Yahoo Autos 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N vs. 2024 Ioniq 5: How Different Are They?
Have you heard the news? Hyundai has three-peated as our EV of the Year winner, with the inaugural award in 2022 going to the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6 taking the title in 2023, and now the performance-focused Ioniq 5 N getting the nod for 2024.
The trio shares Hyundai's E-GMP platform, which has an 800-volt electrical system and makes these three among the quickest DC fast-charging EVs on the market. While it's more obvious how the Ioniq 6 sedan differs from its SUV siblings, we think the differences between the standard-issue Ioniq 5 (currently on sale as a 2024 model) and the racetrack-ready 2025 Ioniq 5 N are worth exploring.
Battery, Charging, and Range
The regular Hyundai Ioniq 5 burst onto the scene a couple of years ago, offering two battery sizes. The smaller, 58.0-kWh pack is reserved for the rear-wheel-drive SE Standard Range. The rest of the rear- and all-wheel-drive Ioniq 5s have a 77.4-kWh battery pack (for 2025, that capacity grows to 84.0 kWh). For now, only the Ioniq 5 N has the 84.0-kWh pack. Regardless of where their juice comes from, every Ioniq 5 has a peak charging rate of 350 kW. Hyundai estimates that this fast-charge connection lets the boxy EV with pixel-like details go from a 10 to an 80 percent state of charge in as little as 18 minutes. We charge from 10 to 90 percent in our test, where the AWD Ioniq 5 took 26 minutes and the N needed 35 minutes.
Despite having the biggest battery, the Ioniq 5 N's EPA-estimated 221 miles of driving range is considerably shorter than the rest of its current family, save for the SE Standard Range's 220-mile estimate. Other RWD Ioniq 5s are expected to go 303 miles on a full charge; AWD models have 260 miles of estimated range. We do a real-world range test on the highway, and with the automatic climate control set to 72 degrees and the cruise set to 75 mph, the range gap between the AWD 5 and the N got smaller. The former traveled 220 miles and the latter made it 190 miles; we've yet to test a rear-drive model on our highway test loop.
Features and Fun Stuff
The Ioniq 5 N shares many standard features with the regular 5, including dual 12.3-inch dashboard displays (the N has an exclusive black bezel, though), dual-zone climate control, heated front seats, a hands-free liftgate, passive entry, and myriad driver assists (automatic high-beams, adaptive cruise control, and a lane-keep mode). The top-spec Limited and the N have the most overlap, including fancier features such as a 360-degree camera system, a Bose stereo, rain-sensing windshield wipers, ventilated front seats, and a wireless charging pad. The Limited, though, has several features that the N lacks. Among these are a digital rearview mirror, a fixed panoramic sunroof, a head-up display, power-adjustable front seats, and a center console with a flexible sliding function.
While the N misses out on some of the Ioniq 5's top features, it alone has stuff that not only makes it the most fun model in its family but also one of the most fun EVs you can buy. The N is defined by features that involve fakery, specifically fake shifting and fake engine noises. Sure, its N e-shift mode that simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission makes it slower in a straight line, but it also creates an experience for enthusiasts that's as close as an EV has come to feeling like a gas-powered performance car.
That's amplified by the hi-po Ioniq 5's N Active Sound+, which imitates a racy four-cylinder engine and even replicates the noise of bouncing off a rev limiter. And for anyone who finds these features a turn-off, well, they can literally be turned off. Other unique features found only on the N are heavily bolstered front sports seats with illuminated seatback logos, a fixed center console with built-in knee pads, and a three-spoke steering wheel with bespoke buttons for activating a dizzying array of drive modes and adjustable settings.
Powertrain and Performance
Not only does the Ioniq 5 N have an almighty 641-hp all-wheel-drive powertrain, but it's outfitted with a host of g0-fast goodies that put its performance on another plane compared with the rest of the I5 lineup. For instance, the N has a set of wider, stickier Pirelli P Zero PZ4 summer tires that helped it record 0.96 g of cornering grip, whereas the regular 5 peaked at 0.85 g. The differences in rubber as well as the N's gigantic Brembo brakes helped it stop from 70 mph in 153 feet, nearly 30 feet shorter than the standard ute.
Quickness is an EV birthright, but the I5N's extra grip and sizable power advantage make it notably quicker than the next most powerful model. With launch control and 568 pound-feet of torque at its disposal, the N rocketed to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds on its way to a 163-mph top speed; a trip to the drag strip saw it clear the quarter-mile mark in 11.1 seconds at 123 mph.
Meanwhile, the Ioniq 5 Limited we tested, with a combined 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet, took 4.5 seconds to hit 60 mph, topped out at 117 mph, and completed the quarter-mile run in 13.2 at 102 mph.
Price and Preference
Naturally, the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N represents the peak model, so it has the highest price. Starting at $67,495, the N version costs $8700 more than the top-of-the-line AWD Ioniq 5 Limited ($58,795). Fortunately for folks who aren't looking to spend that much money, Hyundai offers models for more modest amounts. The 168-hp SE Standard Range, which starts at $43,195, is the least expensive way to join the Ioniq 5 owner's club. Meanwhile, a rear-drive SE with more features, more range, and a power bump to 228 ponies adds another $4K. From there, the 5's base prices climb in roughly $2000 increments, as the list below shows.
2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 base prices:
SE Standard Range: $43,195
SE RWD: $47,245
SEL RWD: $48,795
SE AWD: $50,745
SEL AWD: $52,295
Limited RWD: $54,895
Disney 100 Platinum Edition: $60,795
N: $67,495 (2025 model)
Clearly, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 lineup offers a wide variety of features, a broad performance spectrum, and price points for almost everyone. When it comes to choosing which one is best, that obviously depends on what type of experience you're after and what you can afford. For us, the decision is simple: We're putting money down on the Ioniq 5 N, as it won our 2024 EVotY award for a reason—namely, it's an EV that excites our senses in a lot more ways than one.
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