Hyundai revs up track-honed loniq 5 N

New hot hatch is N performance division's first EV and is crammed with enthusiast tech

- SAM PHILLIPS

Hyundai has kick-started the electrification of its performance division with the highly anticipated Ioniq 5 N, a track-honed hot hatch with a "race car DNA".

The aggressively styled reworking of the loniq 5 is the first electric Hyundai to undergo an extensive reconfiguration by the firm's N division, the team behind the acclaimed i20 N and i30 N.

The new EV "electrifies the passion of driving", according to N's technical boss, Tyrone Johnson, best known for being the brains behind the venerable final-generation Ford Focus RS.

It sits on the same E-GMP electric architecture as the standard model but gets a larger, 84kWh battery, a bespoke all-wheel-drive powertrain and a suite of technological additions to "meld the driver with the car".

Now developing 600bhp and 545lb ft of torque as standard, the N-badged loniq trumps the technically related 577bhp Kia EV6 GT, which shares its platform. Reserves are boosted to 641bhp and 567lb ft when in 'N Grin Boost' mode -sufficient for a BMW M3-beating 0-62mph time of just 3.4 sec.