The world sat up and took discover when Hyundai launched its game-changing Ioniq 5 N.
Right here was an enormous, heavy electrical car — bereft of snarling engine notes and an enticing handbook gearbox — that someway reintroduced the enjoyment of driving to a style that has been described as “soulless”, “utilitarian” and “devoid of any emotion” by those who love inside combustion engines.
Hyundai’s small group of devoted engineers labored tirelessly for years to supply simulated engine noises, artificial gear shifts and a stiffened platform that might deal with the monumental quantity of torque and horsepower produced by a race-tuned electrical powertrain.
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Utilizing all of its expertise in endurance racing and the World Rally Championship, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N delivered enjoyable, thrills and smoky drifts by the bucketful, with the South Korean marque arguably beating way more established sports activities automobile producers to the unofficial title of ‘their first genuinely enjoyable EV’.
Not one to relaxation on its laurels, Hyundai has as soon as once more put its N Division to work, utilizing its data and expertise to fine-tune the marque’s Ioniq 6 EV and inject the same quantity of grin-inducing juice into the marginally madcap sedan.
Arguably a extra ‘mature’ possibility than the new hatch Ioniq 5 N, the 6 N has to have the ability to deal with these extra mundane journeys between enterprise conferences and supply a stage of consolation that government varieties count on.
Dr Jekyll has to have the ability to suppress Mr Hyde to an amazing diploma, if you’ll. No imply feat, contemplating Hyundai determined to imbue the 6 N with 650hp, 770Nm of torque and a high pace of virtually 160mph.
Refined modifications
To resolve what makes the 6 N tick, you actually have to begin tearing it aside. There’s an all-new suspension system to kick off proceedings, full with Stroke Sensing Electronically Managed Suspension (ECS) dampers and a decrease roll middle to enhance high-speed grip and dealing with.
Upgrades to axle stiffness additionally enhance efficiency by way of quicker corners, whereas the electronically adjustable suspension has a a lot wider bandwidth than the 5 N. It soaks up bumps at decrease speeds and is mostly much less fidgety on freeway surfaces.
Then there are all the tweaks and modifications to the know-how that made the 5 N so enjoyable within the first place. Engineers have added a further gear to the N e-Shift system (a simulation of an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission), giving the driving force much more to play with on monitor or on the street, whereas upgraded software program and {hardware} within the sound system makes the N Energetic Sound+ much more life like.
The Ioniq 6 N has its personal bespoke engine word, which feels coarser and fewer digital than the one discovered within the 5 N, whereas the sound system handles the situation of the synthesized pops, crackles and bangs with larger accuracy. It genuinely does sound just like the car is burbling and banging from its non-existent exhaust pipes.
Lastly, the Hyundai N division has additionally labored on its Drift mode, handing alternative over to the driving force within the type of a completely customizable system that may now be used to tweak the quantity of wheel-spin, torque distribution between the entrance and rear, and the aggressiveness of steering enter required to provoke smoky rear tires.
Smart enjoyable
There’s no denying the Ioniq 6 N is the extra wise of the 2 high-performance EVs. It seems extra grown-up from the surface, with solely the large ‘swan-neck’ rear spoiler and 20-inch solid alloy wheels giving the sport away. Take away the rear spoiler and you’ve got the final word ‘sleeper’ automobile.
It’s clearly barely decrease than the usual automobile, however not aggressively so, whereas the inside receives a wholesome dose of sportiness with out feeling excessive.
The bucket seats for entrance passengers do an amazing job of retaining torsos planted by way of quicker corners however stay massively snug over longer freeway journeys. Equally, the spherical N Pasubio steering wheel provides just a few additional buttons to manage modes with out trying prefer it has been stolen from an F1 automobile.
With regards to buttons, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N is completely coated in them, with bodily switches taking good care of most key performance. Regardless of most automotive journalists — and a few sectors of the general public — crying out for extra bodily switchgear, it’s a bit a lot right here.
Regardless, it’s a well-trimmed cabin and the rear is giant and cozy sufficient to seat two adults or three children. Plus, there’s a cavernous trunk for stashing on a regular basis accoutrements.
Regardless of packing the identical form of horsepower as a contemporary supercar, the Ioniq 6 N may also nonetheless return 291 miles on a single cost in response to the European WLTP cycle. Due to an 800V electrical structure and 350kW max cost pace, it may additionally blitz the ten–80% cost in 18 minutes.
