Scheduled to premiere on July 13, the Ioniq 5 N has been leaked in all of its glory. To make its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on the very same day, the Hyundai-branded counterpart of the Kia EV6 GT is much easier to tell apart from lesser Ioniq 5s than the GT is from lesser EV6s.
It all starts with Performance Blue paintwork, which is exclusive to N vehicles. We can further notice a few dark bits and pieces, along with red for both fascias, the front lip spoiler, side skirts, and the brake calipers.
Uploaded by @the_osco on the CocheSpias forum, the Ioniq 5 N's leaked pictures further show a set of fancy wheels mounted with low-profile rubber boots. The pictures in question were sourced from Hyundai Australia, which posted a walkthrough video ahead of schedule. If we're not mistaken, the wheels are 21s, and the tire dimensions appear to be 275/35 by 21s.
Considering said numbers, the outer diameter is 28.6 inches. In regard to width, make that 10.8 inches. The roof spoiler of the N appears larger than the Ioniq 5's roof spoiler as well. It also integrates a third brake light with a trapezoidal shape. But more importantly, there's a rear wiper! Ioniq 5 forums are full of complaints in regard to the lack of a rear wiper. Given the imminent reveal of the N, the Ioniq 5 is likely to receive a rear wiper as well in late 2023 for MY24.
Look even closer at the electric crossover's rear, and you'll see the fog light integrated in the center fin of the aerodynamic diffuser. Of course, the aero trickery extends to the front end. The interior is pretty wild for a Hyundai, starting with the design of the front seats.
Firstly, the steering wheel comes with a few more buttons than usual. Rather than four dots (Morse code for H from Hyundai), the N logo is proudly featured on the airbag cover. Zooming in on the digital instrument cluster, you will be surprised to see the speedometer going all the way to 300 kph (186 mph).
I'm afraid that is wishful thinking for the E-GMP electric vehicle platform, at least for the time being. The Kia EV6 GT, for example, tops 260 kilometers per hour (161 miles per hour). Speaking of which, the Kia's dual-motor powertrain is likely shared with the Ioniq 5 N.
With 576 horsepower and 545 pound-feet (739 Nm) of torque to its name, the EV6 GT is no slouch. Technical advisor Albert Biermann said the N sports 600-odd ponies or thereabout, although it's not clear if he referred to metric or mechanical ponies. 600 ps converted to hp is 592, whereas 600 hp to ps is 608.
In any case, getting behind the wheel of the Ioniq 5 N is definitely going to put a smile on your face. Part of the N's appeal is the N Drift Optimizer, a system that makes drifting a breeze. The secret sauce is a control logic that distributes torque in such a way that even the most inexperienced driver won't spin.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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