The hot Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has entered its final stage of testing at the Nurburgring prior to its global reveal at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next month.
Hyundai has been hard at work developing the first EV affixed with the N nameplate for quite some time and spent considerable time perfecting it at both the Namyang R&D Center in South Korea and its European Test Center at the Nurburgring. It has already completed over 10,000 km (6,213 miles) of durability testing on the Nordschleife and is now in the midst of another 10,000 km round of testing.
Watch: New Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Teaser Reveals Virtual Downshift Noises
Many upgrades have been made to ensure the car is more capable on a circuit than the standard Ioniq 5. For example, it includes an N Battery Preconditioning mode that pre-sets the temperature of the battery cells to their most power-efficient temperature. This system includes ‘Drag’ and ‘Track’ modes. The first optimizes temperature for quick launches while in Track mode the system lowers the battery temperature to increase the number of laps the car can drive.
A new N Race mode is also featured. It includes a ‘Sprint’ setting to prioritize full power on demand for the driver while an ‘Endurance’ mode maximizes the car’s range on the track by limiting sudden power spikes. Hyundai’s engineers have also created a new regenerative braking system for the car that alone offers up to 0.6 G of decelerative force. The car also features enlarged 400 mm brake discs.
Hyundai also has a few tricks up its sleeve to make the Ioniq 5 N more entertaining to drive on a circuit than many other EVs. One way it wants to do this is with the N Active Sound + system that uses a 10-speaker system (including 2 exterior speakers) with three different sound themes. One of these modes simulates the pops and bangs from Hyundai’s combustion-powered N cars. Then there is N e-Shift which simulates gearshifts by controlling motor torque output in its attempt to mimic Hyundai’s eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.
