For a while, Hyundai has been adding “N” variants to their range, recognising a segment of car owners who love driving. Hyundai explains the “N got developed to deliver thrilling cornering abilities coupled with everyday sports car drivability.” 

Previous N cars have been spectacularly good as performance sports cars but could be uncompromisingly firm for a daily driver. At DriveLife, we are familiar with Hyundai’s N cars, completing reviews of the I20 N and the I30 N and from a day at the Hampton Downs track with a range of the N cars. As for the IONIQ 5 models, we have previously reviewed the IONIQ 5 Limited and the Elite.

The IONIQ 5 N is the latest from the same N stable and is the first N model to be a 100% EV. EVs naturally tend to be great at acceleration, especially from a standstill, and we have come to expect this. However, the IONIQ 5 N is described as so much more, a “Q-car” if you will, that is at home on a race track as it is on the daily commute.

We spent a week and some 400km to learn how well it delivers on the promises of “N”. 

What We Like and Dislike About The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N 

What we likeWhat we don’t like
Performance
Driving dynamics/handling
Technology
Design
Ride quality
High-quality interior
Cabin space
Minimal cabin noise
Has a rear wiper
Feels like a lot of money for an IONIQ 5
No electric seat adjustment at this price
Energy consumption

What’s In The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Range?

There are five models of the IONIQ 5 on sale in NZ. 

  • IONIQ 5 58 kWh 2WD $79,990, range 384km
  • IONIQ 5 72.6 kWh 2WD $89,990, range 481km
  • IONIQ 5 72.6 kWh AWD $97,990, range 460km
  • IONIQ 5 77.4kWh AWD $117,990, range 454km
  • IONIQ 5 N 84.0 kWh AWD $134,990, range 448km

The IONIQ 5 models are either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and have a selection of battery sizes. In general, the more you spend, the more performance you get. And even with larger batteries, performance can have an impact on range. The 5 N has all the functionality of the normal 5’s but with N performance added.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Colour Range

  • Gravity Gold Matte
  • Atlas White
  • Ecotronic Grey
  • Shooting Star Matte
  • Abyss Black
  • Cyber Grey
  • Lucid Blue
  • Digital Teal Green

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N Colour Range
(Hyundai UK market colour options, not yet confirmed for NZ)

  • Performance Blue Matte (as tested)
  • Performance Blue 
  • Atlas White Matte
  • Atlas White
  • Ecotronic Grey
  • Abyss Black
  • Cyber Grey
  • Soultronic Orange
  • Gravity Gold Matte

Our Review Vehicle’s Optional Equipment

  • Glass vision roof with electric blind $2,000

Including the optional equipment our review car’s retail price is $136,990.

For a full list of specs and options available for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, head on over to Hyundai New Zealand’s website

How Does The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N Compare To Its Competition?

There are a number of performance-oriented EVs but few with this much dedication to getting the “track-day” competence so dialled in. 

The features of the 5 N are extensive and have been detailed comprehensively in an earlier DrifeLife post, so to avoid duplication head on over to this for the features list for the IONIQ 5 N

Make/ ModelBattery
Capacity
kW-hr
Power/
Torque
kW/Nm
0-100km/h
seconds
Range
(WLTP),
km
Boot
Space,
litres
Price
Hyundai IONIQ 5 N84478/7703.4448480/1,540$134,990
Kia EV6 GT77.4430/7403.5424480/1,260$129,990
Polestar 2 Long Range Dual Motor with performance pack78350/7404.2591407/1,097
Frunk 35
$119,990
Ford Mustang Mach-E GT98.7358/8603.7490519/1,420
Frunk 100
$116,990
Tesla Model Y Performance81336/6393.7514854, 2,041
Frunk 117
$86,900
MG4 X Power64320/6003.8400363/1,165$64,990

Please note that DriveLife does its best to ensure the information above is correct at the time of publication, however, prices, specifications and models can change over time. Please bear that in mind when comparing models in the comparison table.

First Impressions Of The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N

The IONIQ 5 N is a mid-size SUV, almost disguised as a 5-door hatchback. The matte blue paint colour is strikingly different in a good way, highlighting the sharp profile lines of the car’s bodywork, and contrasting with the gloss black of the bumpers and side skirts. 

