Watch the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N’s Party tricks teased (video)

Ahead of a debut expected this summer, Hyundai delivers a video of the new Ioniq 5 N winter testing its party tricks.

It’s less than six years since Hyundai delivered their first ‘N’ performance car with the i30 N and, despite expectations that Hyundai’s first effort at a proper ‘Hot Hatch’ would fall well short of the traditional VW and Ford market leaders, it arrived fully-formed and easily able to stand shoulder to shoulder with the best in sector.

In the intervening years, the world has moved on with EVs now dominating the future, and Hyundai is about to launch its first electric N car with the Ioniq 5 N expected to debut in the summer.

Ahead of that, Hyundai has been out winter testing in the Ioniq 5 N and has delivered a video of it playing with the i20 WRC on video (below) demonstrating some of its party tricks.

It’s clear Hyundai aims for ‘Top Trumps’ bragging rights with the 5 N’s big shout not just the anticipated performance – using the same underpinnings as the Kia EV6 GT and around 600bhp – but its ability to ‘play’ when you drive and deliver the thrills of sideways.

Key the fun factor is the n Drift Optimser which dictates where the lumps of torque go, tweaks the suspension, adapts steering and utilises the e-LSD to stop the normal nannies from keeping you on the straight and narrow and delivers full-blow drifting instead. Not only that, but there’s something called N Torque Kick which mimics what a manual car can do by disengaging drive at the back in a corner and slamming it back in to shove the tail out. Bonkers.

Hyundai’s N boss, Albert Biermann, said:

Our electric transition was spearheaded by the race-proven Veloster N ETCR and we sought to bridge motorsport technology to the road with the RN22e.

Now it is time to bring all this promise to our beloved customers and I am confident IONIQ 5 N will be able to deliver. We’ve been able to demonstrate IONIQ 5 N’s capability to provide driving fun even in the harshest conditions of Arjeplog, Sweden

Hyundai says all these tricks will make the 5 N more stable and exhilarating, but it’s hard to see many buyers opting to make use of the tricks on public roads.

Still, just like the Range Rover’s ability to go anywhere – even though owners never do – the Ioniq 5’s drifting tricks, Hyundai expects, will give the 5 N a USP in an ever more crowded world of performance EVs.

The debut of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is expected in the summer and is likely to cost the wrong side of £70k.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Winter Testing Video