How Does the 641-Horsepower Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Perform on Track? Here's the Data.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the automaker’s first high-performance EV. Sure, it has up to 641 horsepower-and it weighs nearly 5000 pounds-but how does it actually do on track? Find out as our test driver J.G. Pasterjak took one around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca.
#hyundai #ioniq5N #ioniq5 #GrassrootsMotorsports
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Hosted by: J.G. Pasterjak, Production Manager and Test Driver
Video editing by: Chris Tropea, Associate Editor
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[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Where do you think the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N will land on our lap chart from our official test track? grassrootsmotorsports.com/articles/firm-lap-times/

[@JustFlyer7NC1]

When might we find out??

[@winschmitt4919]

I’ve lived 20k miles with a Hyundai Veloster N DCT -it has been a revelation! Autocrossing and track days are a blast! A friend with a BmW M2 sold his car and bought one right after we shared a track day. Hyundai now dominates the IMSA TCR ranks with the Elantra N. This IoniQ5N just shows how far they have come from the time I first saw an Excel show up at an Autocross in 1983. My wife just bought a Kona Electric car and we love it! Can’t beat the N cars for fun per dollar.

[@MegaNardman]

Fake is only bad when it 'feels' fake. I'm totally on-board with fake if it improves my sensory experience. People burn fistfuls of cash to improve the force feedback of their sim rig, why should EVs be any different? Credit where credit is due, Hyundai's engineers really did a great job here.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

This guy gets it. it's all about building a better experience. Sometimes the Matrix steak actually is delicious.

[@MrGamman3yt]

Now, if they could just build an engine that isn't junk (call up an engine rebuilder - they don't give you money for cores - why? Cause after they are used, you literally can't replace 1 part, they are all bad/junk). Warehouse full of new engines. Good luck with this gong show in 10yrs. At least there are way less parts to fail.

[@ChinTrack]

The fact that Hyundai invited GRM for their review shows that the N team really knows the track enthusiast market and made this car for us.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Hyundai has a lot of enthusiasts working behind the scenes in engineering, marketing, product management, all through the company. I always love going to Hyundai events because I get to chat about everything from their latest models to vintage Toyota MR2s with their crew. So, yeah, it's no accident that they're building some cool machines right now, and we're honored they want to let us check them out.

[@16vPete]

Excellent analysis! I was on the first wave and reeaally wish I'd recorded data.

[@ef_baum5307]

I'm all over this, makes for the perfect family-car-but-secretly-rips-on-most sleeper

[@ef_baum5307]

could manufacturers actually build a properly-sized 'hot hatch' EV that is as capable as this?

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

@@ef_baum5307 With the current state of battery tech, I don't think so. But certainly it has to be coming with next-gen batteries. The 81kw pack in the Ioniq 5 N weighs just over 1000 lbs by itself. then you have the weight of the drivetrain and two motors. I think a crossover-type form factor is necessary at the moment just to house the battery packs that we need to use. As soon as we can cut the size and cut the weight of those packs, though, this kind of performance in an Elantra-sized format is going to be nuts.

[@rupertberr]

Looks impressive for an EV and almost affordable. Looking forward to seeing it race up Pikes Peak. Wonder if it will break the less than one year old record set by the BMW XM. With Paul Dallenbach driving I would say yes.

[@jessiecrowbridge6026]

The bmw holds a hybrid record

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Paul thinks he can drop 10+ seconds from the current record if the conditions are favorable. Robin Shute will also be driving an electric Hyundai up the mountain that will be unveiled at the Nurburgring during the 24 hour race.

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

More manufacturers should send you guys invites to track-day releases. Excellent info and presentation.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Thanks for watching. Glad you enjoyed it. We always take our data gear on press launches, but, honestly, getting good data is usually tough. Most media track days don't usually do multiple flying laps in the interest of keeping cars cool and keeping inexperienced drivers under control, so getting data in those situations can be tricky. Kudos to Hyundai for not only allowing us to do multiple back to back laps, but for doing it in 5000 lb EVs, which was kind of a subtle flex to show us the durability of the hardware and the track range and capability of the battery packs.