The car is hunkered down with wheel arch extensions just covering the wide 275/35 21” Pirelli P Zero tyres. The aero pack includes spoilers front and rear, real vents, and a large rear diffuser, all finished off with luminous orange accents. It announces that this is one special car. 

The car’s overall appearance is stunningly modern, and somewhat conservative all at the same time. The profile and proportions give the 5 N a performance Audi-like stance – a good thing in my book, announcing its purpose albeit in a somewhat restrained way. 

Seeing the car in the flesh, it is one exciting package, I couldn’t wait to sample it for myself. 

What’s The Interior Like In The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N?

The interior in a lot of ways is more restrained than the outside. It is predominantly dark greys, a mix of soft-touch materials, and hard plastics used where it is not a touchpoint. It is beautifully made with high-quality materials and while it is dark, it achieves its aim of prioritising your focus on those features required for driving; the steering wheel, controls, and dashboard screens – no other distractions. 

The driver and front passenger sit in sports bucket seats. These are a mix of fine patterned Alcantara on the seat base and back, with leather side bolsters detailed with fine blue stitching. In the upper back are two holes for race harness straps and between these, a cool illuminated “N” that lights every time you get in. Surprisingly, the seats only have manual adjustment – I expect this is to reduce weight. 

The front seats are both heated and cooled, and there is also a heated steering wheel. The driver’s seat and steering wheel temperature settings can be linked to the climate control settings through a setting within the infotainment system. 

The rear seat has ample capacity for three adults with the two outer seats having the same Alcantara inserts for their base and back. The seat is 60/40 split and the back can be locked into a couple of angle settings. Air vents for the rear passengers are located in the rear of the B-pillars.

The leather-rimmed steering wheel with contrasting blue stitching has a large “N” logo on the centre pad. The wheel is a busy place, loaded with functions and quick keys. There are the usual functions on the wheel spokes for cruise and phone/audio system controls, and behind these are paddle shifters. Below the spokes are two N custom buttons (round and satellite-like), reminiscent of those on an AMG wheel. On the top of the wheel spokes are two wedge-shaped buttons, a pale blue Drive Mode button on one side and a red NGR button on the other. Behind the wheel are the regular stalks for wipers and indicators/lights, and a third stalk for the transmission (Drive/Reverse/Park) selection. 

The driver’s instrument cluster display, a 12.3” configurable screen runs into an identically sized infotainment touch screen. The dash configurations can include temperatures of both front and rear motors, the battery temperature, quick summaries of the current response settings for the motors, steering, and suspension, Lap timers, g-force – and so many more.

The Infotainment system has layer upon layer of options. There are all the regular ones, including native navigation, media, and phone controls. And then there are menus of menus related to configurable performance settings. 

The car also has a heads-up display complete with navigation instructions from either the native navigation system or your phone via Android Auto/Apple Car Play. 

In the centre of the car is a row of buttons that are effectively quick-keys into the infotainment system, including two rotary knobs for the audio, Volume/on/off, and Tune. Beneath this is an illuminated touch screen for the air conditioning system. These tick the box for me, so much easier if you do not have to navigate into the infotainment system.

The audio is an excellent Bose sound system, complete with a Bose made-for-Hyundai module in the rear sub-floor boot area.   

The centre console is one of the best. The front section is tall and has padded sides. In the top of this is a single Qi charger and two USB-C ports, one of which can be switched between data or just charging. The Qi charger pad proved adequately grippy, not once despite my best driving efforts, did my phone stray from where I’d placed it. 

In the rear of this is one more USB-C and a 12-volt power socket. Behind this and set lower, essentially between the front seats, two cup holders that can transform into a generous open-top storage – easily large enough for two 2-litre milk bottles. Behind this is a padded armrest with further storage within. For the rear seat passengers, the rear of the centre console has a further two USB-C ports. In addition, an interior Vehicle-To-Load (V2L) 250-volt 16A power outlet, complete with a (child-safe) lockable sliding cover, is located under the front edge of the rear seat. Handy.

