The Hyundai Ioniq 5 won our Motor1.com Star Award for Editors' Choice because, well, it's just a fantastic vehicle. It's stylish, comfortable, relatively affordable, and pretty efficient, too – all things you need in a modern EV. But for the family wanting something a bit faster, Hyundai does have a high-performance Ioniq 5 N on the way.
We've seen dozens of spy photos, a handful of videos, and an official teaser promising a punchier version of the Ioniq 5. The N model won't show up until 2023, sadly, but here's everything we know about Hyundai's first hot EV until we can officially get our hands on it.
What Will It Look Like?
The Ioniq 5 is already a stylish-looking thing with its boxy body and eight-bit taillights. Now imagine that same frame with styling borrowed from the Veloster, Elantra, and Kona N models. Sounds awesome, right?
Using the available spy photos, our rendering artist imagined what a hotter Ioniq 5 N could look like with some of those signature elements affixed. The concept has a more aggressive front bumper, a larger lower grille, and new eight-bit LED running lights on either side. Red accents line the base of the bumper and the side sills, just like on other N models, while an Elantra-esque gloss black spoiler sits on the rear.
This rendering also wears Hyundai N's signature Performance Blue paint. And instead of the clunky cladding found on the standard Ioniq, this performance model uses body-colored wheel wells with only a bit of plastic between them, just like on some of the images we’ve seen.
Gallery: 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N new spy photos
What’s Under The "Hood?"
The Hyundai Inoiq 5 N will be fully electric, just like the standard model. But whereas that version offers up to a 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack and two electric motors producing 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque, the Ioniq 5 N will be more powerful.
The Ioniq 5 N should have similar specs to the sporty Kia EV6 GT, considering the two cars share the same E-GMP platform. The Kia uses a 77.4-kWh battery pack to produce 576 hp and 545 lb-ft, propelling it to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds. But some reports say the Ioniq could have as much as 600 hp.
Hyundai should also improve the Ioniq 5 dynamically, with updates to the suspension, brakes, and wheels. And we already know that Hyundai plans to introduce fake gear changes and a rev-limiter sound to mimic the dual-clutch transmission found in other N cars. Also expected is the N Grin Shift button, which will provide the Ioinq 5 N a short boost option, as well as all-wheel drive with a drift mode.
What Will The Range Be?
The current Ioniq 5 has up to 303 miles of driving range in rear-wheel-drive form or 266 miles of range with all-wheel drive. That range figure will drop, of course, with an increase in power – but Hyundai hasn’t revealed any details on how much of a decrease we would see. We know that the EV6 GT offers just 206 miles of range.
When Will We See It?
The first official teaser for the Ioniq 5 N arrived early in December courtesy of an Instagram post, but Hyundai still hasn’t announced an official release date. We expect to see the Ioniq 5 N debut early in 2023 before going on sale later the same year, with the European and Korean markets getting their hands on the hot EV first and a US release likely happening in the spring of 2023.
How Much Will It Cost?
Using the Kia EV6 and EV6 GT – again – as a reference point, expect a healthy price increase for the Ioniq 5 N. The base Ioniq 5 currently starts at $42,745 in the US (with destination included) so don’t be shocked to see a price tag north of $60,000 for the N model. The Kia EV6 GT starts at $62,695 in the US (with destination).
Gallery: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Rendering
What Will It Compete Against?
The not-quite-a-hatchback, not-really-a-crossover Ioniq 5 will have an extensive list of competitors, depending on what you’re looking for. More traditional electric sedans like the Polestar 2 BST Edition 270 and Tesla Model 3 Performance should both be considered with 469 and 455 hp, respectively. But the Kia EV6 GT, Ford Mustang Mach-E GT, and Tesla Model Y Performance would be even more direct competitors to the Ioniq.
| Horsepower | Torque | 0-60 | |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 N | 600 (est.) | 550 (est.) | 3.3 Seconds (est.) |
| Ford Mustang Mach-E GT | 480 | 634 | 3.8 Seconds |
| Kia EV6 GT | 576 | 545 | 3.4 Seconds |
| Polestar 2 BST Edition 270 | 476 | 502 | 4.2 Seconds |
| Tesla Model 3 Performance | 455 | 487 | 3.1 Seconds |
| Tesla Model Y Performance | 456 | 497 | 3.5 Seconds |
