Hot Hyundai IONIQ 5 N for Oz in 2023

Hyundai N has confirmed its first-ever high-performance electric car is on the way, announcing it will launch the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N in 2023.

Set to arrive in Australia the same year, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N has already been officially confirmed for our market. Exact local release timing is yet to be finalised, but it's thought the fast battery-electric SUV should be here towards the end of next year.

When it has lands, pricing is tipped to start at around $100,000, making it a direct competitor to the closely-related 2023 Kia EV6 GT, which is set to be introduced in Australia late this year.

No pictures or any official information have yet been released by Hyundai N, but the comparisons with the supercar-slaying Kia are set to continue.

Like the IONIQ 6-inspired RN22e concept, the IONIQ 5 N is expected to share the same 430kW/740Nm dual-motor set-up that not only provides for all-wheel drive, but should ensure a 0-100km/h acceleration time of around 3.5 seconds and a 260km/h top speed.

Those figures are a huge step up from the current IONIQ 5 flagship, which produces 225kW/305Nm and can sprint to 100km/h in 5.2sec.

Despite the levels of performance on tap, the IONIQ 5 N is still thought to be capable of covering more than 400km between top-ups thanks to its 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery.

Without pictures it's difficult to predict how much of the all-electric Hyundai SUV's body will change, but expect some of the IONIQ 6 N concept's radical aero to be adapted to the IONIQ 5 N.

That should mean a lower ride height, bigger wheels and a sporty body kit comprising a rear tailgate spoiler that adds downforce without increasing drag.

Some of the IONIQ 5 N's biggest innovations will involve adapting the chassis to cope with the big step up in performance.

Chassis upgrades should include big 400mm front brake rotors with four-piston monoblock calipers lifted off the IONIQ 6 N concept, and the fast electric SUV might also come with a virtual all-wheel drive system that can redistribute torque depending on driving modes. This could see, in some settings, up to 80 per cent of all torque deployed to the rear wheels.

Other novel tech introduced by the RN22e concept is the use of regeneration technology as a weapon on track to boost agility and turn-in.

It's not known if the twin-clutch differential will make it to the production IONIQ 5 N; it may instead be reserved for the IONIQ 6 N. The clever rear diff is capable of far greater torque vectoring than current systems that use the brakes and could even provide the battery-powered SUV with a drift mode.

Featuring an 800-volt electrical architecture, Hyundai's latest all-electric N model will continue to be one of the fastest charging vehicles on the market as it's capable of 350kW fast-charging, providing a 10-80 per cent battery charge in little more than 18 minutes.

When the faster N model lands it's thought that demand will continue to outstrip supply, as per regular IONIQ 5 vehicles.

Stay tuned as Hyundai N is expected to begin officially teasing the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N in the coming months.