The Hyundai magic formula? Easy: Ioniq 5 plus N

A hotter version of Hyundai’s ace new EV? Ex-BMW man Biermann and his N crew are on it.

Future scoop

1 TO THE POWER OF N Hyundai’s N division, after smashing it first time with the i30N in 2017, is growing rapidly. The i20N is already a winner in our book, and the new Kona N is the performance division’s first SUV. But the next step for N is the same as all other brands: electrification. The Ioniq 5 is a great starting point for a hot EV to excite the masses.

2 THE BEST INGRIDIENTS Hyundai Motor Groups 800-volt e-GMP platform is built for ultimate flexibility, with rear- and all-wheel-drive variants. And Hyundai has already been stress-testing eye-popping power outputs from it. ‘We will go almost up to 600 horsepower in certain models,’ Albert Biermann told CAR in 2020.

3 BEATEN TO THE PUNCH Kia has shown that the group is ready, able and willing to produce a high-performance EV. Kia’s new EV6 family electric car debuted not long after the Ioniq 5, and while the 5 has modest power outputs, Kia came out all guns blazing with the 577bhp, all-wheel-drive, supercar-baiting EV6 GT. Expect Hyundai to use this powertrain for the Ioniq 5N.

4 ANCESTOR’S TEACHINGS Hyundai’s been experimenting with high-performance electric cars for years, the most recent iteration being the RM20e. It’s not a racing car, but a rolling test bed for new technologies destined to end up in future production cars. Some elements within N division regard the ‘racing midship’ demo car as the catalyst for a super-powerful halo car for the performance brand.

Hyundai’s N division prepares to go electric

Albert Biermann and Thomas Schemera Hyundai’s head of R&D and chief marketing officer

‘If you look at our strategy to offer more eco-friendly vehicles and moving ahead with BEV concepts, it seems realistic,’ says Schemera on the possibility of an Ioniq 5 N. ‘Could you imagine we weren’t working on one already?’ adds a proud Biermann.

Factfile

• POWERTRAIN Up to 575bhp (est), twin e-motors, all-wheel drive
• CHASSIS Steel and aluminium monocoque
• DUE 2022