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports PS Just listened to The Smoking Tire Podcast (they also raved about the Ioniq 5 N, "best EV I've ever driven"), and Matt gave you a shout-out for being the only one quicker than him in the Elantra N on the autocross course! Which reminds me...he wasn't able to remember/reflect if the changes made to the steering/suspension of the Elantra N made a notable difference from previous gen version. I wonder if you'll have a video on the Elantra N update?

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

@@ragweedmakesmesneeze Yeah I caught that. Matt's a good guy. I need to ping him and thank him. I did shoot a quickie vertical short with the Elantra, but there's not a ton there to tell. It got new motor mounts, and several bushings and subframe mounts that were rubber got replaced with urethane. All good stuff for FWD performance cars. Honestly it doesn't feel much different, but my guess is it won't need motor mounts after 10,000 miles of autocrossing and track days like the current cars tend to. Absolute new-compared-to-new performance has probably not increased outside the margin of error, though. It's still one of the best bang-for-the-buck small performance cars out there.

[@randallprince]

But JG... what about the weight... 🙂 Honestly, Hyundai has proven they are trying to win the hearts of enthusiasts and because of that, they've actively been short list of car searches. Can't wait to check one of these out!!

[@turbobros_online1561]

I really want to buy one these for my daily and occasional track day. I love to do drift days too and this one looks like it would skate around my local drift track with ease!

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

Could you say more about how the engine noise, an auditory stimulus helps you "hit your marks?" I think I sort of understand...but not totally.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

For me, going fast has a lot to do with timing and rhythm. You need to hit your braking points and your turn-ins at the right time and at the right speed to always be using the maximum envelope of the tires for the best lap time. Obviously a sight picture is a big part of that, finding a braking marker or other visual cues is a huge part of hitting all the right marks. But the changing pitch of the engine, and the high-frequency vibrations coming through the chassis that change as revs and speed rise are another huge ingredient. Having those auditory cues in a repeating pattern lap after lap is simply another sensory input that you can add to the mix which might allow you to take some of the load off your sight picture for example, giving you time to check mirrors or focus your eyes past the apex to look for an exit sooner. I hope that explains it a bit. Honestly until i drove a hard lap with no sound, I didn't realize how much I relied on it to get my internal clock to shift into track mode. Although even with the sound off you do get a bit of rising electric motor hum and gear whine, but the wind soon drowns that out above about 80mph.

[@stevedavila8707]

The choices used to be "boring" or "combustion" (except for nevera owners). Hyundai has added a new option to the mix. The future looks brighter.

[@aw614]

I really like the way it looks, but part of me wishes it was more Elantra Hatch or Golf sized after seeing the regular ioniq in person.

[@j.g.pasterjak1782]

I need to give a shoutout to Chad Kirchner at EV Pulse who traded cars with me when I couldn't get the 12v outlet in mine to work. So we almost didn't have data, but the outlet in Chad's car was fine and he was more than happy to make a quick switch.

[@justinscalfano7796]

Agree

[@zeitgeist888]

I'm ready and excited for performance EVs on track and Hyundai has real promise in the N line. I can appreciate the benefit of sound for an added sensory input to help know what the car is doing especially on approach to a corner. I am glad it can be turned off. I don't want fake gears and pause in accelerating to mimic a transmission gear shifts. I would like a linear sound to help in the same way but no CVT drone either. I hope Hyundai and others work on getting it right without effecting lap times or performance. Nice report and thanks for being open minded in the review.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

The mode you describe was my favorite track mode as well. A realistic recreation of a 2.0-liter turbo 4 that just steadily increased in pitch and frequency as you accelerated. There were some other sounds available-a more sci-fi inspired one and a Top Gun-inspired jet sound, but the engine note made for the perfect reference tone. Honestly The idea of downloadable content for such a system intrigues me. How much did we spend on phone ringtones back in the day. If Hyundai contracted Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross to produce a suite of sounds for the Ioniq 5 N Ican't say I wouldn't give them a credit card number for a download if I owned one.

[@JohnLee-db9zt]

The simulated shift can be turned off to get full continuous power.

