor in Endurance mode.
As for charging at Laguna Seca, Hyundai needed to rent a couple of vans with mills to maintain the electrons flowing. There are Tesla Superchargers however the Ioniq 5 N doesn’t have NACS functionality, neither is the station a Magic Dock station. Nuts.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Total, does the Ioniq 5 N examine to the EV6 GT in driving thrills—and in driving vary?
Though the Kia EV6 GT is perhaps constructed on the identical platform because the Ioniq 5 N, the 2 are hardly comparable. Don’t get me flawed, the EV6 can generate 576 horsepower and 545 pound-feet of torque from its two electrical motors—shut—and it shares a couple of options with the Ioniq 5 N like an digital limited-slip differential and a drift mode, however not its bigger battery and intensified pack cooling. On the finish of the day the EV6 GT is a fast automotive that may carve a canyon or two. It’s not a monitor automotive.
The EV6 GT doesn’t have an e-Shift function nor ship any audible cues, each of which improve the Ioniq 5 N to the, ehem, nth diploma. The Hyundai additionally has distinct settings for the motors, the steering, the digital limited-slip differential, suspension and steering really feel and the motive force can push near 100-percent of the torque to the rear wheels if he so needs.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Corridor
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Corridor
There are even two totally different sorts of brake regeneration: I-pedal together with your normal ranges of regen or N pedal, which is supposed extra for weight switch. Choose this setting and the 0.36g of regen not solely slows the automotive earlier than a flip, however actually will get the load moved to the entrance, serving to the Pirelli P Zero tires grip by way of the turns. Yeah, you’ll hear some squealing however belief me, the grip is there. The EV6 GT with its much less sticky Goodyear Eagle F1 sneakers simply can’t examine.
As for driving vary, nicely, that’s a troublesome one. I acquired to pattern the Ioniq 5 N on public roads, however not for an prolonged period of time. Hyundai says the 84-kwh battery is sweet for 221 miles of vary—much less, after all, whereas hooning on a monitor. In the meantime the 77.4 kWh battery within the Kia EV6 GT can eke out 206 miles. Once more, I might anticipate it to be tough to hit that EPA quantity when you exploit the GT’s energy at each inexperienced gentle.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N abstract: Driving pleasure
By the point I left Laguna Seca I used to be worn out. I had pushed by way of the fearsome flip 1 at triple digits, bothered Hyundai engineers with technical questions and beloved each second of it. Whereas the 2025 Ioniq 5 N is perhaps a rolling pc with myriad difficult settings, it produced extra emotion and amusement than I assumed doable from an electrical automobile.
This isn’t a automotive about saving the world with a inexperienced powertrain. It isn’t about making a commute safer with superior driver’s aids and even about pushing the boundaries of all-electric vary. No, the Ioniq 5 N is about driving pleasure. And I’m right here for it.
