Hyundai Ioniq 5 N First Drive Review: Mega fun everywhere, not just 0-60

SALINAS, Calif. – For people who love to drive – beyond a straight-and-narrow stoplight blast – EVs present a conundrum. They’re swift, seamless and squeaky-clean. But they tend to be isolating, shy on character and driver engagement. Early exceptions to the rule, your Porsche Taycans or Lucid Airs, are beyond the reach of many buyers.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N seeks to change all that, heightening sensation, sound, rally-car moves and even DIY gear changes. History’s most powerful Hyundai is 641 horses worth of newfangled tech that aims to feel old and familiar. And it mostly succeeds, as I discovered while chasing 11-time Pikes Peak Hill Climb winner Paul Dallenbach around Laguna Seca. To burnish the racing bona fides, Dallenbach will drive a showroom-spec Ioniq 5 N up Pikes Peak’s 156 turns in hopes of setting a record time for production electric SUVs, a feat the team believes is well within reach.

Dallenbach’s quiet confidence bodes well for the N division’s first EV, a lavishly upgraded Ioniq 5 that starts from $67,475 in near-loaded guise. A sweet $1,000 coat of Performance Blue Matte paint and floormats kicked that to $68,675. For comparison’s sake, Porsche’s 630-hp electric Macan Turbo starts at $106,950 before the first option is rung up. Even the 402-hp Macan 4 will start from $80,450, and give up 239 horsepower to Hyundai’s latest overachiever.

We amateurs feel good about our own chances, as we spur Hyundai’s little “Corner Rascal” through Laguna Seca’s stomach-flipping elevations and 11 curves. OK, not so “little,” considering its chunky 4,861-pound curb weight. But the Hyundai is no poseur, down to a revised-chemistry battery that squeezes 84 usable kilowatt hours from the same-size pack as the Ioniq 5 with 77.4 kWh. Aerodynamics, radiators and (electric) motor oil cooling are all upgraded to track spec – plus, it adds a unique battery chiller to the equation.

As with every N division model, including the Elantra N, the fingerprints of Hyundai’s retired uber-engineer (and former BMW M division chief) Albert Biermann are all over this baby. They show in the car’s delightfully frisky, balanced handling. I force a few easy-peasy slides on bespoke 21-inch