The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N high-performance electric vehicle has been crowned car of the year by the 2023 TopGear.com Awards.
Hyundai revealed the Ioniq 5 N earlier this year at July’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The South Korean manufacturer says it high-performance model combines the Electrified-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) of the standard Ioniq 5 with N’s motorsport-bred technologies and expertise to take driving fun to a new level.
And it says that persuaded TopGear’s expert team of judges to name the car the best of the past 12 months.
“Hyundai’s engineers set out to make the IONIQ 5 N feel like a lairy petrol car, but became converts to what electrification could do. They took advantage of an EV’s digital domains to give a vast extra set of adjustable parameters,” TopGear writer and juror Paul Horrell says.
“As a result, on road and track it does what you’d never expect of a big EV… over-delivers to a staggering extent. Forget any ‘for an EV’ qualifiers – it’s huge fun full stop. It turns a page for electric cars, which means a new page for cars.”
“The Ioniq 5 N electrifies driving fun to a new level,” said Till Wartenberg, Vice President and Head of N Brand and Motorsport at Hyundai Motor Company.
“Our target is to deliver a high level of driving passion whether powered by petrol, electric, or hydrogen, and with the technology and innovations in the IONIQ 5 N we’ve achieved our goal with the first all-electric N.”
The Ioniq 5 N’s success marks the second time in three years that a Hyundai N car has taken the Top Gear Car of the Year honour, following the i20 N in 2021.
Among the Ioniq 5 N’s array of key technical advances that won over the judges is a powertrain which delivers greater power output and enhanced performance in battery cooling and braking.
The electric motors spin up to 21,000 RPM, providing up to 448 kW in normal conditions, or 478 kW when the car’s N Grin Boost (NGB) feature is engaged, maximising acceleration for up to 10 seconds; 0-62mph is achievable in 3.4 seconds, while a top speed of 260 km/h is attainable on tracks.
A host of upgrades, include a strengthened steering column for improved feedback, Electronic Controlled Suspension that adapts suspension stiffness according to the drive mode, and a suite of sophisticated electronic control technology in the E-GMP platform. Highlights include N Pedal, an intelligent software function that provides instant turn-in and enhanced throttle sensitivity for exhilarating cornering, and fully variable front and rear N Torque Distribution.
The Ioniq 5 N also sets a new benchmark in terms of emotional engagement for a performance EV, courtesy of N e-shift, which simulates the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission of internal combustion engine N cars, and N Active Sound+, which provides a compelling soundtrack that highlights the EV’s power.
