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Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Review 2024

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N At A Glance

5/5
Honest John Overall Rating
An electric car with a sense of humour, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is a fun alternative to the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y.

+Genuinely a lot of fun to drive. Still a very competent all-rounder. We don't think it's outrageously expensive.

-Cabin could feel more special. Some drivers will find its features a bit gimmicky.

Who'd have thought it? Out of all the car manufacturers to launch an electric car with genuine enthusiast appeal, it's Hyundai that's won the race. Not BMW, Audi or even Porsche - but Korean brand Hyundai. The same company that gave us the Getz has knocked it out of the park with its sporting electric SUV, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N.

So what exactly is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N? If we were being unkind, it's simply an Ioniq 5 with more aggressive styling, more performance, some chassis revisions and a load of gimmicky features that give it a sense of fun. But that doesn't really do it justice.

Hyundai's N department is its answer to BMW M. It's the same division that's given us the excellent Hyundai i20 N and i30 N hot hatches. But now it's time for an electric hot hatch... kinda.

The Ioniq 5 N is too big to really be considered a hot hatch. It's SUV in size, which means it's versatile enough to rival performance family wagons like the BMW M3 Touring and Porsche Taycan. Yes, we really do hold it in such high esteem.

Performance is rapid. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N comes with a pair of powerful motors which combine to produce 609PS - enough for it to reach 62mph in just 3.5 seconds. If you really want to make your passengers feel car sick, there's a special 'N Grin Boost' button which provides an extra dollop of performance for up to 10 seconds, cutting an extra tenth of a second off that 0-62mph time.

It's not all about outright performance, though. Yes, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is one of the fastest electric cars you can buy. But it's also amusing to drive in a way you wouldn't expect for a 2235kg electric SUV. There's a whole range of gadgets allowing you to dial up the excitement (from its N Drift Optimiser to its Race mode). It even sounds good, thanks to the artificial N Active Sound+ system.

We don't expect many Hyundai Ioniq 5 N buyers to take to the track, but it will remain surprisingly composed if the urge does take you. There's even a Track State-Of-Charge feature which'll tell you how many laps you can do before you'll run out of electricity.

Ah, yes, running out of electricity. We should probably talk about some of the sensible stuff. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has an 84kWh battery - the biggest in the range - which provides an official range of up to 278 miles. It can also be charged at a rate of up to 240kW, which means you can top up the battery in less than 20 minutes (that's as long as you can find a powerful enough charger...).

Perhaps the most impressive thing about the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is its ability to change character at the touch of a button. When you're not in the mood for race track shenanigans, it's just as user-friendly as the regular Ioniq 5. That means you get a spacious and comfortable cabin, while there's a whole heap of equipment as standard. You get the same easy-to-use 12.3-inch infotainment as the regular Ioniq 5, along with the same digital instrument cluster and extensive list of driver-assistance tech.

If we had one criticism, it's that the interior perhaps could feel a little more special. We like the sporty bucket seats (although some will say you sit too high for that sports car experience), while the extra buttons on the steering wheel hint at the Ioniq 5 N's sporty nature. But it certainly doesn't hold a candle to the Porsche Taycan in terms of interior quality.

But then, with a price tag of £65,000, that's not particularly surprising. We wouldn't go as far as to describe the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N as a cheap electric car, but we don't think it represents bad value for money, either.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N will appeal to a niche audience, but we think it's the most convincing sporty electric vehicle we've driven. Should you buy one over the (mechanically very similar) Kia EV6 GT? Read our full Hyundai Ioniq 5 N review to find out.

What do owners think of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N? Check out our Owners' Reviews from people who live with the car day in, day out.

Reviews for Hyundai Ioniq 5 N's top 3 rivals

Porsche Taycan
4/5
Feels like a Porsche with a superb (and surprisingly practical) interior. Incredible to drive. Range...
Kia EV6
5/5
Striking design inside and out. Plenty of space, quality and technology. All versions have a range over...
Ford Mustang
3/5
Looks great. Fun to drive. Plenty of on-board tech. Up to 379 miles of electric range.