Hyundai IONIQ 5 N 2024 Review

Pricing for the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N starts from $111,000 plus on-road costs, which comfortably makes it the most expensive Hyundai model to date and rules it out of contention for the various state and federal government EV incentives.

The asking price will likely be a sticking point for a lot of people unwilling to pay six figures for a Hyundai – not least because every established Genesis model (base variant) starts from under the $100K ceiling – but it’s important to note that no Genesis car currently available offers this much power, performance or track-oriented hardware.

Things get more complicated when you consider the 430kW Kia EV6 GT retails for $99,590 plus ORCs, while the 393kW Tesla Model Y Performance is available from $91,400 and the 358kW Ford Mustang Mach-E GT from $104,990.

That said, the 478kW IONIQ 5 N outmuscles and out-techs all these rivals and thereby justifies its higher asking price.

As the portfolio flagship, it’s no surprise the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N comes as standard with just about every feature you could reasonably expect a Hyundai to come with.

The driver and front passenger sit in heated and ventilated N Light bucket seats upholstered in leather and Alcantara with manual adjustment, the former in front of a 12.3-inch digital cockpit and presented with a perforated leather N-spec steering wheel.

LED lighting features both throughout the cabin and exterior, with the whole package rolling on vast 21-inch alloys and sporting three-way-adjustable dampers in all four corners.

Other kit highlights include a powered tailgate, retractable door handles, dual-zone climate control, sport pedals and headliner, fixed and padded centre console, paddle shifters, iPedal drive and vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality.

There are only two factory options for customers to choose from: a fixed glass ‘vision’ roof ($2000) and matte paint ($1000).

On the subject of paint, there are seven colours to choose from – Performance Blue, Cyber Grey, Soultronic Orange, Atlas White, Abyss Black, Ecotronic Grey and Gravity Gold – all in a gloss finish save for Gravity Gold, which is exclusively offered as one of four matte finishes alongside Performance Blue, Atlas White and Ecotronic Grey.

The IONIQ 5 N is backed by Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty covering non-competitive track use while the battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km – whichever comes first.

Service intervals are pegged at 24 months/30,000km, with the first three (totalling six years) capped at $625 each.

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is yet to be tested by ANCAP or Euro NCAP, but all other IONIQ 5 models carry a maximum five-star rating based on their assessment in 2021.

The N comes with the latest iteration of the Hyundai SmartSense safety suite that includes blind spot collision avoidance assist, blind spot view monitor, driver attention warning, forward collision avoidance assist, high beam assist, highway driving assist, intelligent speed limit assist, lane following assist and lane keeping assist.

There’s also navigation-based smart cruise control, parking collision avoidance assist, remote smart parking assist, rear cross traffic collision avoidance assist, rear occupant alert, safe exit assist, a surround-view monitor and tyre pressure monitoring.

This advanced active safety tech is backed by an anti-lock braking system, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, brake disc cleaning function, traction and stability control, hill start assist, emergency stop signal, manual speed limit assist, multi-collision avoidance braking and impact-sensing door unlock.

Six airbags are also on board.

Like most high-end performance EVs, the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N has an armada of convenience and performance-enhancing tech on hand.

Infotainment duties are handled by a 12.3-inch interface paired to the cockpit’s 12.3-inch instrument display in the now-familiar Hyundai Group panoramic arrangement, aided by wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto and featuring native satellite navigation, Bluetooth, DAB+ digital radio, Quiet Mode, live traffic updates and much more.

The system plays through an eight-speaker Bose sound system and also provides access to acres of configurable N Performance functions, including the multi-mode battery pre-conditioning system detailed below.

Wireless phone charging is also on offer, as is the first production application of N e-shift and N Active Sound+.

The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is powered by a dual-motor battery-electric drivetrain outputting up to 478kW/770Nm via the N Grin Boost (NGB) function.

These immense numbers combine with all-wheel drive and launch control to dispatch 0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds, 80-120km/h in 1.8sec, and will see the supercar-poacher push on to a 260km/h top speed.

Stay away from the (literal) big red button and the motors still churn out a combined 448kW/740Nm – enough for 0-100km/h in 3.5sec and an 11.7sec quarter-mile dash.

The motors are sustained by an N-exclusive 84kWh battery pack, the base unit of which will soon be applied to the rest of the IONIQ 5 portfolio, replacing the current 77.4kWh pack.

Unique to the N is a groundbreaking battery pre-conditioning system which allows drivers to ready the drivetrain for different sorts of track work – Drag or Track – which is then supported by the Sprint and Endurance N Race modes that optimise the powertrain’s energy usage and balance the power output against the driving range.

Sprint dedicates more energy and power towards outright performance while Endurance nobbles the power delivery in order to maximise range and extend the session.

Stay away from the track and drive the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N sparingly and its creators say you should be able to get up to 450km from a single charge – significantly more than the EV6 GT’s 424km claimed range owing to the N’s bigger battery capacity.

Based on Hyundai Motor Group’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the IONIQ 5 N can handle DC fast-charging up to 350kW, replenishing the battery from 10-80 per cent in a claimed 18 minutes.

The catch is 350kW chargers are a rarity in Australia right now, which is why Hyundai also quotes a 70min 10-80 per cent charge time for a 50kW DC charger.

Hyundai, Kia and Genesis are yet to produce a bad or even vaguely average E-GMP-based EV, which immediately bodes well for the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, and it doesn’t take long behind the wheel to work out the hottest model of them all is a good thing.

Hyundai N has long said the IONIQ 5 N would be set apart from the Kia EV6 GT by its track capability, which seemingly set the scene for the first electrified N car to emerge as a hardened performance rig – and we’re delighted to say it turned out to be so much more than that.

