In conjunction with this, there are three different artificial engine sounds. The Ioniq 5 N simulates gears on demand – mimicking a gearchange with a short power interruption, and delivering a fake “rev band” by actually capping power down low. You can never go completely front or rear-wheel drive, but you can have up to 90 per cent of the drive going through either end.įinally, there’s N Grin Shift and the N Orchestra.

Then there’s N Torque Distribution, which allows you to adjust the power distribution between the front and rear axles. So, what about 20 minutes hammering around the Nordschleife? “No problem now,” says Biermann, proudly. To achieve this, the control electronics reduce the peak power available, while the brake energy recuperation system provides extra support when you’re pushing hard on the left pedal.

We start with N Durance mode, which as its name suggests, is designed to deliver greater endurance on the track. The main elements on show to us, however, are the software features that can be accessed via the central 12.25-inch screen (still not approved for photos, alas). The Kia is a GT, they say, whereas, despite weighing over two tonnes, the N is supposed to be suitable for the race track. The team at Hyundai don’t really want to get into too much chat about their in-house rival.

A lot of the car’s technical info is still under wraps, but the Koreans have revealed that it’s all-wheel drive, and has more power than its most obvious relation, the 430kW Kia EV6 GT. We’re some way from the fabled circuit today, though – at an ice track in Arjeplog, Sweden. So the forthcoming Ioniq 5 N will get a full 10,000km of testing on the Nordschleife. And that’s how it should stay, promises development legend Dr Albert Biermann, the former chief of BMW’s M division, who helped start up the performance sub-brand, and now acts as an advisor. Hyundai N models are at home on the Nürburgring. We get the first drive of the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 N performance EV ahead of its official debut.

Ioniq 5 review