Yahoo Autos 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N First Drive: Electric wild child is crazy in all the right ways
YEONGAM, South Korea — Former Hyundai R&D boss Albert Biermann once told me that the company’s N cars should be “a little crazy.” And if you’ve ever driven the Elantra N, Kona N or Veloster N (RIP), you know exactly what I mean. Borderline unhinged and raucous in the best way, Hyundai’s N cars might not be the sharpest or most sophisticated pocket rockets, but sweet saltwater taffy, they’re a whale of a time.
It’s an ethos that’s served the Hyundai N lineup well, and a spirit that I’m happy to report is very much alive in the company’s first electric rowdy boi: the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. That’s despite the fact that this is not a hot hatch, but a compact crossover the size of a Tucson that tips the scales at 2.2 tons – enough to make Biermann call it the “literal elephant in the room.”
The N-specific changes start with – what else? – more power. The Ioniq 5 N uses a new 84-kilowatt-hour battery pack (versus the standard car’s 77.4) and pair of electric motors that churn out a combined 601 horsepower and 545 pound-feet of torque. Hit the "NGB" button on the steering wheel – shorthand for N Grin Boost – and output is increased to 641 hp for brief moments, allowing the Ioniq 5 N to accelerate to 60 mph in an estimated 3.3 seconds.
The Ioniq 5 N's driving range is still TBD and Hyundai isn't offering any ballpark estimates. The standard long-range, dual-motor Ioniq 5 has an EPA-estimated range of 260 miles, but it also has that smaller 77.4-kWh battery. Perhaps the N's larger pack will negate the range drop that comes with the big boost of power. We'll know for sure in a few months time.
In order to better withstand the higher demands of racy driving, the Ioniq 5’s battery has increased thermal management protection. You can precondition the battery to Drag or Track settings – the former giving you an all-out burst of power while the latter is said to provide more consistent performance over multiple laps. Also, don’t forget, the Ioniq 5’s 800-volt architecture allows for faster-than-average charging speeds of up to 238 kilowatts. Hyundai’s even planning to install Level 3 fast-chargers at select tracks around the world.
The Ioniq 5 N will let you manually adjust the power distribution between the two motors, allowing you to send up to 100% of the available torque to either the front or rear axle. This is also how you unlock the N Drift Optimizer – a version of the technology that sister company Kia offers on the EV6 GT – which makes sliding the rump ‘round tight corners much easier. It’s the stuff you should only save for a closed course, and absolutely not for doing doughnuts in the Walmart parking lot at 3:00 a.m. Ahem.
Regenerative braking also plays a part in the N experience. As in all other Hyundai Group EVs, the i-Pedal mode ratchets up regen enough in normal driving to let you drive with one pedal. The Ioniq 5 N adds a new step beyond that with N-Pedal: switch it one while lapping a track, and the regen is increased so you aren’t digging into the mechanical brakes as much. It’s like a one-pedal race mode, and it’s tuned remarkably well.
