Hyundai has finally unleashed its electric 600bhp Ioniq 5 N

There are many silly, cringe-inducing labels attached to Hyundai N’s first ever fully electric performance machine, but the seriousness with which they are deployed will make your brain melt.

Welcome to the official unveiling of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. A car that on the one hand is an important electric milestone for the South Korean giant’s performance division, and on the other hand a hot-hatch-slash-crossover that features something called ‘N Grin Boost’.

Silly, no? And yet N Grin Boost unleashes a very serious power hike from the 5 N’s ‘standard’ 600bhp to 641bhp for 10 seconds, accomplished via a pair of electric motors able to spin up to 21,000rpm and a two-stage inverter with better energy efficiency.

Then there’s the mention that one of the key parameters of the Ioniq 5 N is its ‘Corner Rascal’ capabilities. Yet this lightly embarrassing phrase encapsulates World Rally Championship-grade engineering (Hyundai’s won two WRC titles and has taken 25 wins since 2014, FYI) that starts from the ground-up. Literally: the integrated drive axles are ‘WRC-inspired’ to better deal with more e-motor torque.

The body attached to the E-GMP electric platform features 42 additional welding points versus the regular Ioniq 5, encompassing 2.1 metres of additional adhesive. Both battery and motor mountings have been reinforced. The subframes too, feature better lateral rigidity. Even the steering column’s been on the protein shakes, with a special map promising better communication and feedback.

There’s clever software in the [groan] ‘N Pedal’ that pitches for the same feel of the i20N WRC car for better turn in and throttle sensitivity. Alongside this feature that better harnesses decelerative forces for “aggressive weight transfer” and “sharper corner entry”, and alongside the 11-stage torque distribution and e-LSD, there exists an ‘N Drift Optimizer’ (allowing fine control over the slide angle) with a ‘Torque Kick Drift’. You know about this already: it’s basically a silly but enormously entertaining drift feature that simulates real clutch kicks for instant sideways.

Should charge fairly instantly, too. Difficult to come over all serious in a car that wears a party hat, but Hyundai reckons the 84kWh battery – itself featuring better heat management, and encompassed in a system with independent radiators for greater resistance to being hooned – can be fast charged at up to 350kW. Indeed it’ll go from 10-80 per cent charge in 18 mins.

It'll also go from 0-62mph in 3.4s with N Grin Boost activated and max out at 162mph. Bringing it back to a standstill falls to the massive brakes – 400m/four-pot calipers up front, 360mm/single piston calipers on the rear. Hyundai reckons it’ll pull 0.6G when you slam on them hard enough.

Which’ll come in handy for the circuit because another facet of the 5 N’s armoury is its ‘Racetrack Capability’. There’s electronic suspension that controls the adaptive dampers, and a range of modes including Grin Boost, Normal/Eco/Sport, Launch Control, and ‘N Race’ that itself incorporates yet more modes depending on your chosen race strategy (Sprint/Endurance).

A lot of car, right? As a ‘Car’, the final part of the 5 N’s split personality involves the day-to-day – that of a very fast, very connected and enjoyable everyday motor. There’s a mode that simulates the behaviour of a DCT gearbox, plus the ability to change the sound emitted by the 5 N: either a straightforward 2.0-litre turbo, something akin to the RN22e concept, or an actual twin-engine fighter jet. Fighter jets all day long, please.

After all, the Ioniq 5 already looks like The Future, and this hot version applies N’s traditional aesthetic cues: the more aggressive face with active air flaps, the blue paint, the additional diffusers, spoiler, and larger wheels. It’s a suitably sporty interior, too, complete with bucket seats, knee pads and shin support (sideways, remember), much use of sustainable materials, and of course, cup holders and USB-C connectivity.

Because on the one hand, it’s a sensible, forward-looking car that wants to change not just future Hyundais, but the way we think about electric performance. “Key developments around this vehicle will further strengthen the competitiveness of all Hyundai models going forward,” explains Hyundai boss Jaehoon Chang. “This is why N brand exists.”

And on the other hand, be a laugh-out-loud performance EV. “Ioniq 5 N was developed to take driving fun to a new level by utilising the latest technologies available,” said N boss Till Wartenberg.