Hyundai reveals 478kW electric car with drift mode and a ‘clutch’

Hyundai’s high performance N Division has revealed its first fully electric creation, the Ioniq 5 N, in all its opposite-lock, tyre-smoking glory. And, it is all but confirmed that the model will be heading to New Zealand.

We’ve touched on the new N’s aesthetics already following the unveiling of ‘leaked’ imagery earlier this week. More comprehensive aero, the N Division’s signature Performance Blue and red colour combo, and a more fitted cabin are the biggest gets.

But, unsurprisingly, it is evident that the Ioniq 5 N is much more than just an appearance package with a bit of extra power.

Starting with its battery and motors, the Ioniq 5 N gains a larger 84kWh battery pack and tweaked dual motors. The front unit produces 166kW and the rear a whopping 282kW, meaning the rear motor alone makes more power than the current Ioniq 5 flagship.

Combined, the two motors have a power output of 448kW – jumping to 478kW when the driver uses Boost Mode. That’s an 18kW gain relative to the car the Ioniq 5 N will inevitably be compared to the most; the platform-sharing Kia EV6 GT.

This power enables a 0–100kph of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 260kph. Competitive numbers to be sure, and they’re just the start.

Hyundai’s N cars have a shining reputation not because of their straight-line performance, but because of how they behave when the straight line becomes a wiggly, cambered backroad or a race circuit. Most of this corner-carving prowess is achieved through agonising chassis tuning. And the Ioniq 5 N is no different.

Hyundai boasts that the 5 N is much more rigid than its non-N brethren thanks to 42 additional welding points and generous usage of bonding adhesive. It’s 20mm lower, 50mm wider, and 80mm longer than the standard Ioniq 5.

Its 400mm front and 360mm rear brake discs are the largest it’s whacked on any model, each wheel gets a super sticky 275/35 Pirelli P Zero, and Hyundai claims that the crossover between its hydraulic brake feel and regenerative brake feel is imperceptible.

Perhaps as you might expect, most of the biggest changes pertain to the sci-fi world of algorithms and new software systems. Hyundai has rolled out a long, long list of self-titled new drive systems built for the Ioniq 5 N and its other future electric N offerings.

N Battery Preconditioning, N Race, N Pedal, N Brake Regen, N Drift Optimizer, N Torque Distribution, N Launch Control, N Grin Boost, N Active Sound +, N e-shift, N Road Sense and Track SOC make up the bulk of the tech list.

It might read like something ChatGPT cobbled together, but there’s some super interesting stuff in there. The torque distribution system has 11 different levels of adjustment. Combined with the drift optimiser, it means the 5 N should be able to swing out its rear end on command.

There’s even a ‘Torque Kick Drift’ feature, that allows drivers to simulate a ‘clutch kick’ that one would do in a manual internal combustion, rear-wheel drive car to initiate or elongate a drift.

And then there’s N e-shift and N Active Sound+. The former system simulates the feel of an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (a la, what you get in an i30 N), and the latter uses a series of internal and external speakers to mimic Hyundai’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine. According to Hyundai, the Ioniq 5’s sound profile is similar to that of the RN22e concept.

Undoubtedly, there will be petrol heads cackling over those last two paragraphs in particular, asking what the point of any this is when you can just buy an ICE performance car that does all that stuff for real.

The fact is that there will be an end point where such cars will disappear from dealerships because they will have become too expensive to produce, too niche, or too environmentally harmful to meet emissions regulations.

I wouldn’t be surprised at all to see Hyundai’s push to preserve ICE feel and thrill be echoed by more car manufacturers in the future. We already know Toyota is developing a manual transmission for EVs, for example.

“Hyundai N spearheads the technological leadership of Hyundai Motor Company,” Hyundai Motor Company president and chief executive Jaehoon Chang said at the car’s launch.

“N brand’s winning combination of technological know-how and motorsport experience is pushing the limits of vehicle performance, which has most recently resulted in Ioniq 5 N, a gamechanger for electric high performance,” Chang added.

“Key developments around this vehicle will further strengthen the competitiveness of all Hyundai models going forward. This is why N brand exists.”

Hyundai New Zealand has already rolled out a full Ioniq 5 N section on its national website, featuring full specifications and an invitation for keen customers to register their interest.