We, as a society, apparently like the cars that go vroom. So much so that we’re now making previously silent (or at least quiet) electric cars make gasoline engine noises.
Dodge is doing that with its new electric Charger (that’s a car model, not an actual electric charger), and so is Hyundai, which has taken its remarkable IONIQ 5 (“On The Road,” May 2022) and created the high-performance Hyundai IONIQ 5 N.
Electric cars, in general, tend to be quick. Electric motors generate instantaneous torque. The 2022 IONIQ 5 AWD model I reviewed almost three years ago produced 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque, did 0-60 in 4.7 seconds and the quarter-mile in 13.3 seconds at 100 miles per hour. As I said then, those are 1960s muscle car numbers. And the Hyundai does it while providing up to 290 miles of range per charge.
The IONIQ 5 N AWD makes that look mild with 601 horsepower, and a boost button allowing for 10-second bursts of 641 horses. Torque zooms to 568 lb-ft and the acceleration metrics are just bonkers. Zero to 60 in 2.8 seconds and the quarter-mile in 11.0 seconds at 124.9 miles per hour.
Just as a point of reference, in a drag race between the fearsome Shelby 427 Cobra and a Hyundai IONIQ 5 N AWD, the electric Hyundai wins by 1.2 seconds and is going almost seven miles per hour faster (source: Car and Driver, November 1965).
The range suffers, at an EPA-estimated 221 miles per charge. Still, anyone buying an IONIQ 5 N instead of an IONIQ 5 isn’t worrying about that.
The IONIQ 5 N AWD isn’t just quick in a straight line. Hyundai’s N Division has outfitted it with an electronically controlled suspension, an electronic limited-slip differential, four-piston brake calipers – and the aforementioned engine noises.
Hyundai calls the synthetic sounds “N e-shift,” and while a few different volume levels of motor sounds are available, the really neat trick is how, in the right mode, it can also simulate gear shifts and body motions that would accompany them in a gasoline-powered performance car.
If you’re asking “Why?” Hyundai says that high-performance drivers, especially those on the track, are using multiple senses at once, and sound and seat-of-the-pants feel are essential to get the best lap times.
I had half an hour in the IONIQ 5 N AWD at Western Automotive Journalists’ Best of the Bay 2024 in Santa Cruz in October and found the sounds annoying. But Hyundai sent me that exact vehicle for a week’s worth of driving in January, and I have to admit, on winding Sierra foothill backroads, the sounds and feels made sense. It was easier for me to rely on instinct and judge throttle and gear. And with the sounds switched off, it was like driving a regular IONIQ 5 around town.
The base price of the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N AWD is $66,100. A comprehensive suite of active safety features comes standard, as do 21-inch forged alloy wheels, automatic LED projector headlights, pushbutton start, a hands-free power liftgate, heated and ventilated front seats, a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a surround-view monitor, dual automatic climate control, rain-sensing wipers, ambient interior lighting, wireless device charging, navigation and a Bose premium audio system with AM, FM, HD Radio, a 90-day trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
There was only one extra-cost option on our test vehicle – carpeted floor mats for $210. So, with $1,375 inland freight and handling, the bottom line on the window sticker reads $67,685.
The IONIQ 5 N AWD isn’t meant for everyone. But if you’re an enthusiast transitioning from fossil fuels to EVs, this could be exactly what you want.
Mike Hagerty, past vice president of membership for Western Automotive Journalists (waj.org), has been writing about cars since 1997. Read more of his reviews at MikeHagertyCars.com.
