Hyundai Ioniq 5 N tops overseas performance electric vehicle comparisons

Hyundai's high-performance electric car, the Ioniq 5 N, has been recognised as the 'best high-performance electric car' in a recent European comparison.

The comparative evaluation of high-performance electric vehicles was conducted by Auto Zeitung and CAR Magazine, two leading German and British motoring magazines. The two publications are trusted for their in-depth analyses of vehicles and the automotive industry as a whole, and their results are an important guide for European consumers when shopping for a car.

The comparative evaluation took place over three days on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany and its surrounding roads, with journalists from Auto Jaitung and Car Magazine driving seven high-performance electric vehicles - the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Tesla Model S Plate, BMW i5 M60, Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Weissach Package, Lotus Elantra R, Pininfarina Batista Nino Farina and Lucid Airdream Performance - and evaluating each model.

The IONIQ 5 N was recognised by both outlets as a car that "stands above the rest in terms of the most core value that a performance car should deliver: fun to drive", and is considered to be the best car in the segment, beating out expensive high-performance EVs.

In fact, the Pininfarina Batista (€2.68 million, £377,420), which costs more than 30 times the price of the IONIQ 5 N, as well as the Porsche Taycan Turbo GT Bijak Package (€240,000, £355,512) and the Lucid Air Dream Performance (€218,000, KRW 322,259) are all more expensive than the IONIQ 5 N (€74,900, KRW 110,084), but the test proves that they don't come close to matching the IONIQ 5 N's outstanding driving performance and driving fun.

<Both Auto Jaitung and Car Magazine praised the IONIQ 5 N for not losing sight of the basics. <"Everything about the driving experience was perfect, including steering, power distribution, acceleration response and braking," said AUTO JAYTUNG, adding, "I was impressed by the IONIQ 5 N's strong power and well-balanced chassis."

<"We were skeptical that the Ioniq 5 N, with all of its digital features, would be able to deliver on the road, but we were pleasantly surprised," said Car Magazine. "By improving the body structure and drive shaft of the Ioniq 5, and reinforcing the motor and battery mounts, the Ioniq 5 N has become the perfect electric car with high performance."

Both publications also praised the IONIQ 5 N's performance-specific features. Firstly, the N Drift Optimiser, which aids natural drifting, "makes it easy for anyone to enjoy drifting by simply pressing the accelerator pedal, even if you're not an expert", and "provides a genuine and pure driving pleasure".

In addition, both publications focused on the N Active Sound Plus and N e-Shift, a virtual transmission system that emulates the feel of a high-performance internal combustion engine. "The biggest surprise of the IONIQ 5 N is the N Active Sound Plus," said Auto Jaitung, "which gives the car the exhaust note of a sports car, but also perfectly reproduces the subtle sounds of shifting." <Car Magazine said, "The feature I appreciate most about the Ioniq 5 N is the N e-Shift," adding, "It's a great feature that adds a level of immersion to driving that I didn't think was possible with an electric car."

Customers have also responded enthusiastically to the comparison. <In a YouTube video of the comparison uploaded by Car Magazine, there were many positive comments about the IONIQ 5 N, including "After driving the IONIQ 5 N for over a month, I didn't feel like taking my Porsche 911 out of the garage," and "The IONIQ 5 N is an all-weather model that can be used as a family car and a hot hatch, and it's rare to find an electric car with such a good price/performance ratio."

The IONIQ 5 N is an iconic model that signals the implementation of Hyundai's core electrification strategy, Hyundai Motor Way, which actively promotes flexible electrification by inheriting its past heritage, and is the first high-performance electric vehicle under the N brand to incorporate Hyundai's advanced electrification technologies to push driving performance to the extreme.

With a high-performance all-wheel drive system, it boasts a combined front and rear motor output of 478 kilowatts (650 hp, in boost mode) and a maximum torque of 78.5 kilogrammes-m (in boost mode), and is equipped with a variety of high-performance EV N-exclusive technologies, including an 84-kilowatt-hour high-power battery and a high-performance EV-specific thermal management control system.

The IONIQ 5 N is leading the high-performance electric vehicle market with its unparalleled merchandise, winning the "World Performance Car of the Year" at the 2024 World Car Awards, the world's most prestigious awards, as well as accolades such as "Car of the Year" at the 2023 Top Gear Awards, "Best Electric Hot Hatch" at the 2024 Top Gear Electric Awards, and "World's Best Performance Electric Vehicle" at Car Magazine.

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Photo Hyundai Motor Company