• While the Ioniq 5 N is electric and the RS7 has a V8, both deliver similar power figures.
  • All-wheel drive systems allow the pair to rocket off the line incredibly quickly.
  • One of the two claimed victory despite being fitted with lower-spec tires.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past year, you’ll know the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has shaken up the EV market and changed perceptions of what a driver-focused electric vehicle is capable of. It’s also proven itself to be a straight-line rival for some much more expensive and exotic sports cars.

For its latest testing with the Ioniq 5 N, CarWow decided to line it up against an Audi RS7 Performance. While the two aren’t direct rivals, given that the Hyundai is an electric crossover and the RS7 is a sleek super sedan, the pair are similar in terms of size, weight, and power.

Watch: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Vs BMW M4 Competition Isn’t Much Of A Competition

Had someone told us a couple of years ago that we’d be comparing a Hyundai’s specs to the RS7 Performance, we would have said they were crazy. Yet, here we are. Driving the Audi is a 4.0-liter twin-turbocharged V8 pumping out 621 hp and 627 lb-ft (850 Nm) of torque. By comparison, the Ioniq 5 N has 641 hp and 568 lb-ft (770 Nm) with Boost mode enabled. Both cars have all-wheel drive.

In the first race, the driver of the Hyundai got a poor start, and Mat Watson in the Audi was able to jump to a small lead. The N did manage to close the gap but wasn’t able to pass the RS7 before the quarter-mile mark. The second race was much closer as the pair both rocketed off the line. This time, the Hyundai edged ahead to take a small victory.

The third and final race is also incredibly close but yet again, it’s the Korean EV that takes the win. Both crossed the finish line in 11.3 seconds, but the Hyundai just edged ahead. This result is even more impressive when you consider the Ioniq 5 N tested had Pirelli P Zero rubber which is not as sticky as the Continental SportContact 7 tires of the RS7 Performance.