[@ttccnn49]

How does the brake feel after whole day driving? The reason I ask I because in china, there is people driving the new xiaomi su7 to track, and the brake pad is gone by the end of the date and the car end up at wall

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Interesting question, and one we asked one of the product managers for the 5 N. Hyundai told us at a recent EU media track day, they were using both ioniq 5 Ns and Elantra Ns on tack. Each day they would check brakes and replace pads as necessary. They said that Elantras would get fresh pads after every two days of track use, but Ioniq 5 Ns were going 5-6 days or even more on a set of pads, due to the extremely aggressive use of regenerative braking.

[@ttccnn49]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports you mean 5N is using less pad than the lighter elentra N? That’s really interesting. Only thing I can think of is the energy recycling system work on the 5N

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

@@ttccnn49 Exactly correct. In fact, Hyundai claims the regen produces up to .6g of the total braking force for a given application, and also decelerates each wheel somewhat independently. Pretty clever way to leverage the system to create additional turn-in stability and make the brake pads on a 5000lb car last more than two laps.

[@BondiBeache]

People are focusing on the virtual sound of this car, but in fact, The most amazing technologies demonstrated by IONIQ 5N are BMS and N Pedal. Regenerative braking of up to 0.6G is powered by the best battery technology and BMS. This is a technology that Chinese electric vehicles cannot have due to a lack of battery technology. Chinese electric vehicles are limited to NCM811, and this vehicle has NCM9 HALF HALF. Currently, NCM9+ is being developed. These batteries have higher energy density per weight and volume and can handle higher crates while maintaining stable SOH. Comparing the charging curves, you can see that IONIQ 5 stably maintains higher levels than Tesla. N Pedal provides stable braking from low to high temperatures while eliminating cooling time due to brake overheating and expensive carbon ceramic.

[@Rhaman68]

Sorry but “… in China there ARE people…” saying “…is people..” is not correct. As to the question, any vehicle without racing brake components will have issues at a track. Years ago I had an Audi TT. It had upgraded brakes parts. During a driving safety course at a racetrack, a sedan’s brakes almost caught on fire.

[@roadfordays]

I have a leased EV6 and a track-focused S2000, and when the EV6 lease is up I'm considering trading both for an I5N. The platform is excellent in squishy daily-driver form, and even with "only" 320 HP it still feels like a rocket off the line. Double the power, the suspension is tuned to BMW M standards, and the fastest charging this side of Lucid and Porsche? Might be the thing that finally pries the S2000 out of my garage after more than a decade. Or maybe I stretch and have both... hmm...😂

[@markmiller6844]

Small correction: The Ioniq 5 N retains the five (not four) seat capacity of the other Ioniq 5 models.

[@LearningFast]

The Model 3 Ludicrous will be announced later this week. It weighs less than 4,080 lbs and will have similar power to this car. I would like to see both of these cars tested head to head.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Wow, shots fired and no time wasted. I'll be curious to see the range. Hyundai was quick to point out that they were the first to market with a performance EV capable of doing two laps of the Nordschleife, but I wonder if they won't get to rest on that accomplishment for long.

[@chrxx4327]

How many laps can it do before needing to recharge?

[@j.g.pasterjak1782]

At Laguna Seca, cars were doing dozens of laps before being pulled out for charging, and that was well before they hit their 20% threshold. One of hyundai's directives for this car was 20 minute sessions (2 laps of the Nordshcleife), followed by 20 minutes of (DC fast) charging, followed by another 20 minute session and they seem to have hit that easily. Each lap of Laguna Seca was barely consuming 4-5% of the charge.

[@ragweedmakesmesneeze]

​@@j.g.pasterjak1782 Do you know how many tracks offer DC fast charging in the U.S.?

[@j.g.pasterjak1782]

@@ragweedmakesmesneeze Right now, not many. Some have Tesla superchargers, which Hyundai will have access to in Q1 of 2025. But, here's the intriguing part: Hyundai has already rolled out Hyundai-branded DC fast chargers at their Injen track in Korea, and Laguna Seca appears to be next. Hyundai dudes were actually meeting with the track during this event. These chargers will be free for Hyundai owners, which means Ioniq 5 Ns also come with a fuel sponsorship if you live in the right part of the country. Other tracks have nearby DC fast charging. For example, we live two exits from Daytona speedway. Right by our house is a WalMart with a 350kw Electrify America DC fast charger (and Hyundai owners get two years of free Electrify America charging with their purchase or lease as well). So theoretically, I could run a track session at Daytona, make the 10 minute drive to Walmart after, charge to 80% in under 18 minutes, run home and grab a beverage, then drive back to the track in plenty of time for my next session. Obviously this is not a universal opportunity at this point, but there are some extremely interesting best case scenarios out there.