Adding to the storage options, all doors have pockets sufficient for full-sized drink bottles. A further thoughtful touch for those in the back is the integration of retracting mesh blinds into each rear door. 

The electric tailgate provides access to a generously sized boot with a comfortable load height. Beneath the floor of the boot is the tyre repair kit and a Hyundai First Aid Kit. There is some useful storage under the floor alongside these items. Within the boot itself is a further 12-volt power socket.

Elements of the “chequered flag” pattern are repeated throughout the car. Some of the locations include a blue-coloured band on each of the door armrests, the driving pedals, moulded into the plastic of the centre console in a few places, and on the outside, the rear reflector lights. 

Our car had an optional glass vision roof with an electric blind. While the glass roof does not open, It is very effective in bringing lightness into the cabin. The electric blind is a well-considered two-part affair, closing simultaneously from the front and back meeting in the centre. Closing this way enables it to shield passengers without the need to be fully closed. 

Common with Hyundais of late, the button layout on the key fob is shaped around the Hyundai stylised H logo – a nice touch. On the side of the fob are buttons to move the car into or out of a tight car park spot, and one for opening the boot. 

What’s The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N Like To Drive?

Prior to picking the car up, and having looked at a few videos of the 5 N on race tracks, I was somewhat intimidated by its potential – a road-going race car with a sideshow of wheel-spinning driftability.

As you approach the car with the key fob, the flush door handles pivot open on their front end. The bucket seats that look on the basic side are firm to sit on but are both very comfortable and supportive. The latter was somewhat surprising given they are neither rock hard, nor super large, so they are never an obstacle when getting in and out – simply very easy to live with.

I spent a few minutes familiarising myself with all the functions available through the steering wheel. Many of these are simply logical following largely accepted norms. The additional ones – while new – took no time at all for these to become second nature. 

Driving away from the dealership, all of my concerns vanished. In normal modes it is as easy to drive as any regular car and in no way is it intimidating. Navigating shopping centre car parks is a breeze. It has a brilliantly clear 360-degree camera set-up, further enhancing the otherwise great all-round visibility. 

In the Eco and Normal mode settings, the suspension is only slightly on the firm side of comfortable, soaking up the road irregularities that are now commonplace. It drives and handles no differently from any other competent car, with no apparent compromises to the ride quality, and passenger comfort. This is all the more impressive given the 21” wheels fitted with 275/35 low-profile Pirelli P-zero tyres. In these modes, it is no slouch, with satisfyingly quick acceleration, delivering great grip and handling from those tyres and the all-wheel drive setup.

For everyday bursts of fun driving you can pre-programme the two “N custom” buttons on the steering wheel. For these, you can set responsiveness levels for:

  • Motor Eco/Normal/Sport/Sport+
  • Steering Normal/Sport/Sport+
  • Suspension Normal/Sport/Sport+
  • s-LSD Normal/Sport/Sport+
  • ESP Normal/Sport/Sport+

Also, there are three options for “N Active Sound+” which provide alternative engineered soundtracks for the otherwise quiet electric motors. The three options are: 

  • Ignition “Ignite your driving passion with interactive ICE N RPM simulation” (more on this later)
  • Evolution “Experience the evolutionary future sound of electric N”
  • Supersonic “Accelerate to supersonic speeds with the powerful thrust sound inspired by fighter jets”

While the above might be more related to on-road driving, a vast array of further menus allow you to modify all manner of system settings for the car specifically for race track use. Some of these enable you to modify what are otherwise automated systems with a pre-set bias for on-road driving. 

For example, you can adjust the N Torque distribution to customise the power to the front and to the rear wheels. In another, N Battery Preconditioning is used to ensure the battery temperature is optimised for the type of driving, track use and drag racing have different settings. 

Included within the same area of the infotainment system are maps for many of the world’s race tracks, including all of the main tracks in New Zealand. Here, you can select the one you are on, to record your performance measures like lap times. 

Before my next outing, I dived into the infotainment menus to choose some pre-sets for the two round “N Custom” buttons. For “N Custom 1”, I set everything to Sport+, and for “N Custom 2”, I would alter the settings, particularly for the steering and suspension, dialling these back to feel the differences each made. These menus are easy to navigate within the infotainment screen, so much so that I would make changes almost daily, depending on how I felt on the day, and other times to account for the weather. To further enhance the experience, within the settings, the interior LED illuminations can be set to match the drive mode selected; green, blue, or red corresponding to Eco, Normal, or Sport. 

