Hyundai Ioniq 5 N 2024 review

The Ioniq 5 N is longer, wider and lower than the standard Ioniq 5, further blurring the line between ‘large hatch’ and ‘compact SUV’ that the model has straddled since its arrival.

This growth is thanks to unique front and rear bumpers, side sills, rear spoiler (which is 100mm longer than the standard car) and a rear diffuser - all highlighted by this N-exclusive bright orange stripe that runs around the entire car. It also sits lower, for a more purposeful stance, with a two-tone black lower section to further enhance its sporty look.

The more dynamic look is completed by exclusive 21-inch lightweight forged alloy wheels, fitted with Pirelli P-Zero tyres, that are 20mm wider than what you’ll find on the rest of Ioniq 5 range.

The front end features what Hyundai calls air-curtain apertures, active air flaps and a unique grille that have been designed to not only help cooling but also give the car a more aggressive look. Hyundai claims the new, permanently open grille, nearly doubles the amount of cooling fed into the motors and battery pack.

The more dynamic look is completed by exclusive 21-inch lightweight forged alloy wheels, fitted with Pirelli P-Zero tyres, that are 20mm wider than what you’ll find on the rest of Ioniq 5 range.

It’s hard to know where to start because there’s so much going on with this car. The hi-tech powertrain features a raft of technologies to make it go faster and then even more gizmos to help you enjoy that high-speed drive.

The two key pieces are the N Active Sound+ and the N e-shift, which are the primary systems designed with joy rather than pure speed in mind.

N Active Sound+ is an artificial soundtrack for the car that’s integrated into the powertrain, so it matches the speed and conditions to give you an audio cue for how fast you’re driving. The sound is delivered through both internal and external speakers (eight and two respectively), so both occupants and passer-by can hear the Ioniq 5 N in action.

The two key pieces are the N Active Sound+ and the N e-shift, which are the primary systems designed with joy rather than pure speed in mind.

There are three sound profiles to choose from - Ignition, Evolution and Supersonic. Ignition is a petrol-engine like the i30 N; Evolution is meant to be a futuristic EV-style noise, inspired by the brand’s RN22e and Vision Gran Turismo concepts; while Supersonic is supposed to sound like a fighter jet “with a sonic boom effect.”

In reality, Evolution and Supersonic don’t sound exactly like the brochure promises, with the latter giving the impression of a Dyson vacuum cleaner rather than an F-18 Hornet. Having said that, Ignition sounds suitably sporty and will suit those who miss the rise and fall of a revving internal-combustion engine.

Crucially, N Active Sound+ does help with the on-road driving experience. One of the biggest challenges (and, to be blunt, downsides) of EVs on a twisty country back road is the lack of engine sound dulls the sensory experience and can leave you feeling detached from the speed you’re doing. So by having a speed-matched soundtrack, even an artificial one, gives you a greater sense of speed and increases the enjoyment.

By having a speed-matched soundtrack, even an artificial one, gives you a greater sense of speed and increases the enjoyment.

The same can be said for N e-Shift, which is another system that isn’t truly necessary but actually adds to the overall experience. Even though the Ioniq 5 N has a single-speed transmission, N e-shift provides “virtual shift jolts” and a sound effect to create the impression that you’re changing gears, even going so far as to cut power when you hit the ‘rev limit’ - that’s not really there.

We found ourselves using both the active sound and e-shift both on the road and the track, particularly when we wanted to drive quicker. It may seem strange and it’s hard to really explain in the written word, but these additions really do add driving enjoyment. And no doubt some owners will hate it and find both gimmicks, and that’s fine, because you can turn them both off and drive the Ioniq 5 N in pure, silent electric performance mode.

Another fun-focused system is the N Drift Optimiser, which the company claims aids the driver getting into a slide and holding a drift. There’s even a ‘Torque Kick’ setting that emulates a clutch kick like you’d do in a manual car. Frankly, though, you don’t need it, just some warm tyres and the sports driving modes dialled up and this big hatch will drift into and out of any corner like a much smaller and rear-wheel drive car.

Another fun-focused system is the N Drift Optimiser, which the company claims aids the driver getting into a slide and holding a drift.

But none of this is the most impressive aspect of the Ioniq 5 N. Instead, that honour belongs to the suspension. The electronically controlled semi-active dampers were developed with the Australian market in mind and had local input throughout the global engineering process and the result is the first performance EV that doesn’t ride like it has square wheels.

Until now the challenge of controlling the sheer weight of the car and its batteries, plus the added goal of agile and responsive handling typically led to a firm, uncompromising and, at times, downright uncomfortable ride.

This Hyundai, though, has a genuine level of comfort when you have it in its ‘Normal’ everyday driving mode, capable of offering compliance on the pockmarked Australian roads. Dial up ‘Sport’ and it does get noticeably firmer, but without being uncomfortably so.

This Hyundai, though, has a genuine level of comfort when you have it in its ‘Normal’ everyday driving mode, capable of offering compliance on the pockmarked Australian roads.

Which brings us to the final element of the driving experience we need to discuss - power. As mentioned earlier, the Ioniq 5 N is, by some margin, the most powerful production car Hyundai has ever made and it feels exactly that on both the road and the track.

Like the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT, the acceleration is so quick and so easy it can leave you feeling car sick if you indulge in it too much. It will also likely leave you without a licence if you aren’t paying attention.

On the racetrack the Ioniq 5 N will simply blow your mind if you’re graduating from an i30 N or i20 N. This is literally supercar-fast, running 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds and capable of hitting 225km/h down the straight at Sydney Motorsport Park. No Hyundai has ever been this quick.

That’s great, EV has democratised power and allowed a new brand to enter this upper-echelon of performance. However, it also has the potential to be overwhelming to anyone not prepared for this level of power and speed from Hyundai - so potential owners need to be mindful of that.

As with the rest of the Ioniq range, this N variant is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty for the car and eight years/160,000km for the battery.

Hyundai doesn’t specifically or openly offer a ‘track warranty’ as it did with the original i30 N, but the company says it will be covered for all non-competitive high-performance driving - even if that’s on a racetrack, so you can do track days (such as the annual Hyundai N Festival) with peace of mind.

Servicing intervals are every two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first, and each visit to the dealer will cost $625.