[@randallprince]

I watched the MotorTrend and Hagerty reviews as well and they mentioned the goal was two laps of the Nurburgring before needing a charge.

[@pstoppani]

"Cool and fun". What else is there to say?! Thx for the review

[@andrews2463]

It sounds like Hyundai built a very fast EV. It's a featherweight at only 1500 pounds heavier than my GTI. I like the styling of the body, very reminiscent of a GTI. That might be the extent of what I, personally, like about what I see. Eventually I, the consumer, will have to come to terms with being wrong about what I like in a car but today is not that day.

[@yuriabmxr]

The question I have is whether or not you can actually run this car for an entire track day. Most of the reviews seem to be focused around only a few laps or maybe one full session at most.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

The answer is going to be largely related to infrastructure. With a 350kw DC fast charger, the Ioniq 5 N can charge from 20% to 80% in well under 20 minutes. Hyundai is also working on partnerships with tracks in the US (starting with Laguna) to install Hyundai-branded fast chargers that will be free for N owners. So, given a track with in-house or nearby fast charging options, it should be fairly easy. With no fast charging options nearby, though... well. maybe take the Elantra N for that one.

[@OrionDC]

No vision roof or HUD in the USA. Nerfed the US spec. For $70k…this is also a daily driver… so why not give us the specs that the rest of the world gets?

[@stevedavila8707]

They wanted a very strong chassis (it is why they added welds and adhesive in the frame). They couldn't meet their stiffness levels with the glass roof. That is the last thing I am worried about as a possible owner.

[@OrionDC]

@@stevedavila8707 The vision roof option is available in every other continent + the HUD for the 5N features an N-specific track design. Also, the EV6 GT (not just the GT-line) still has a sunroof. Again, we are talking about options. So you don't have to get the glass if you don't want it. But it's a choice available everywhere else.

[@roadfordays]

I see it as a plus that it doesn't have either of those "features." Have you actually used one of these newer depth-simulating HUDs? They are insanely distracting. Seeing your speed or a nav direction arrow hovering 20 feet in front of you - around the front bumper of the car in front of you at a stoplight, like that car is now translucent - is not something our brains are designed to process. Also seeing something in your peripheral vision, 20 feet directly in front of your car at road level, at 80 MPH, can only be interpreted as you about to run over something big. Also literally all that info is already available on the main dash display. We specifically skipped the GT-Line EV6 because the HUD was such a nightmare. Also, what kind of serious performance car has a sunroof? Additional weight in the absolute worst location.

[@OrionDC]

@@roadfordays our other car has the HUD. I like it. Also, as a daily, the vision roof would be a plus. Not only that, but the Hyundai way of doing the allows for you to close it off which is great. To each, their own, but options are better than none.

[@onehorsepower]

So what it the best laptime here on stone cold tyres before they start behaving like erasers...

[@justinscalfano7796]

Now stuff the biggest wheels and 200tw tires on one and get a us some laps times! How many hot laps at laguna on a single charge?

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

More than we were doing. So, interestingly, most of the time when we have lapping at these press intros, it tends to be single laps from pit out to pit in. No flying laps, cars stay cool, drivers don't get in too much trouble, etc. Hyundai running four-lap sessions was kind of a flex IMO. They ere basically showing us that the cars could stand up to extended sessions and multiple laps. We would do three four-lap sessions with about 5 min in between each for a quick mode shift. About every two sets of those (so 6x 4-laps) they *might* pull a car out to go charge. All depended on where the SOC was. Each lap I was doing was taking 3-4% of charge. So folks going slower than me were likely using a lot less. As for 200s... yeah, that's going to be interesting. Yoks overheat in two laps on a 3500lb car, so imagine what's going to happen on a 5000lb car with active torque vectoring. I have no doubt it will be fast on a good set of tires, but it's going to take some real tire management savvy to keep the tires under you and not go through a set a weekend.

