Ioniq 5 N debuts in July as Hyundai's first N with electric drive and AWD

Hyundai N's Performance Skunkworks is close to signing off on the development of the Ioniq 5 N.

The Ioniq 5 N will not only be Hyundai N's first electric car, but also the division's first all-wheel drive vehicle. All previous Hyundai N road cars have been front-wheel drive.

Hyundai has not revealed how much horsepower will be available, but rumors suggest that the Ioniq 5 N will at least match the 576 hp of the 2023 Kia EV6 GT, which uses the same E-GMP platform. mph acceleration should be under 3.5 seconds.

However, Hyundai N has made the Ioniq 5 N a pleasure to drive away from the drag strip; drawing on the expertise of its successful World Rally Championship program with the i20 N WRC, Hyundai N has tweaked the chassis system to deliver enjoyable handling. The company says.

This extends to the development of the vehicle's torque vectoring system and electronically controlled limited-slip differential. Hyundai N has also developed a variety of drive modes, including a dedicated drift mode, called N Drift Optimizer, which Hyundai says adjusts torque distribution, torque rate, suspension stiffness, steering effort, and wheel-slip limits.

Spy shots of the prototype show that the stock Ioniq 5 will also be improved by a lowered suspension, wider track, and high-performance brake package.

To test the handling of the Ioniq 5 N to its limits, the company's engineers headed to Aljeplog, Sweden, this winter to run the prototype on a frozen lake in the area. This location is ideal for engineers to test because it allows them to accurately replicate low grip conditions.

Hyundai has not indicated whether the Ioniq 5 N will be introduced in the U.S., but the high-performance electric compact crossover is expected to arrive in the U.S. in the 2024 model year.