The electric Hyundai offers the perfect combination of sportiness and comfort

“N e-Shift” mimics the presence of an 8-speed dual-clutch transmission. Together they give the Ioniq 5 N all the qualities normally associated with a sports car with a combustion engine. Of course, this involves thousands of lines of computer code, which makes the task even worse due to the inherent functionality that these devices provide.

How does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N perform in practice?

The result is simply amazing – on the road and on the racetrack. All the reactions of the car are similar to those of a sports car with a combustion engine. You even forget to look at the battery charge/life indicator which usually makes you very nervous because you are so emotional. The sound of the engine idling, the automatic gearshift that adjusts the level of noise and the torque approach, a light press of the gas pedal when decelerating – it’s all there.

The car is in its place on the racetrack and on the road, even if the first location is rare.Photo: Hyundai

On the track, in manual mode at high revs, the gear jerks when changing gears are increased, and if we touch the culprit at a false 7700 rpm, the discomfort of starting and stopping at speed is in all ways similar to that of cars with an engine of internal combustion. . You even start playing with the car, throwing it into corners, daring to skid, braking too late and accelerating too early – the car does all this very impressively.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N promises a range of up to 448 km.Photo: Hyundai

There is only one problem

Of course there is size and, last but not least, weight. With 2.2 tons on the scale and a length of 4.72 m, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is not necessarily small and simple.

However, Korean engineers have managed to reduce the negative effects of its extra weight, at least on the road, within the limits of physics. Of course, the round trip ends with completely worn out tires. When braking, however, you can rest easy because the regenerative power is so strong that discs and pads are not used much, even in racing.

Is it worth buying?

It is clear that for track fans, an English or French ballerina or – if you have a high budget – a good Italian or German sports car will be more exciting. But the excellent work that Hyundai has achieved with the Ioniq 5 N is to be commended and it is certainly an important step.

Skiing with a 2.2 ton car is amazing.Photo: Hyundai

Yes, you can also feel something in an electric car, and even at a good price: CHF 79,000.–. Hyundai wants the car to be more than just a stand-up world champion, which seems to be the norm for so-called sports cars in this segment at the moment, and we find that somewhat encouraging. We are very excited to see what happens next!

Photo: zvg

Jérôme Marchon is…

… a passionate car enthusiast since his early childhood. He started his professional career in the financial sector, but helped start a car blog early on – until he eventually started his own blog. His further path led him to the editor-in-chief of “Revue Automobile”. He has been working as a freelancer since 2018 and writes for various automotive and general and digital print media in Switzerland and abroad. Jérôme Marchon also works as a translator and editorial content consultant for automotive events and car manufacturers.