Joon Park, the person accountable for Hyundai’s N Division, stated that he and his group have all the time aimed for a 20:20 break up, that means eager drivers can take pleasure in 20 minutes on monitor, earlier than charging for 20 minutes after which heading again out once more.
In reality, Hyundai has put in ultra-fast charging retailers at among the hottest public race circuits in South Korea and Europe, together with the Nürburgring, the place anybody with an electrical N product can cost free of charge.
On a regular basis sportscar
Maybe deliberately, Hyundai selected to run virtually precisely the identical launch program as that of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. The identical sunny Spanish roads, the identical Parcmotor Castellolí race circuit and even largely the identical climate.
With the primary job being navigating the chaotic streets of Barcelona, the Ioniq 6 N was in a position to spotlight simply how easy and straightforward to drive it’s. In Regular or Eco driving modes, the steering is mild, the suspension pliant and there’s sufficient floor clearance to simply crest pace bumps and potholes.
Prod the accelerator and it’s clear there’s loads of energy lurking beneath, but it surely by no means feels unmanageable.
The steering wheel homes N1 and N2 drive mode buttons, which might be configured to tweak the steering, torque supply and suspension firmness. You possibly can set these numerous modes to incorporate or exclude the N Energetic Sound+ synthesized engine word, the simulated gear shifting and numerous digital display screen layouts.
There’s additionally a vivid crimson button that’s labeled GRB, which is brief for N Grin Increase. Depress this button and the car offers most motor output for as much as 10 seconds… excellent for speedy overtaking.
As soon as out of the slower metropolis site visitors, we had been rapidly within the winding hills outdoors of Barcelona, the place flicking the Ioniq 6 N into certainly one of its racier profiles virtually got here naturally. Hyundai’s simulated engine word involves life and taking on ‘handbook’ gear modifications is a pleasure.
With extra cogs to play with, the driving expertise is much more involving than earlier than, whereas the substitute rev limiter and flashing lights on the sprint make it very straightforward to overlook that it doesn’t have an engine.
Nonetheless, the 6 N settles again down right into a mature-feeling sedan as soon as the enjoyable is over, proving quiet and cozy on the highways. Do away with the synthesized sound and the cabin is enjoyable, whereas that revised suspension does an amazing job of floating over street surfaces.
Observe monster
As soon as once more we head to the race circuit and as soon as once more, it’s troublesome to not be impressed by what Hyundai’s N Division has achieved with its numerous software program simulations.
The bogus dual-clutch gearbox can be utilized in any mode, that means it’s attainable to cruise round a race circuit in Consolation, biking up and down by way of the gears such as you would in a standard automobile.
What’s extra, the programmed engine braking and energy supply are past life like, to the purpose that choosing the unsuitable gear as you head up a protracted, climbing straight will lead to restricted torque because the ‘engine’ struggles to pile on the revs.
Naturally, the automobile’s raciest N modes are greatest suited to pummeling circuits and the complete 650hp with N Launch Management activated will get the EV off the beginning line and as much as 62mph in a neck-snapping 3.2 seconds.
Pace solely builds from right here and it’s not lengthy earlier than the primary nook arrives. Onerous on the brakes, cycle down by way of the gears and the nostril dives, revealing that the Ioniq 6 N nonetheless weighs in extra of two,000kg, however the brakes are robust and the physique management wonderful.
It stays flat because it crests by way of the primary nook, the place it’s time to begin working your method again up by way of the gearbox once more — a stable thump within the chest because it engages every synthetic cog.
On a regular basis, the drive is soundtracked by numerous pops, crackles and bangs from the sound system, with shift lights on the dashboard doing an amazing job of imitating these present in Ferraris, McLarens and M Efficiency BMWs.
For those who wish to get a bit of unfastened, Hyundai’s N Drift Optimizer has been up to date with adjustable initiation, angle and wheel-spin management. Alternatively, flip all the traction help off and the 6 N might be coaxed into wild skids.
Whereas not precisely a generational leap from the Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai’s newest efficiency EV is an altogether extra refined car. One that after once more delivers on the racetrack, however a mannequin that additionally transforms again right into a extra snug long-distance cruiser.
With costs beginning at £65,800 within the UK for the 6 N (round $87,500 / AU$125,600), it’s no dearer than the 5 N, which feels extraordinarily beneficiant contemplating the enhancements.
The place the Ioniq 5 N is arguably the extra spacious and sensible automobile, the 6 N ushers in modifications that make it the extra snug and succesful machine. A extra senior providing that simply so occurs to be an enormous child at coronary heart.
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