Leave everything in the default ‘normal’ settings and the N potters about comfortably and almost silently, just like a standard IONIQ 5 does, with surprisingly soft damping for something developed with such a keen focus on track work.

The 21-inch forged alloy wheels and low-profile Pirelli P Zero tyres inevitably add a firm edge over more abrupt surface changes and irregularities, but to our backsides at least, the IONIQ 5 N would be in with a shout of being the most comfortable N car to date. And it’s definitely plusher than the EV6 GT.

This surprising comfort combines with the effortless powertrain to yield an impressive long-distance cruiser and commuter, so much so you almost forget about the sheer level of performance on offer.

Sport mode is the go-to for spirited road driving and strikes a nice balance between composure and agility whereas Sport+ should be saved only for the track as bumps crash and thud through the cabin and threaten to unsettle the front-end mid-corner.

On winding country roads, the IONIQ 5 N can feel big from time to time when hustling and its 2230kg mass can be caught out by mid-corner camber changes. This isn’t a vehicle that feels light on its feet.

But for the most part it acquits itself as a formidable point-to-point performance car with plenty of grip and masses of overtaking power.

Aiding it in the wild but less so on the track is the 142mm of ground clearance, which ensures you don’t need to wince at every half-decent bump or piece of road debris.

That crossover ride height and lardy kerb weight can betray the IONIQ 5 N on the track, however, especially in faster corners and misjudged entries… even with the dampers in Sport+.

Unlike the i20 N, which is all about raw corner speed, the IONIQ 5 N prefers a slow in, fast out approach and is more than happy to step sideways and wag its tail if you’re too keen on the throttle or indecisive with your line choice.

Thankfully, the chassis is as communicative on-track as it is on the road, which means it’s relatively easy to gather things up again or ride out the slide – a good thing too, as the electronic power steering doesn’t offer much in the way of feel in any of its three settings.

This adjustability under power translates to the road as well, especially in the wet, but you’d want to make sure you pick your moment as it wouldn’t take much to run out of room with a car this wide.

Those after big angles on-track will no doubt love the N Torque Distribution, which allows drivers to split the torque between the front and rear axles in 10 per cent increments between near-enough full front-drive and full rear-drive.

Opt for the former in conjunction with the N Active Sound and N e-shift functions and the IONIQ 5 N does a reasonable impression of an i30 DCT as the front scrabbles for traction on the exit of turns and tracks almost relentlessly in towards the apex – lift-off oversteer included.

The default setting is an even 50:50 split, which provides absolute traction and maximum grip in a very Subaru-like manner, but full rear-drive will have old-school performance fans smiling for days as the rear tyres are turned to smoke in just a couple of corners.

N Active Sound and N e-shift systems are two of the most controversial features of the IONIQ 5 N with purists labelling them gimmicks whereas others champion the concepts and praise their development in the name of driver involvement.

We find ourselves siding with the fans because the N e-shift function in particular not only enhances the driving experience and adds entertainment value, but also provides a new degree of control and can act as a safety net against the monstrous powertrain by altering the power delivery in accordance with the virtual gear and ‘revs’.

Short shift up and the power drops like it would in an internal combustion vehicle; neglect an up-change and you’re bouncing off a virtual rev-limiter and have stopped accelerating.

It’s all clever stuff and works a treat in tandem with the synthesised soundtrack, but the real masterstrokes are the imitation gear changes that shove you in the back like a proper dual-clutch, and making the whole thing selectable; those who dislike it don’t have to activate it and vice versa.

We love this switchability because there are times when the system is an absolute hoot, like on a technical backroad, and other times when it’s irritating or unnecessary, like in heavy traffic or cruising on the freeway.

It may be marketed as a crossover and officially classed as a mid-size SUV, but the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is very much a road car and should be driven as such.

It has the ground clearance to handle gravel roads and the odd farm track, but the track-honed suspension and 21-inch wheel and tyre combination make it unwise to consider tackling much more as you’d quickly run out of suspension travel and grip, not to mention risk damaging the machine-faced alloys.

Anyone familiar with the current crop of N cars and/or the regular IONIQ 5 range will feel at home in the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N as it features the latter’s general cabin layout but garnishes it with a heap of go-faster N bits.

The usually light and airy colourway is replaced by a dark grey and black arrangement, the standard seats have been ditched in favour of the N Light buckets offered in the i30 N Premium and the once sliding centre console is now fixed and fitted with knee pads.

Other changes include a chunky N-exclusive steering wheel and all-new graphics and functions for the dual 12.3-inch screens sitting atop the dash.

Fit and finish is on par with Hyundai’s usually high standards, however the haptic climate control looks a bit low-rent in its presentation, and if you look hard enough you’ll find some scratchy plastics.

That’s arguably par for the course given the amount of performance and technology on offer at a price point that’s considerably lower than benchmark sports EVs such as the Porsche Taycan GTS.

Boot space and rear seat accommodation are both as good as in the standard IONIQ 5, which is to say excellent.

The short answer to this question is maybe… If you’re in the market for very fast, fun and surprisingly versatile performance EV that’s more than happy to head to the track every so often, then yes, you should buy the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N.

It’s immensely fast cross country thanks to its ride height and polished chassis, and just so happens to be one of the most engaging and fun-to-drive EVs on the market, especially this side of $200,000.

If, however, you’re after a true electric track monster capable of taking the dynamic fight up to the high-end Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT, we’d recommend holding off until the IONIQ 6 N comes out given Hyundai N has already promised more of everything (besides ground clearance) from the follow-up act.

Until then, the IONIQ 5 N offers an incredible performance/dollar ratio and sets a new benchmark for sheer EV driver involvement.

2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N at a glance:
Price: $111,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Two permanent magnet synchronous motors
Output: 478kW/770Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 84kWh lithium-ion
Range: 450km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 21.2kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested