Meet Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai's latest EV built for racetracks

Hyundai introduces the high-performance Ioniq 5 N, the brand's first electric model, designed to tackle racetracks and deliver a fun driving experience with its advanced features.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the high-performance N brand's first electric model, displayed during a press event held on Thursday in western Seoul [SHIN HA-NEE]

What makes driving an EV fun?

Hyundai Motor provides an answer with its latest Ioniq 5 N, the high-performance N brand’s first electric model.

“‘An EV is heavy — how does it perform cornering maneuvers? Is it even possible for an EV to run racetracks without exhausting its batteries? With no revving sound or gear shifts, how does one have fun driving an EV?’ These were some of the questions we faced along the way,” Park Joon-woo, the vice president of Hyundai Motor’s N Brand Management Group said, looking back on the past three years of developing the vehicle.

Park believes that the Ioniq 5 N is the answer to all of those questions, as the brand's first electrified model embodies all three core features of the N brand cars: racetrack capability, corner rascal and everyday sports car.

Park Joon-woo, vice president of Hyundai Motor's N Brand Management Group, speaks at a press conference held in western Seoul on Thursday. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

“The Ioniq 5 N will be a new benchmark in the high-performance EV market,” said Park.

During a press conference held in western Seoul Thursday, Hyundai highlighted the Ioniq 5 N’s driving performance both on city roads and tracks.

In a video footage released that day, the Ioniq 5 N ran two laps on the Nurburgring in Germany, going as fast as 260 kilometers (162 miles) per hour. The battery temperature, which stood at 18 degrees Celsius (64 degrees Fahrenheit) in the beginning, rose to 33 degrees after the first lap, and to 46 degrees after the final lap. The charging level was at 43 percent after two laps, from the initial 97.5 percent.

One of the technological factors that enabled the 2,200-kilogram (4,850-pound) Ioniq 5 N hatchback to perform cornering on the racetracks was its braking capabilities, named the N Brake Regen.

The regenerative braking system provides up to 0.6 g of stopping power, recovering 320 kilowatts of energy. This translates to improved battery conditions in terms of temperature and state of charge.

The N Battery Preconditioning feature also optimizes the battery temperature based on the occasion, regulating the temperature in the 30- to 40-degree level in the drag race mode, and in the 20 to 30-degree level for a longer-distance race.

Designed to bring an exhilarating racing experience, the N e-Shift recreates the sensations of driving a traditional high-performance gasoline car such as shifting of the gears or revving engine sounds.

Equipped with an 84-kilowatt-hour high-nickel battery, Ioniq 5 N can travel 351 kilometers per single charge. It generates up to 609 horsepower and 75.5 kilograms-meter of torque.

Using N Green Boost mode, it reaches a maximum of 650 horsepower, and takes 3.4 seconds to go from zero to 100 kilometers per hour.

The Ioniq 5 N made its global debut in July, and was released in the market on Sept. 4.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]