Automotive Engineering - June 2024 - 17

ROAD READY
body makes room for 21-inch (533 mm)
forged alloy wheels. Pirelli designed its P
Zero Elect compound and tread exclusively
for this rally-style SUV. A reworked
grille and nosepiece inhale more cooling
air, with active front air flaps and a rear
diffuser. Drivers nestle into burly sport
seats, with a fixed center console (with
kneepads for support in fast corners)
replacing the flat open floor of a standard
Ioniq 5. A strengthened electric
steering rack gets a faster ratio and
pleasing weight, though road feedback
still can't match the best ICE cars.
N e-Shift goes 'Supersonic'
The N e-Shift is the Ioniq 5 N's technical
calling card. In Laguna Seca's pits, a
tachometer needle on the driver's display
jiggles as the Hyundai " idles " .
That's set to the tune of the N division's
four-cylinder engine, played through 10
internal and eight external speakers.
Users can choose other powertrain
sounds, including a " Supersonic " inspired
by twin-engine fighter jets.
As we chased 11-time Pikes Peak winner
Paul Dallenbach around the hilly
circuit, the tach soars to a simulated
8,000 rpm - despite electric motors
that actually spin up to 21,000 rpm.
The transmission bumps against a rev
limiter when I shift too late, just like in
an ICE car. Select too high a gear, and
the powertrain lugs. A Drift mode can
simulate the " clutch kick " of a stick-shift
" Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 N takes 3.25 seconds to hit 60 mph (96 km/h), but I suspect it's closer to
three seconds flat. "
car to initiate rotation.
And it's all done entirely with software
that adjusts electric-motor torque
during shift events. Each paddled shift
elicits a surprisingly natural torque interruption,
including rev-matched
downshifts accompanied by aural feedback.
Jun Mo Lee, manager of chassis
and thermal performance for Hyundai
America, said the development of dualclutch
gearboxes in cars like the Elantra
N guided targets for shift feel. Precisely
syncing shifts to powertrain sound and
tach-needle movements was crucial.
Compared to a single-speed transmission,
the eight spaced " gears " allow
separate torque zones and acceleration
for each, as with an ICE car. Matching
those gears to digitized sound gives
drivers more-intuitive feedback on how
fast they're moving or taking corners.
After sampling the system's convincing
mimicry, we expect other performance
EV makers to build versions themselves.
Despite the more energy-dense batThe
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N uses the " N Grin
Boost " button to temporarily raise hp output
from 601 to 641 for 10 seconds. Torque rises
from 545 lb-ft (739 Nm) to 568 (770 Nm).
AUTOMOTIVE ENGINEERING
tery, Hyundai says the N version charges
as quickly as a standard Ioniq 5, from 10to-80%
in 18 minutes on a 350-kW charger.
Both models share the slick 800-volt
e-GMP platform, and its maximum 238kW
charging pace. The N model's focus
on speed and handling does take a toll on
the driving range, at 221 miles (356 km),
compared with up to 260 miles (418 km)
for Ioniq 5 AWD models.
Hyundai further claims a class-high for
regenerative braking force with up to 0.6
g of deceleration. That saves overheating
and wear-and-tear on mechanical brakes.
Those brakes are Hyundai's beefiest yet,
with four-piston front calipers and 15.8inch
(401 mm) rotors. Fans of left-foot
braking can also apply the brake and accelerator
simultaneously, without the system
cutting power to motors.
The Hyundai's performance is cinematic,
but it flunks one screen test: A 12.3inch
(312 mm) center touchscreen offers
too many performance choices, including
settings for motors, steering, brakes,
sound, stability control, transmission, battery
and electronic limited-slip differential.
A pair of steering-wheel " N " buttons
offer some relief by saving preset selections.
But the confusing, overwrought
screens can get in the way of driving.
On the upside, this hot-rod Hyundai
remains practical enough for families,
with five seats and generous cargo
space. A $67,475 base price swamps the
$50,725 cost of the most-affordable Ioniq
5 SE with AWD. But the forthcoming
Porsche Macan Turbo EV costs nearly
$40,000 more to start, at $106,950, with
630 hp (470 kW). A Macan 4 EV starts
from $80,450, but with 402 hp (300 kW)
to 641 for the Ioniq 5 N. On top of knockout
performance numbers, this Hyundai
puts up defensible numbers for value.
Lawrence Ulrich
June 2024 17
BOTH IMAGES: HYUNDAI

Automotive Engineering - June 2024

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