Hyundai IONIQ 5 N—Discovering the passion of driving in an EV 

JooN Park spells his name with a capital N—even if it’s not his initial. JooN is the Vice President of Hyundai’s N Brand Management Group. Oh, and he loves cars and he drives fast. Really fast. 

One may say that JooN is the personification of Hyundai’s N Brand. I certainly can after spending almost a week with him and two of his supremely potent cars—the IONIQ 5 N and the Elantra N.  

Now traditional car enthusiasts may scoff at the notion of a high-performance EV (which the IONIQ 5 N is). I, too, was of that mindset, having grown up loving the smell of gasoline and the roar of an internal combustion engine—two things sadly absent when driving an EV.

JooN, a long-time car enthusiast, made it his life mission to change that petrol-biased mindset. And to make a long story short—after the tire smoke cleared and while our ears were still ringing with the glorious sound of a roaring internal combustion engine—we were converts. 

JooN waxes eloquent when he talks about his N cars, but he knows enough when to step aside and let his cars do the talking. 

Which is why we found ourselves in Hyundai Motor Group’s vast Proving Ground in Taean, Korea, just over two hours from Seoul. This is where we will be wringing the heck out of JooN’s aforementioned two N models (not to mention riding in a luxurious Hyundai Palisade on an off-road test course).     

But much of our track time was behind the wheel of the 650ps/770Nm IONIQ 5 N. Take a moment and let those numbers sink in. The mighty Ford Mustang has 450 horses. The iconic Nissan GT-R has 550. Hyundai’s electric rocket has 650 (and way more torque than either of those legendary sports cars).

The IONIQ 5 N can accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. That’s Porsche/Ferrari territory. In a spacious five-door car that you can load the family in and go to the supermarket.      

At the proving ground, we underwent exercises in gymkhana, slalom, emergency braking, circuit racing, drag racing, and drifting, both as driver and passenger. That several of us came down from the car feeling queasy was a testament to the otherworldly performance of the IONIQ 5 N. I’ve driven supercars and even Formula cars on a racetrack, and my legs felt just as wobbly exiting the IONIQ 5 N as I did in those cars. It was stupeNdous. 

The award-winning features of the IONIQ 5 (this car is as common on the streets of Seoul as a Toyota Vios is in Metro Manila) has been seamlessly integrated with exciting racetrack capabilities. The IONIQ 5 N combines the standard IONIQ 5’s patented Electrified Global Modular Platform or E-GMP with the N Brand’s 3 pillars:

• Corner Rascal – the IONIQ 5 N’s body and chassis have been reinforced to provide higher rigidity and a more responsive steering. It boasts N Torque Distribution and N Drift Optimizer so users can maximize the rally-inspired dual-motor all-wheel drive system coupled with sharper cornering.
• Racetrack Capability – the IONIQ 5 N is currently Hyundai’s most powerful N model. When N Grin Boost is engaged, it produces up to 650ps of power and hits a top speed of 260 km/h. The N Battery Pre-Conditioning and N Race feature helps control energy usage to complement these. The IONIQ 5 N also has industry-leading thermal management and regenerative braking to help it endure intense racing conditions. 
• Everyday Sportscar – the IONIQ 5 N delivers that same feeling and sounds of driving a high-performance internal combustion engine (ICE) car, made possible by the state-of-the-art technology of the N E-shift and N Active Sound. Drivers enjoy a more engaging experience behind the wheel with futuristic EV sounds but also ICE-like engine and exhaust sounds plus that manual paddle-shifted feel. The “transmission” won’t even upshift and will let the engine bump the redline if you don’t flick the paddle. Just like a true racecar.

Compared to the standard IONIQ 5, the IONIQ 5 N is 20mm lower, 50mm wider, and 80mm longer. It rides on larger 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped with superb Pirelli P-Zero tires. These are accentuated by the wheel arch moldings that are unique to the IONIQ 5 N.

The exterior also showcases undeniable track-ready look that is distinctively N, yet with purposeful elements. The front bumper and grille have additional cooling vents, air curtains and active air flaps. These help improve cooling and aerodynamic efficiency. There is a “Luminous Orange” accent on it as well which can be seen extending to the side skirts. Additionally, there is an exclusive rear spoiler and rear diffuser for better airflow control. Other N-only elements which can also be found at the back, ensuring better visibility, are the triangular High Mounted Stop Lamp (HMSL) brake light, black bumper cover with checker flag reflector graphics, and window wiper.

This same theme is carried over to the interior, on the door scuff, metal pedals, and footrest. The steering wheel, apart from the signature N buttons, prominently features the N logo for the first time. The center console has been tailored for track driving with knee pads and shin support. Then the seats have been lowered and with reinforced bolsters to provide better stability during high-g cornering. Making it a pleasant everyday car are USB-C ports, wireless charging and cupholders.

JooN Park knows what he is doing. Simply put, the IONIQ 5 N is one unbelievable automobile. It flies like a supercar (and delivers all that supercar feels) yet can be used as a daily driver that won’t ever consume a single drop of fuel. It brilliantly and spectacularly lives up to the Hyundai N Brand slogan of “Never Just Drive.”

Photos by the Author