Hyundai EV Ioniq 5 N Surpasses Competitors Like Tesla Model S Plaid and Porsche Taycan Turbo GT in Rigorous Nürburgring Test

Hyundai Motor Company announced on June 19, that its high-performance electric vehicle, the Ioniq 5 N, was recognized as the “best high-performance electric vehicle” in a comparative evaluation conducted by leading automotive magazines in Germany and the UK, Auto Zeitung and CAR Magazine. This accolade adds to the Ioniq 5 N’s growing list of recognitions, including its nomination for the ‘World Performance Car” category at the ‘2024 World Car Awards’ and its selection as “’Car of the Year” by Top Gear in 2023 and “Best Electric Hot Hatch” at the 2024 Top Gear Electric Awards.

The comparative evaluation took place over three days on the Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit and surrounding roads in Germany, a location renowned for its challenging and demanding nature, making it a prime testing ground for high-performance vehicles. Journalists from Auto Zeitung and CAR Magazine test-drove and evaluated a total of seven high-performance electric vehicles, including the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Tesla Model S Plaid, BMW i5 M60, Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package, Lotus Eletre R, Pininfarina Battista Nino Farina, and Lucid Air Dream Performance.

Despite the Ioniq 5 N’s relatively modest price of €74,900 (approximately 110,480,000 won), it outperformed its more expensive competitors, such as the Pininfarina Battista (€2,618,000, approximately 3,874,200,000 won), Porsche Taycan Turbo GT with Weissach Package (€240,000, approximately 355,120,000 won), and Lucid Air Dream Performance (€218,000, approximately 322,590,000 won). The evaluation concluded that none of these vehicles could match the Ioniq 5 N in terms of exceptional driving performance and driving fun.

Auto Zeitung praised the Ioniq 5 N, stating, “Everything related to driving, including steering, power distribution, acceleration response, and braking, was perfect,” and added, “We were impressed by the powerful force and balanced chassis of the Ioniq 5 N.” CAR Magazine highlighted the N e-shift feature of the Ioniq 5 N, which significantly enhances driving immersion, stating, “The feature we rate highest in the Ioniq 5 N is the N e-shift. It is an amazing feature that significantly enhances the driving immersion, which was thought to be impossible with an electric vehicle.”

The Ioniq 5 N is a symbolic model that signifies the execution of Hyundai’s core electrification strategy, ‘Hyundai Motor Way.’ It boasts a maximum output of 478 kW (650 horsepower, in boost mode) and a maximum torque of 770 Nm (78.5 kgf·m, in boost mode) based on a high-performance all-wheel-drive system with front and rear motors combined. It also features an 84 kWh high-output battery and various high-performance EV-specific thermal management control systems, among other high-performance electric vehicle N-exclusive technologies.

Both Auto Zeitung and CAR Magazine are considered highly reliable automotive media in Europe due to their in-depth analysis of vehicles and the automotive industry. They stated, “The Ioniq 5 N offers an overwhelming difference in ‘driving fun,,’ which is the most essential value that a high-performance car should provide.”