Hyundai Ioniq 5 N: five reasons why we love it... and five why we loathe it

The Ioniq 5 N is Hyundai's attempt to make an electric car that you drive because you want to, rather than because you have to.

It's the sort of car that exists simply so that the owner will go in search of the keys looking for a twisty stretch of road, and because of that it has had some serious engineering invested in it.

Because of this, there have been a lot of people talking about how talented this car is everywhere it goes, whether that be on a track, on the road, in the local town or navigating a supermarket car park.

Let's not forget, however, that in the midst of all of this praise, the Ioniq 5 N still needs to be as good to drive as the petrol-powered i30N and i20N hot hatchbacks which put the South Korean brand on the map as a maker of talented performance cars for enthusiasts.

That means that the Ioniq 5 N has some very big boots to fill, not least because the marketing bosses have decided to call it a 'corner rascal'.

But is the Ioniq 5 N more than just a performance-oriented hatchback? Or does it manage to blend purposeful styling with useful practicality and great performance? Let's find out...

We LOVE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

Because the Ioniq 5 N has had its body lowered by 20mm over the standard car and its arches flared by 51mm, it looks like a true performance machine. This, of course, makes it less subtle than the standard car, and almost makes it look like a Lancia Delta Integrale if it was reimagined for 2024.

This, combined with the gloss black diffuser and front splitter, 21in alloys with red pinstriping, as well as red brake callipers, makes it a very handsome car. It definitely looks like it's here to be driven and driven hard.

We LOATHE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

At a claimed 2235kg, the Ioniq 5 N weighs almost exactly the same as the Porsche Taycan 4S, and 190kg heavier than the regular car. So it is as heavy as you would expect an electric car to be, but at least Hyundai has used some technical wizardry to try and hide some of this heft. Some experts reckon it weighs 400kg less than it really does.

We LOVE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

The overall performance of the Ioniq 5 N is extremely impressive. It can travel from 0-62mph in 3.5sec and hit 100mph in just 7.8sec, making it nearly as quick as the McLaren F1, and one of the fastest affordable SUVs in the world. It can also deliver up to 641bhp in bursts of up to 10 seconds.

But over and above this turn of speed, it is possible to drive the Ioniq 5 N just like you would any other electric car. This is because its throttle response can be tailored to the needs of a specific situation, with three modes for accelerator response and four modes for the regenerative braking system. The upshot is that you can either choose to drive it sedately - which it is happy to do - or rapidly.

We LOATHE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

Inside, the Ioniq 5 N uses a 12.3in infotainment touchscreen which is paired with an instrument display of the same size. The displays themselves provide a mountain of information including tyre pressures, the temperature of each motor and the battery, g-force, plus the amount of brake and throttle the driver is using.

The upshot is that this sheer amount of information can be slightly overstimulating for the driver, especially when you're not on a track or exploring the limits of its handling. The driver can, however, choose to have a 'clear' display where only the essential information is put on display.

We LOVE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

Elsewhere inside, however, the Ioniq 5 N has received a range of sporting upgrades to its interior. With some nicer pedals, a sports steering wheel that is roughly the same size as the one you will find in the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, strategically placed 'N' badges dotted around the cabin and body-hugging seats, the owner now knows it is the hot version.

The seats are mounted so that you sit 20mm lower than you would in a standard Ioniq 5, and all around you is a plethora of more luxurious materials and a set of knee pads on the flanks of the centre console.

We LOATHE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

The Ioniq 5 N has a drift optimiser that helps you hold the car in a drift. It can even send a portion of its torque to the rear wheels to help induce oversteer.

Watch out, though, because if you have too much fun you will end up overheating and delaminating the tyres very easily. If you plan on exploring this function, we would recommend either coming with a spare set of tyres, limiting your session to a couple of skids, or waiting for some rain.

We LOVE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

Because it is based on a large, sensible Ioniq 5, there is a very impressive amount of practicality on offer. There is a lot of second-row legroom which makes it more commodious than other traditional super-saloons, and it's the same story with headroom.

With a 480-litre boot, it is 47 litres smaller than the regular Ioniq 5 N, but it is still more spacious than the Volkswagen Golf GTI, and just 10 litres smaller than the Kia EV6 GT.

We LOATHE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

Its economy figure is capped at 2.5mpkWh which means that its real-world range stands at around 200 miles; an adequate figure but far from spectacular. It does pull one back, however, by having a maximum charging speed of 239kW, which should charge it from 10% to 80% in around 30 minutes.

We LOVE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

Using its four-wheel drive torque vectoring system as well as a limited-slip differential, dampers with three individual settings and MacPherson strut suspension, the Ioniq 5 N has the ability to handle like it is on rails.

It is a car that will carry plenty of speed while generating an incredible amount of traction through the corners. What's more, it is very accessible to novice drivers, allowing those with all levels of talent to exploit its handling.

It turns into corners beautifully, too, with an accuracy and natural feel to both its steering and suspension. That being said, it still offers a measure of comfort and compliance that makes it competitive with some of its key rivals.

Put simply, the Ioniq 5 N is the best driver’s EV you can buy. It is a triumph of complex software engineering and programming that has been brought about in the pursuit of driving fun.

We LOATHE the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N because...

There are some parts of the Ioniq 5 N's interior that are quite basic, including the scratchy plastics and manually-adjustable seats which themselves are quite firm. This can make it a more difficult car to travel long distances in, but considering its real-world range is capped at 200 miles, you won't likely be in the car for an extended period of time.