Photo: Hyundai / edited
Prior to his appointment as head of vehicle testing and high-performance development at Hyundai, the one and only Albert Biermann served as vice president at BMW M. Even though he announced his retirement last year after more than three decades in the automotive industry, the renowned engineer still works for the Seoul-based South Korean automaker as executive technical advisor.
The man who masterminded the go-faster N division at Hyundai knows that the future is electric, but alas, Hyundai still doesn't have a high-performance electric vehicle to its name. That's going to change in July at the 2023 Goodwood Festival of Speed, where the Ioniq 5 N will mark the shift from high-performance internal combustion-engined vehicles to all-electric ones.
Rather than Biermann, the managing director at Hyundai UK spilled the beans in an interview with British motoring publication Autocar. He made it clear that N-branded vehicles are meant to differentiate Hyundai from other automakers, but rather than straight-line performance, the Ioniq 5 N is all about driving fun.
It's a similar philosophy to the one used in the development of the i30 N, a compact-sized hatchback that was never sold in the United States of America. Its closest equivalent in this part of the world is the Elantra N compact sedan. Following the mid-cycle refresh for the 2024 model year, said compact sedan continues to pack a high-output 2.0L turbocharged four-pot mill.
Twinned with the Kia EV6 GT, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is pretty different in certain aspects. For starters, prospective customers are presented with something called N Drift Optimizer. The rather boring moniker stands for an electronic system designed to tailor torque distribution, steering effort, suspension stiffness, and the electronic limited-slip diff for oversteery dynamics.
Hyundai boldly claims that N Drift Optimizer is addressed to both beginners and skilled drivers. The electronically-controlled LSD is tuned specifically for this application, whereas N Torque Distribution optimizes torque at both axles depending on the selected drive mode. Tested in the frozen wilderness of Arjeplog in Sweden together with the i20 N WRC Rally 1, the Ioniq 5 N is ready to pounce with 600-ish horsepower on deck.
Remember Biermann? Back in September 2022, when the output figures weren't finalized, he estimated anything between 580 and 620 metric ponies. Converted in old money, that's 572 and 612 horsepower. Peak torque is certain to be similar to the Kia EV6 GT, which offers 572 horsepower and 545 pound-feet (739 Nm).
Heading to dealers as a 2024 model, the Ioniq 5 N has been recently teased with – get this – a rear wiper. It remains to be seen if lesser versions of the Ioniq 5 will be updated with said rear wiper, but keep those fingers crossed. Over in the United States, the most affordable specification available for the 2023 model year is $41,450 sans destination charge. As for Germany, where Hyundai's European technical center is based, the Ioniq 5 kicks off at 43,900 euros (that would be $48,200).
Rather than Biermann, the managing director at Hyundai UK spilled the beans in an interview with British motoring publication Autocar. He made it clear that N-branded vehicles are meant to differentiate Hyundai from other automakers, but rather than straight-line performance, the Ioniq 5 N is all about driving fun.
It's a similar philosophy to the one used in the development of the i30 N, a compact-sized hatchback that was never sold in the United States of America. Its closest equivalent in this part of the world is the Elantra N compact sedan. Following the mid-cycle refresh for the 2024 model year, said compact sedan continues to pack a high-output 2.0L turbocharged four-pot mill.
Twinned with the Kia EV6 GT, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is pretty different in certain aspects. For starters, prospective customers are presented with something called N Drift Optimizer. The rather boring moniker stands for an electronic system designed to tailor torque distribution, steering effort, suspension stiffness, and the electronic limited-slip diff for oversteery dynamics.
Hyundai boldly claims that N Drift Optimizer is addressed to both beginners and skilled drivers. The electronically-controlled LSD is tuned specifically for this application, whereas N Torque Distribution optimizes torque at both axles depending on the selected drive mode. Tested in the frozen wilderness of Arjeplog in Sweden together with the i20 N WRC Rally 1, the Ioniq 5 N is ready to pounce with 600-ish horsepower on deck.
Remember Biermann? Back in September 2022, when the output figures weren't finalized, he estimated anything between 580 and 620 metric ponies. Converted in old money, that's 572 and 612 horsepower. Peak torque is certain to be similar to the Kia EV6 GT, which offers 572 horsepower and 545 pound-feet (739 Nm).
Heading to dealers as a 2024 model, the Ioniq 5 N has been recently teased with – get this – a rear wiper. It remains to be seen if lesser versions of the Ioniq 5 will be updated with said rear wiper, but keep those fingers crossed. Over in the United States, the most affordable specification available for the 2023 model year is $41,450 sans destination charge. As for Germany, where Hyundai's European technical center is based, the Ioniq 5 kicks off at 43,900 euros (that would be $48,200).
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