Hyundai Ioniq5N (2025) Review

PEOPLE are obsessed with brand, labels, monikers but here’s an admission, they aren’t always the be all and end all.

Would you believe it if I told you that I actually prefer a Korean electric SUV to a 12 cylinder supercar that costs eight times as much. Would you? Probably not. But then I’m strange like that.

But it’s not just any Korean electric SUV, it’s the Hyundai Ioniq5N and it is stunning in every respect.

The acid test for me is ‘fun’ and while the supercar is impressive and it may turn heads aplenty, it could never be described as much fun.

Hyundai’s normal Ioniq5 is pretty impressive to start with but add the ‘N’ to the badge and things head ballistically to another level.

There’s a red button on the streeting wheel marked with the letters NGB. That stands for N Grin Boost. Press it, floor the throttle and the world becomes a blur as it unleashes 650HP in incredible electric fashion.

That means it will sprint from rest to the legal limit of 60mph in just 3.2 seconds – that’s the same as the supercar by the way but because it is electric it feels even more instantaneous somehow.

Normally this level of performance would scare the bejesus out of you as the brutality of the power delivery would threaten to fling you off the road. But the N boasts all-wheel-drive and an electric diff which work together to put the power down in such a controlled fashion that driver confidence balloons. Now I’m not talking reckless or illegal rather a real-road punch that is truly exhilarating and grin splitting fun.

Now purists would shrug and complain that the EV isn’t a proper car; it doesn’t make any noise for goodness sake. Well this one makes a variety of noises, from supersonic jet engine, complete with sonic boom effect, to throaty combustion motor, which come through the eight speakers in the cabin. I think there’s even a space ship in there somewhere.

Also, very cleverly, if you press another N button on the steering wheel that activates the sound, it also turns the paddle shifts, which normally activate different levels of brake regeneration, into a virtual gearchange. It’s incredibly realistic and works so well that you would swear you are in a powerful petrol engine-powered vehicle. Now that is fun.

The handling is great too. The ride is firm but not uncomfortable, the steering is razor sharp with plenty of feel and cabin control is spot on. It corners nice and flat and feels beautifully balanced. When you push on through the bends you can detect the all-wheel-drive hunting for the best grip and it always feels planted and confidence-inspiring.

The crazy thing is that the N feels every bit a supercar and you quickly forget it’s a practical, capable crossover.

Ioniq5N is a substantial SUV. It doesn’t feel big to drive, quite the opposite in fact, but it is actually a sizable vehicle. So it will accommodate five adults in perfect comfort and has decent luggage carrying capacity too.

It doesn’t look too different from the normal Ioniq5 but is differentiated by coloured accents body mouldings and 21in alloys, but nothing too over the top.

Inside they share a long, wide virtual dash and touchscreen, contemporary steering wheel, sports seats and a central storage unit making the cabin one of the most flexible around.

Ioniq5N is a car that is attracting cult status among those who love their cars. It’s a fantastically well designed and made SUV, with supercar credentials, at a fraction of the price. I know which one I prefer.

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