The world sat up and took discover when Hyundai launched its game-changing Ioniq 5 N.
Right here was an enormous, heavy electrical automobile — bereft of snarling engine notes and an interesting guide gearbox — that one way or the other reintroduced the enjoyment of driving to a style that has been described as “soulless”, “utilitarian” and “devoid of any emotion” by people who love inner combustion engines.
Hyundai’s small workforce of devoted engineers labored tirelessly for years to provide simulated engine noises, artificial gear shifts and a stiffened platform that would 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 automotive 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 information and expertise to fine-tune the marque’s Ioniq 6 EV and inject an analogous quantity of grin-inducing juice into the marginally madcap sedan.
Arguably a extra ‘mature’ choice 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 provide a degree of consolation that government varieties count on.
Dr Jekyll has to have the ability to suppress Mr Hyde to a terrific 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 unravel 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 via sooner 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 the entire tweaks and modifications to the expertise 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 observe or on the street, whereas upgraded software program and {hardware} within the sound system makes the N Energetic Sound+ much more real looking.
The Ioniq 6 N has its personal bespoke engine observe, 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 higher accuracy. It genuinely does sound just like the automobile is burbling and banging from its non-existent exhaust pipes.
Lastly, the Hyundai N division has additionally labored on its Drift mode, handing selection over to the driving force within the type of a totally 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.
Wise enjoyable
There’s no denying the Ioniq 6 N is the extra smart of the 2 high-performance EVs. It appears extra grown-up from the skin, with solely the large ‘swan-neck’ rear spoiler and 20-inch cast alloy wheels giving the sport away. Take away the rear spoiler and you’ve got the last word ‘sleeper’ automotive.
It’s clearly barely decrease than the usual automotive, however not aggressively so, whereas the inside receives a wholesome dose of sportiness with out feeling excessive.
The bucket seats for entrance passengers do a terrific job of conserving torsos planted via sooner corners however stay massively snug over longer freeway journeys. Equally, the spherical N Pasubio steering wheel provides just a few further buttons to manage modes with out trying prefer it has been stolen from an F1 automotive.
As 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 comfy sufficient to seat two adults or three youngsters. Plus, there’s a cavernous trunk for stashing on a regular basis accoutrements.
Regardless of packing the identical type of horsepower as a contemporary supercar, the Ioniq 6 N may also nonetheless return 291 miles on a single cost based on the European WLTP cycle. Due to an 800V electrical structure and 350kW max cost pace, it will probably additionally blitz the ten–80% cost in 18 minutes.
Joon Park, the person in control of Hyundai’s N Division, stated that he and his workforce have all the time aimed for a 20:20 cut up, that means eager drivers can take pleasure in 20 minutes on observe, earlier than charging for 20 minutes after which heading again out once more.
In truth, Hyundai has put in ultra-fast charging shops 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 at no cost.
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 activity being navigating the chaotic streets of Barcelona, the Ioniq 6 N was capable of spotlight simply how clean and simple 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, nevertheless it by no means feels unmanageable.
The steering wheel homes N1 and N2 drive mode buttons, which could be configured to tweak the steering, torque supply and suspension firmness. You’ll be able to set these varied modes to incorporate or exclude the N Energetic Sound+ synthesized engine observe, the simulated gear shifting and varied digital display layouts.
There’s additionally a vibrant crimson button that’s labeled GRB, which is brief for N Grin Enhance. Depress this button and the automobile gives most motor output for as much as 10 seconds… good for fast overtaking.
As soon as out of the slower metropolis site visitors, we have been rapidly within the winding hills outdoors of Barcelona, the place flicking the Ioniq 6 N into one among its racier profiles virtually got here naturally. Hyundai’s simulated engine observe involves life and taking up ‘guide’ gear modifications is a pleasure.
With extra cogs to play with, the driving expertise is much more involving than earlier than, whereas the factitious rev limiter and flashing lights on the sprint make it very simple 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 comfy on the highways. Do away with the synthesized sound and the cabin is stress-free, whereas that revised suspension does a terrific job of floating over street surfaces.
Monitor 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 varied software program simulations.
The unreal dual-clutch gearbox can be utilized in any mode, that means it’s potential to cruise round a race circuit in Consolation, biking up and down via the gears such as you would in a traditional automotive.
What’s extra, the programmed engine braking and energy supply are past real looking, to the purpose that choosing the mistaken 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 automotive’s raciest N modes are greatest suited to pummeling circuits and the total 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.
Velocity solely builds from right here and it’s not lengthy earlier than the primary nook arrives. Laborious on the brakes, cycle down via 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 via the primary nook, the place it’s time to begin working your means again up via the gearbox once more — a strong thump within the chest because it engages every synthetic cog.
On a regular basis, the drive is soundtracked by varied pops, crackles and bangs from the sound system, with shift lights on the dashboard doing a terrific job of imitating these present in Ferraris, McLarens and M Efficiency BMWs.
For people who wish to get a bit of free, Hyundai’s N Drift Optimizer has been up to date with adjustable initiation, angle and wheel-spin management. Alternatively, flip the entire traction help off and the 6 N could 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 automobile. One that when 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 costlier than the 5 N, which feels extraordinarily beneficiant contemplating the enhancements.
The place the Ioniq 5 N is arguably the extra spacious and sensible automotive, 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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