The “N Custom 1” settings (Sport+ on everything) I found it great for when passengers didn’t seem impressed enough – they soon were.

The car also has a bit of a party trick. It is called N-sound + which mimics the sound and feel of having an internal combustion engine (ICE) powering the car. I’d heard about this before I collected the car and did a little pre-reading. And I have to say, my self-talk was oh-dear, why? Why not simply leave it as a brilliantly performing EV…..etc. A gimmick if you will. 

The reality is I was right, and also so wrong. As bonkers as the idea sounds, in reality, it is a system that is so complete and so utterly convincing, that it is difficult to believe it is entirely a computer simulation – I love it. 

What you have is a soundtrack of a synthesised petrol engine, that can rev out to the red line at 8,000 RPM, and if you do not change up quickly enough you will hit the simulated rev-limiter. The up-shifts have that hesitation in the power delivery that happens with changing actual gears, and downshifts can give you the feel of engine braking. On making those downshifts, if you are really going for it, a few pops and bangs are thrown in for good effect too. If you are not paying attention and end up in too high a gear, the car will bog down.  

Technically, when using this mode the car is not as quick as driving with this off, because of those up and downshifts. But for me, it amplified the fun factor. It is so much more involving than your typical high-performance EV car with seamless power delivery. Get it right and you can balance the car on the accelerator “old-school like” needing you to have made the correct gear selection from the simulated gearbox. It rewards like cars of old, and correspondingly you can’t help but have an uncontrolled grin on your face. An N-Grin if you like! 

Speaking of N-Grin, there is a button for that too. A red button on the steering wheel labelled “NGB” for “N Grin Boost” gives you max power for up to 10 seconds. The naming sounds a bit naff, but the reality is, using the button does indeed leave you with a grin on your face. On a track I can see it could give useful extra power out of a corner, and on the roads, it simply returns that “N-grin” to your face. Hyundai advertises that using NGB delivers a 0 – 100kph time of 3.4s, improving on the regular 3.5s. While it may not sound much, you can feel the added power and urgency.

To handle the extra performance over regular IONIQs, Hyundai states they have increased the stiffness with additional structural bracing and welding. While I didn’t set out to test this, not once were there any shakes, rattles, or squeaks from any body flex or poor assembly – all I can say is what they have done is very effective.

It is such a Jekyll and Hyde car. To be fair, its appearance does announce this is a special car, but it is not as outrageous as its performance capabilities. In the time it takes to press a button, the car’s performance can be transformed so completely that it is hard to comprehend. Not only is it that simple, but also it’s so accessible. What’s more, it’s not intimidating to the point you would never select the extreme modes. 

I am fortunate enough to live and work in semi-rural areas with some great twisty hill work and relatively quiet roads. In my commute, I would select the Normal settings for busy and city driving, and N Custom 1 or 2 for some fun in the out-of-town areas and hill roads. On these the ability to accelerate almost defied belief, it drove so confidently and communicated so well, that it wasn’t long before I was comfortable pushing into corners harder than in any other car I have driven. 

For most of my time with the car, I ran it with the motor set to level 4 and the suspension and steering to levels 3 out of 4. The higher level for the suspension is definitely track-focused and more than I needed on our less-than-regular roads. 

As well as all the performance-focused capabilities, for everyday driving it has all the safety and convenience features you expect of a modern car. Adaptive cruise, heads-up display, Android Auto/Apple Car Play integration, an awesome Bose sound system, the full-sized moon roof, and spacious seating for five including luggage. 

I do tend to use adaptive cruise control a lot. This one worked well, with nicely moderated responses. When adjusting the speed, a single press of the + or – would change the set-point by 1 kph, or a longer press would change in 10 kph increments. While the cruise control operates down to a stop, to move off again, you have to touch the accelerator or +/- setting button. Alongside these controls is the option to turn the lane-keep function on or off. 

