Well done Hyundai, you’ve done it… now give us what we want!

COMMENT

Car buffs have been discussing, debating and fighting about EVs for years now, and the exchanges are only getting more intense as more and more models come to market.

One thing most car nuts agree on, however, is that there are very few (some would say none) truly engaging or rewarding EVs to drive on a daily basis, let alone any comparable to an internal combustion driver’s car.

Make no mistake, there are plenty of very good EVs available, and not everyone is after a car aimed at enthusiasts or keen drivers, but there is a rampant scarcity of electric vehicles that offer the same level of fun or engagement as traditional performance cars, especially at a palatable price point.

Porsche, Audi, Lotus and Rimac have all given it a red-hot go, but these vehicles cost well over six figures while other more budget-friendly options like the Abarth 500e, MG4 XPower and Tesla Model 3 Performance have all been found lacking in one way or another.

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is perhaps the best example of the breed so far and has largely set the tone for all future high-performance EVs… but even that costs more than $110,000 and in all reality, is too powerful and fast to enjoy safely or legally on the public road.

Yes, Hyundai offers a five-year warranty for non-competitive track use and yes, the IONIQ 5 N has been designed to enjoy on the track, but the $35K Hyundai i20 N is rolling proof you don’t need a monster power figure to enjoy some quality track time.

The trickle-down approach is hardly a new concept and has long been the basis of human progression; the latest and greatest tech, materials or processes all start out costing an arm and a leg but eventually become commonplace and the accepted norm.

That said, did the IONIQ 5 N really have to be quite so extreme?

It’s loaded with cool kit like an eight-speed virtual transmission, easily the best active sound-design we’ve experienced thus far, variable torque distribution, drift optimiser, elaborate battery conditioning system and hundreds of combinations for the powertrain and controls.

But did it really need 478kW/780Nm and a 3.4-second 0-100km/h time?

Hyundai and others would argue so, because it showcases what the brand is capable of and previews what’s to come next from a technology standpoint… but how much cheaper and appealing would it be if it packed say, 330kW and cost $25,000 less?

Don’t think for a moment think this author has it out for the IONIQ 5 N, it’s a true masterpiece and a genuine game-changer for the industry, but I also firmly believe manufacturers need to change their priorities and give the people what they want: more affordable but fun vehicles to drive, electric or otherwise.

Old school hot hatches and performance sedans are dying out, sports cars are getting increasingly expensive and exotic, and most SUVs are too busy being SUVs to be of any interest to car nuts.

If the future of motoring is electrified, then fine.

But manufacturers need to be building vehicles people actually want to buy, vehicles with character and charisma that have tangible (and exciting) differences setting them apart from their peers.

carsales’ social channels are always full of comments and messages from people bagging out the latest EVs, likening them to generic white goods and telling us how they’re no different from the last one we reviewed or reported on… a lot of them are wrong or misguided, but the point still stands – cars need to be interesting and, for enthusiasts, interesting means fun.

Hyundai N technical advisor Albert Biermann, the brains behind the IONIQ 5 N, has sworn to deliver an affordable electric N model before he retires but says there are numerous challenges, chief among which is making a 400-volt architecture track-friendly.

Abarth and Tesla may dispute that notion, but each to their own.

So why not apply the trickledown ethos in a literal sense: if a 400-volt architecture isn’t ready yet, give us an 800-volt architecture but halve the outputs and/or motor-count, something that would increase the driving range (tick) while reducing production costs (double tick) and still deliver an engaging drive (tick).

Something like 240kW/400Nm is still more than enough to enjoy, especially on the public road.

Weight concerns? Downsize the body and the battery and offset the reduced capacity with the more efficient motors to retain a useable driving range (tick).

Throw in a virtual transmission, nice active sound design and maybe a battery-conditioning system for good measure and Hyundai – or any other brand – would surely have a hit on its hands that didn’t cost the same as a Euro hyper hatch or lightly-used LandCruiser 70 Series (massive tick).

The beauty of modern hot hatches and the remaining mainstream sport sedans is that they’re relatively affordable to buy, practical, useful and manageable on a day-to-day basis, but also an absolute a hoot to drive when the urge strikes… a combination sorely missing from the EV world right now.

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