Spy Shots – Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

Hyundai’s N division, after smashing it first time with the i30N in 2017, is growing rapidly. The i20N is already on the market, 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, and executives within Hyundai have confirmed they’re working on a hot version of its new electric car. Our spies have now caught a prototype testing in Germany – equipped with an extremely stiff chassis (as the shooters report) and extra-large brake discs. Expect the Ioniq 5 N to arrive from late 2022 onwards. Hyundai Motor Group’s 800-volt e-GMP platform is built for ultimate flexibility, with rear- and all-wheel-drive variants and even the opportunity to power external devices.

Executives have already been stress-testing the e-GMP platform during its development process, reaching eye-popping power outputs. Albert Biermann, chassis wizard and head of R&D for Hyundai Motor Group, said in 2020 that the platform ‘will go almost up to 600 horsepower in certain models.’

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 in the years to come.

It also makes sense that the new Ioniq 5 N will have around 580 HP as Kia has already beaten Hyundai to the punch; the new EV6 electric crossover debuted not long after the 5 with a GT model. The EV6 GT comes out all guns blazing with 585 HP, all-wheel drive and supercar-baiting performance figures.