Hot Hyundai IONIQ 5 N on the horizon

Hyundai has revealed that it has all-new high-performance N models under development with prototypes already on the road, but they won’t be powered by the same internal combustion engines used today.

Instead, among the next models to come from Hyundai’s N division will be full-electric and even hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicles, most of which will be underpinned by the South Korean car-maker’s latest E-GMP platform.

The all-new 2021 Hyundai IONIQ 5 mid-size SUV is now the prime candidate as the first battery-electric N model, while a supercar remains high on the agenda – as it has since the N sub-brand was launched in 2015 with the N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo concept.

“One of Hyundai’s top priorities is electrification,” said Hyundai N chief global marketing officer Thomas Schemera at the unveiling of the 2021 Hyundai Kona N.

“Hyundai’s clear ambition is to provide enthusiasts with sustainable driving fun.”

Described as “tremendously flexible” with “a lot of potential”, the E-GMP modular skateboard platform is shared with sister brand Kia and currently underpins just two models – IONIQ 5 and the related Kia EV6.

Both the IONIQ 5 and the EV6 are due on sale in Australia during the second half of 2021, and both brands have promised a host of other all-new battery-electric models based on the new architecture – 11 from Hyundai and seven from Kia by 2027.

“If you add one and one, there’s something in the pipeline, not too far down the road, but there’s something coming up and maybe it rings a bell if you think about our E-GMP – our electric global modular platform – this shows a lot of potential and a lot of flexibility,” said Schemera.

“So, stay tuned … something is in the pipeline.”

The IONIQ 5 SUV is set to be offered with two battery pack options – 58kWh or 72.6kWh – and two electric motor layouts – rear or front/rear, the latter providing all-wheel drive.

Output from the most powerful dual-motor IONIQ 5 is 225kW and 305Nm of torque, which should make the mid-size electric SUV good for a sprint to 100km/h in just 5.2 seconds.

Hyundai N head of global R&D, Albert Biermann, also wouldn’t rule out an N-badged FCEV that could hand the Korean brand a hydrogen-powered supercar based on tech from the just-launched Hyundai NEXO.

“We’re working on a rolling lab project, where we have a high-power battery powertrain combined with fuel-cell,” said Biermann.

“And in this set-up, the fuel-cell adds to the power, but also to the range of the vehicle.”

If it goes that way, Biermann says the fuel-cell won’t be the key power source, but will act like a range-extender application.

While the N brand says it’s capable of producing larger high-performance models, including models based on the Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe and Palisade, the car-maker says it’s choosing to focus on market demand instead, which means smaller and more “eco-friendly” vehicles for the time being.

“Time flies and we have to come up with more eco-friendly vehicles in the future, talking about electrification and utilising fuel-cell as a range-extender concept,” said Schemera. 

“We can think about a high-performance version in that [Tucson or Palisade] segment, but definitely I would say not ICE-based – this will be based on battery and fuel-cell.

“Our continuously growing and more balanced N portfolio will open new high-performance options, delivering the ‘grin factor’ no matter what the propulsion technology or body type may be,” he said.