[@justinscalfano7796]

That’s encouraging! Yeah it’ll definitely need a tire that can take heat, maybe the new nankang or rivals. Do we have an idea how much tire can fit under them? Seems like that’ll be a limiting factor

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

@@justinscalfano7796 My wife has a non-N Ioniq 5 and I may or may not have been sizing it up a bit for tire space. I think a 295 would fit on there easily. But the wheels are also 21s, and when you start going wider than that I think you'd have a tough time finding the right fitment that had the right overall diameter. Going to 20s would open up a lot of options I think.

[@markmiller6844]

I think the EV weight issue has been a bit overblown. While the Ioniq 5 N comes in at an admittedly hefty 4,861 lbs., the very similar sized gasoline-engined Porsche Macan GTS weighs 4,400 lbs.

[@Neojhun]

Battery weight is not the main reason why the car is heavy. It's the formfactor of a SUV with 3 meter wheel base, it's just a big practical body. Even ICE cars of similar shape are not light. Turning it into a sports car is just a wacky idea.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Maybe not the main reason, but current battery technology is not exactly light. Hyundai lists the weight of the battery pack in the 5 N as just a little over 1000lbs, and that's not including motors or drivetrain. Interestingly, my wife's non-N Ioniq 5 (extended range, SE trim) is listed at 4255lbs, and it's actually got a couple more bits of equipment on it, like power seats.

[@roadfordays]

Our VW e-Golf only weighed 3300 pounds, but the battery was 1/3 the size and the car was at least one size down the ladder. The upcoming, smaller Kia EV3 or EV4 (or Hyundai equivalents) with this powertrain would be absolute monsters.

[@EdwardBartel]

I don't need to subscribe to car reviews for my normal KZbin feed, but anyone that has a Skinny Puppy sticker on his laptop gets an automatic follow from me!

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

Nice to see we have viewers of impeccable taste and class :)

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

(By the way that Corvette valve cover on the shelf behind me is signed by the entire band)

[@EdwardBartel]

@@Grassrootsmotorsports wow! Recent tour or earlier? I really wanted to see them on this last tour but the only dates near me had unbreakable commitments.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

@@EdwardBartel Mostly recent, but Will Morrison is on there, too. Matthew Setzer is a good friend and also a GRM superfan, so we always try and visit each other at work a couple times a year.

[@mattm9619]

I just can't wrap my brain around the piped in engine noise I guess I want to hate the idea.

[@Grassrootsmotorsports]

I hear you and respect this, but the implementation is absolutely flawless in this case. I was also not prepared for just how much the noise and vibration adds to my process of going fast. It's another consistent sensory input to base your timing on.

[@maliburlxi5851]

The technology is very cool. Still years away from doing a full track weekend with say 8 to 10 lapping sessions. What I dislike is the bait and switch of people saying it's free to drive. True now but the switch is coming and EV owners will start paying for infrastructure and energy. Its not a sustainable model to expect others to continue to pay for others energy and infrastructure use. I😊t's not smart to create a customer base that expect going forward that they won't have to pay for anything.

[@roadfordays]

There are already Superchargers at this track and Buttonwillow, and you can use them in this car with widely available 3rd party adapters already (though you use the adapters at your own risk until there is an official Hyundai/Tesla option). More tracks will get on board. And any track with 40 amp hookups can add 10%+ to this battery in the time between your next run. 40 amps probably wouldn't get you 8 sessions in a day, but I've literally never been to a track day that offered more than 6 sessions to any run-group, and many only offer 5.

[@_Chev_Chelios]

Pro Tip: ya can’t bend laws of physics.

[@Malibu1515]

Lord take me now. I no longer wish to witness this cluterf__ked future

[@_Chev_Chelios]

For only 2700 more pounds you could take your Cadillac Escalade EXT around the track (with 6 or 7 friends and all of their stuff). And you would probably win any normal length race because the range of the Cadillac is over 500 miles.

[@JohnLee-db9zt]

Are you being serious? 😂

[@dlombana161]

If serious…this is peak “tell us you’ve never been on track without telling us…”

[@jeenhur8804]

609+41 horsepower