Photo: SH Proshots
Performance Blue is a very important exterior paint color for Hyundai. Or – better said – the South Korean automaker's N division. It all started in 2016 with the introduction of the first-ever i30 N, a compact hatch with the 2.0L T-GDI that America received in the Elantra N sedan and Kona N crossover.
Also shared with the Veloster N, said engine was joined by a smaller brother – a 1.6er – in 2020 with the introduction of the i20 N subcompact hatchback. Come July 13, the N division will go electric with the public unveiling and dynamic debut of the Ioniq 5 N crossover at the 2023 edition of the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
Crossover may be a bit of a stretch. Jacked-up hatchback is more like it, especially if you remember that Ioniq 5 N sits closer to the ground than lesser versions of the Ioniq 5. Spied one last time before the grand reveal, the go-faster electric vehicle has dropped some camo. The pictured example wears N's trademark Performance Blue paint. Red can be seen on the rear brake calipers, while the front units are – somewhat curiously – gray.
Big alloys wrapped around low-profile rubber boots also need to be highlighted, along with quite a few aerodynamic upgrades. Save for the headlights and shiny black strip that runs between the headlights, the front end is almost unrecognizable from 2023 models.
Rear fender-integrated vents can be seen out back, where you'll also notice something that will – fingers crossed – be standard on 2024 models. That something is a rear wiper. It's also easy to notice that Hyundai worked its magic on the roof-mounted spoiler. As far as the cabin is concerned, these pics don't reveal much other than heavily bolstered front seats and shift paddles on the steering wheel instead of the steering column.
In hindsight, "shift" may not be the right word. Being an electric vehicle, said paddles are most likely for regenerative braking adjustments. In the Ioniq 5 on sale today, the left-side paddle increases regen braking and deceleration, while the right paddle decreases them.
Pulling and holding the left paddle for more than half a second engages one-pedal driving mode, allowing the driver to brake the Ioniq 5 by pulling on said paddle while coasting. Enough with the boring stuff, though.
What kind of power can we look forward to from the N? According to technical advisor Albert Biermann, 600 ponies or thereabout. The former vice president of engineering at BMW M (what letter comes after M?) said anything between 580 and 620 metric horsepower before Hyundai finalized the peak output rating, hence the 600 estimate from earlier. That's pretty close to the Kia EV6 GT, which delivers 576 horsepower and 545 pound-feet (739 Nm) at full chatter from two motors.
Kia's range-topping EV6 has a dedicated sideways mode for wagging the tail out, and so does the Ioniq 5 N. The newcomer's feature is referred to as N Drift Optimizer. Am I the only one eagerly waiting to see the N smoking tires on Lord March's estate on July 13?
Crossover may be a bit of a stretch. Jacked-up hatchback is more like it, especially if you remember that Ioniq 5 N sits closer to the ground than lesser versions of the Ioniq 5. Spied one last time before the grand reveal, the go-faster electric vehicle has dropped some camo. The pictured example wears N's trademark Performance Blue paint. Red can be seen on the rear brake calipers, while the front units are – somewhat curiously – gray.
Big alloys wrapped around low-profile rubber boots also need to be highlighted, along with quite a few aerodynamic upgrades. Save for the headlights and shiny black strip that runs between the headlights, the front end is almost unrecognizable from 2023 models.
Rear fender-integrated vents can be seen out back, where you'll also notice something that will – fingers crossed – be standard on 2024 models. That something is a rear wiper. It's also easy to notice that Hyundai worked its magic on the roof-mounted spoiler. As far as the cabin is concerned, these pics don't reveal much other than heavily bolstered front seats and shift paddles on the steering wheel instead of the steering column.
In hindsight, "shift" may not be the right word. Being an electric vehicle, said paddles are most likely for regenerative braking adjustments. In the Ioniq 5 on sale today, the left-side paddle increases regen braking and deceleration, while the right paddle decreases them.
Pulling and holding the left paddle for more than half a second engages one-pedal driving mode, allowing the driver to brake the Ioniq 5 by pulling on said paddle while coasting. Enough with the boring stuff, though.
What kind of power can we look forward to from the N? According to technical advisor Albert Biermann, 600 ponies or thereabout. The former vice president of engineering at BMW M (what letter comes after M?) said anything between 580 and 620 metric horsepower before Hyundai finalized the peak output rating, hence the 600 estimate from earlier. That's pretty close to the Kia EV6 GT, which delivers 576 horsepower and 545 pound-feet (739 Nm) at full chatter from two motors.
Kia's range-topping EV6 has a dedicated sideways mode for wagging the tail out, and so does the Ioniq 5 N. The newcomer's feature is referred to as N Drift Optimizer. Am I the only one eagerly waiting to see the N smoking tires on Lord March's estate on July 13?
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