2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N Unleashed as 641-Horsepower Hooligan

Published on July 13, 2023 in News by Dominic Boucher

Hyundai fittingly chose the Goodwood Festival of Speed in the U.K. to unveil what it believes will become the new benchmark for high-performance, track-oriented EVs—the all-new 2025 IONIQ 5 N.

“N brand aims to deliver N’s signature fun driving experience regardless of petrol, electric or hydrogen,” said Till Wartenberg, Vice President and Head of N Brand and Motorsport at Hyundai. “To accomplish this, we’ve closely monitored the voices of our N fans in order to fine-tune our first all-electric N with the goal of electrifying the driving passion of our most demanding N-thusiasts.”

8 Simulated Gears and LOTS of Power

Hyundai wanted to blow drivers away with breathtaking performance. While still based on the e-GMP architecture, the new IONIQ 5 N gets increased battery capacity—up from 77.4 kWh to 84 kWh—and more power from its dual motors. Output is rated at 601 horsepower, but that jumps to 641 horsepower for ten seconds with N Grin Boost engaged. As a result, 0-100 km/h acceleration is over in just 3.4 seconds, the company claims. Top speed is 260 km/h.

Fear not, the almighty crossover has plenty of stopping power thanks to 400mm discs with four-piston callipers up front and 360mm discs in the rear. An N Brake Regen feature, developed specifically for the IONIQ 5 N, offers up to a maximum of 0.6 G decelerative force—best in the industry—and remains engaged under ABS activation with a maximum of 0.2 G.

The automaker looked for technologies to enhance the fun and joy of driving by simulating the jolt feel and sound of an ICE vehicle. For example, N e-shift simulates the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission in conventionally powered Hyundais. It performs “gearshifts” by controlling motor torque and simulates the jolt feeling between shifts.

Meanwhile, N Active Sound+ aims to create a more exciting sensory experience for the driver. It incorporates a 10-speaker system (eight internal, two external) that offers three distinct sound themes. The ‘Ignition’ theme emulates the sound of N’s 2.0T engines, while ‘Evolution’ provides a signature high-performance sound inspired by the RN22e concept. The ‘Supersonic’ theme is a unique concept inspired by twin-engine fighter jets.

Track Star

Naturally, the IONIQ 5 N comes with a series of gadgets and technologies designed for the track, whether it’s drag racing or endurance events. As mentioned earlier, N Grin Boost maximizes acceleration by a power increment of 10 seconds. Furthermore, N Launch Control provides three different traction levels for the fastest possible start, allowing drivers to launch their vehicle like a professional race car.

Since the battery will be heavily taxed, cooling becomes paramount. The independent radiators for the battery and motor maximize the IONIQ 5 N’s resistance to performance degradation before and during intense track driving. Interestingly, the driver can utilize N Battery Pre-conditioning to optimize the battery cells to the most power-efficient temperature by choosing between ‘Drag’ mode for a short burst of full power or ‘Track’ mode that optimizes the lowest possible battery temperature for more laps.

An N Race feature further optimizes the EV’s endurance on the track, giving drivers more direct control over energy usage.

In the Name of Rigidity

Hyundai used lessons from rally racing to reinforce the body-in-white structure of the IONIQ 5 N with 42 additional welding points and 2.1 metres of additional adhesives. The motor and battery mounting are reinforced, while the front and rear subframes are enhanced for lateral rigidity. World Rally Championship-inspired integrated drive axles (IDA) are applied both front and rear and reinforced to endure stronger electric motor torque. The steering column has been strengthened for improved rigidity, as well.

Many other technologies concocted by the wizards at Hyundai N help improve driving dynamics. One example is N Pedal, which is designed to provide instant turn-in behaviour and enhanced throttle sensitivity. N Torque Distribution enables fully variable front and rear torque distribution that can be adjusted to 11 levels. And get this: N Drift Optimizer helps maintain the drift angle by balancing multiple vehicle controls responding to real-time inputs.

More Aggressive Styling

Aesthetically, the IONIQ 5 N looks sportier and more aggressive than its mainstream counterpart. It stands out with a prominent, wing-type rear spoiler that incorporates a triangular N-only brake light, plus unique bumpers, numerous black accents and an orange-accented rear diffuser and air outlet.

At the front, there is a N Mask graphic fascia with functional mesh along with air curtain and air flaps for extra cooling. On the sides, the forged 21-inch aluminum wheels are wrapped in high-grip 275/35R21 Pirelli P-Zero tires for improved ride and handling.

The N model further distinguishes itself from the standard IONIQ 5 with a change of proportions. It is 20 mm lower overall, 50 mm wider at the bottom to accommodate wider tires, and 80 mm longer due to the more prominent diffuser.

The sporty treatment continues inside with a redesigned steering wheel that prominently features the N logo for the first time. The N Grin Boost button positioned at 3 o’clock allows intuitive access, while the paddles are optimally positioned at the driver’s fingertips to engage N e-shift and N Pedal features.

Elsewhere, the centre console is optimized for track driving with knee pads and shin support as well as a sliding armrest. The N sport seats have reinforced bolsters and are positioned about 20 mm lower compared to the basic specification.

How Much Will This Cost?

As you can imagine, we’re still a long way from learning about pricing details for the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N. Range also remains a mystery at this point. Regardless, colour us impressed by the passion and serious dedication of the designers and engineers at N.