How to Fit 650 Horsepower in a €78,000 SUV?

Hyundai didn’t really make things easier for itself when developing a sporty electric vehicle based on its IONIQ 5.

A successful sports car, as claimed by the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, is a recipe where every ingredient must be measured with a three-star chef’s precision. A profile guided by aerodynamic laws, firm yet responsive suspensions, and above all, an impeccable power delivery! For Hyundai engineers, this meant integrating the three main pillars of the N badge, the Korean automaker’s performance division, into the IONIQ 5: “cornering agility,” “everyday sports car qualities,” and “track capabilities.”

Hyundai had to first overcome the main disadvantages of electric vehicles, which are their weight and size. How? By increasing the rigidity of the vehicle. To achieve this, they added 42 extra welding points, increased the length of structural adhesives by 2.1 meters, and reinforced the steering column to strengthen the main body joints.

Who says rigidity, says lack of flexibility. Pardon the obviousness. The electronic control suspension (ECS) has been optimized to intelligently adapt damping force to driving conditions. On the highway, ECS ensures greater suspension flexibility for maximum comfort. However, it firms up as soon as it detects more demanding driving conditions.

SUV and sporty

Finally, to enable the IONIQ 5 N to provide track capabilities meeting the N badge’s standards, Hyundai engineers had to make it faster, more powerful, and more radical. They started by optimizing the 84 kWh battery of the base model to deliver high-level performance. However, unlike its standard counterpart, the IONIQ 5 N benefits from high-performance electric motors at both front and rear, operating at an impressive speed of 21,000 rpm. The IONIQ 5 N delivers 650 horsepower with the N Grin Boost activated, allowing it to go from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds and reach a top speed of 260 km/h. Not bad for a family car!

But in the end, does all this work well together? Completing its lap in 7’45’’59, the IONIQ 5 N has become Hyundai’s fastest model ever on the Nordschleife circuit. A record that speaks for itself.