The Crazy Fun: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is, in the most gloriously Kiwi sense of the word, completely pointless—and I mean that as a compliment. On paper it’s a serious bit of kit: dual electric motors pushing out about 448 kW (roughly 601 hp), or up to 478 kW with the hilariously named “N Grin Boost,” launching this chunky electric hatch to 100 km/h in about 3.4 seconds. Add an 84 kWh battery, all-wheel drive, and ultra-fast 800-volt charging that can go from 10–80% in roughly 18 minutes, and suddenly this family-shaped EV starts looking suspiciously like a supercar in sensible shoes.
But then Hyundai’s engineers clearly had a laugh and decided raw speed wasn’t enough—they gave it fake engine noises, fake gear changes, and paddle shifters that simulate an 8-speed gearbox, complete with little jolts when it “shifts.” It’s utterly ridiculous… and somehow brilliant. The car even lets you rev the imaginary engine, complete with pops and crackles through the speakers, while massive 21-inch tyres, upgraded brakes, torque vectoring and a drift optimizer try to convince you this big electric family wagon is actually a track toy.
And that’s the strange magic of the Ioniq 5 N: logically it makes no sense at all—an EV pretending to be a petrol hooligan—but the moment you mash the accelerator and it bangs through pretend gears like a PlayStation rally game, you realise the point isn’t logic. The point is fun. Completely unnecessary, slightly childish fun… and frankly, I’m all for it.