The LED headlights are great, work well under the auto settings for main and high beams, and come with height adjustment via a wheel on the dashboard. The wipers too have an auto setting that works faultlessly. I liked the pop-up menu that would confirm on the dashboard, which of the wiper settings you’d moved the stalk to. 

There is some muted wind noise at around 100 k/ph, but it is generalised in the cabin, perhaps due to the large glass roof area that may not be as sound insulated as a regular roof. Road noise, in general, is well managed except when travelling on our coarse chip when noise is no more than most other cars, despite the size and profile of the tyres.

For a lot of the time I had the car, it was wet or overcast. Despite this, the AWD and those Pirellis had so much grip not once did it give any hint of letting go, and this too is in part down to its driver – me, I would give up long before it even gave a hint that I’d pushed it in any way close to its limits.

It is such a great all-rounder, that I would use any excuse just to take it out for a spin – like I did with the MX-5, but the difference here is that this is also a perfectly agreeable mid-sized SUV family car. If you could only have one car to do everything, “to rule them all” then the IONIQ 5 N is a very strong contender. It is an engineering tour-de-force, able to deliver both a performance car and a family car in one. No compromises need to be made, with the press of a button, you can have both. 

The car is rated at having a range of 448 kilometres and the claimed energy consumption rate 21.2 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometres. From my experience, this would be rather optimistic. Generally, I was seeing numbers up towards 28-kilowatt hours per 100 kilometres. Over the almost 400km I drove the measured power consumption rate was 27.2 kWh per 100 km (but I wasn’t driving it with the economy in mind!!).

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N – Specifications

Vehicle Type5-door High-Performance Electric SUV
Starting Price$134,990
Price as Tested$136,990
Power, Torque
kW/Nm
Front/Rear motors 166/282Front/Rear motors (with NGB) 175/303Max.
Everyday 448/740Max. (with NGB) 478/770
Spare WheelNone
Kerb Weight, Kg2,230
Length x Width x Height
mm
4,715 x 1,940 x 1,585
Boot Space / Cargo Capacity,
Litres
(seats up/seats down)
480/1,540
Energy Economy,
kWh/100km
Advertised Spec – Combined – 21.2
Real-World Test – Combined – 27.2
Low Usage: 6-10 / Medium Usage 11-19 / High Usage 19+
Towing Capacity
Kg, unbraked/braked
Not rated
Turning circle
metres
12.42
Small: 6-10m / Medium 10-12m / Large 12m+
WarrantyHyundai NZ have not specified the warranty for the 5 N, the following is for the IONIQ 5 series of EVs.
10 year / 200,000 km anti-perforation corrosion body warranty
3 year / 100,000 km mechanical warranty
3 year / 100,000 km roadside assistance package
8 year / 160,000 km high voltage battery warranty
Safety informationANCAP Rating – 5 stars IONIQ 5 (excluding IONIQ 5 N)
Rightcar.govt.nz – 5 Stars – QLP768 

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REVIEW OVERVIEW
Driver Technology
9
Economy
6
Handling
9
Infotainment
8
Interior
8
Performance
10
Ride
9
Safety
8
Styling
8
Value
7
Previous article2024 Mitsubishi Triton VRX | Car Review
Next article2024 VW Tiguan – Launch
2024-hyundai-ioniq-5-n-electric-car-reviewIf ever there is a 100% EV car to persuade a dyed-in-the-wool fossil-fuelled-followers that there can be a life worth living after, then the IONIQ 5 N could well be the one. While it sounds such a gimmick to use computer wizardry to imitate a high-revving petrol-engined car with a manual gearbox, it is SO good, and SO convincing, you quickly accept and respond to what the car is telling you. <br><br> And the satisfaction/entertainment is absolute and real. In practical terms, it is a computer-programmed “engineered experience”. It’s a real-life driving simulator, one with real-world g-forces felt through the seat of your pants, and one with the potential for real-life consequences too.  <br><br> It is a master of almost every scenario you could imagine - shopping runs, twisty fun, a track day special, and a family SUV car, all at the touch of a button. The marvel of man and machine continues.  <br><br> As an insight into the future, it's encouraging, in the here and now it's possibly the best all-rounder EV on the market.

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