The Hyundai Ioniq 5 will also have its sporty version. Inheriting the Label N, much appreciated by rally enthusiasts or on the compact i20 N, the Ioniq 5 N will be presented at the Goodwood festival in July 2023. In the meantime, the manufacturer has provided some data.
Technical cousin of the Kia EV6 GT, the future Ioniq 5 N is based on the international electric modular platform E-GMP. If the Ioniq 5 N also receives two electric motors (one on each axle), it should develop just over 600 hp against 585 hp for the Kia EV6 GT. In addition to all-wheel drive, the Ioniq 5 N sees its chassis optimized with an N Drift Optimizer function, which integrates the distribution of torque between the front and rear axles, the level of torque, the rigidity of the suspensions, the steering torque and the differential. Electronic Limited-Slip (e-LSD) to create a dedicated drift driving mode.
The N Torque Distribution system allows the driver to choose the level of torque to be transferred to the front and rear wheels.
As for the e-LSD limited-slip differential, it monitors data from wheel sensors to determine exactly when a particular wheel needs more torque to improve overall vehicle grip. The behavior of the vehicle is thus supposed to be improved when cornering at high speed on the circuit, but also in adverse driving conditions, such as on icy or heavily snow-covered roads. The manufacturer has also recently communicated on tests of its sports car on the icy roads of Sweden.
However, it is in the middle of Seoul and on a dry track that the Ioniq 5 N makes its appearance again. In the video, the bodybuilt electric compact SUV remains hidden under camouflage and does not yet reveal the features of its aerodynamic appendages. Once the traffic light turns green, we see him hurtling in a straight line through the deserted streets of the city with the din of a spaceship; after a few seconds, the Ioniq 5 is transposed onto the circuit, where it seems to gratify its driver with a nice slide of the rear axle.
Most surprising, however, is the virtual sound of the engine. The soundtrack increases during acceleration, reproduces crackles and explosions when the driver releases the accelerator, and seems to mimic the characteristic click of exhausts during downshifts. However, these do not seem to be connected to a real gearbox, but to a Virtual Grin Shift virtual interface which behaves like a double-clutch automatic gearbox, unfortunately without the resulting variations in acceleration. The effect could therefore have an annoying side to video games in the long run, or could on the contrary give a little soul to electric sports driving… A next test will allow us to find out more!