Reviews

The all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 is already a favorite, earning a spot on our 10Best Trucks and SUVs list. With strong range figures, sharp styling, and accessible pricing, it’s easy to see why. If you were looking for something with more inspiring performance, however, you’d have to look to the related Kia EV6 GT, but that all changes with the new 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which should be arriving in the U.S. this coming March.Hyundai could have taken the path of least resistance and mimicked the EV6 GT. Instead, with former BMW M division chief Albert Biermann leading the charge, the madmen within the N performance brand decided that anything worth doing is worth overdoing. The N treatment is far more than just a boost in power, a suspension retune, and some extraneous badging and spoilers. Among other things, the chassis has been reinforced with more bracing, welds, and adhesives. Additional cooling has been added to handle more demanding power needs, and as for the suspension, it has been drastically overhauled for track-ready handling.The Ioniq 5’s unique styling remains, though the N variant sits 0.79 inch lower and expands 2.0 inches in width and 3.2 inches in length, courtesy of a pronounced rear diffuser. Additional aero panels and reddish-orange accent splashes further give it a high-performance look without being garish. As far as actual performance goes, the all-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 N increases its output to a maximum of 641 horsepower. That’s more than double the standard Ioniq 5’s 320-hp max rating. Battery capacity also increases from 77.4 to 84 kilowatt-hours. Standard 21-inch wheels are shod with 275-width, three-season, high-performance Pirelli P Zeros. The monoblock brake calipers have a distinct Brembo look to them in the same way the front seats resemble Recaros, but they’re both Hyundai-sourced. There is also a long list of new performance features and settings, all starting with the letter N.We had the opportunity to sample the Ioniq 5 N on an abbreviated Korea International Circuit, which hosted a few Formula 1 races last decade. Not surprisingly, acceleration is immediate. Hyundai estimates the car will reach 60 mph in less than 3.3 seconds on its way to a 162-mph top speed. What was surprising was the sound. The N Active Sound+ feature tries to approximate the sound of an internal-combustion engine with a video game–like synthesis. The sound could certainly be improved, but we found ourselves enamored with it when combined with the N e-Shift function that simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.You’re likely rolling your eyes as much as we did when we learned of this combo feature, but it fundamentally changes the 5 N’s character—for the better. Not only is it good enough to overcome our prejudice, it got us chuckling with joy. Using the shift paddles on full-throttle, no-lift shifts, you get an instant and violent race-like gearchange that snaps your head back. Lift off the pedal and you get a series of crackles and pops that reminded us of the raucous Jaguar F-Type. It adds an entirely new dimension of driver engagement that is missing in other EVs, in the way a manual transmission does for a Porsche 911 or a Mazda Miata. The sound can also be heard from the outside, but it’s not overly brash. Count us pleasantly surprised, but if you’re not convinced, you can turn these features off.Then there’s the handling. We had a Hyundai engineer riding shotgun to give us a taste of the numerous drive modes and settings during our seven laps around the track. With N mode activated, the Ioniq 5 N feels balanced and very controllable, which also equates to slightly boring for track use. Enter N Torque Distribution, which allows you to select how much power is sent to the rear wheels. We were partial to the maximum rear bias setting, as it allows for some tail-happy antics. The 5 N is incredibly easy to hustle around the curves, gently feeding in throttle and laying down thin stripes of rubber. We tried to provoke some snap oversteer with a quick lift and stomp of the foot midcorner, and the Ioniq obliged. In an instant we were pointing toward the inside of the turn, but it was easy to recover with some countersteering and measured pedal application. It behaves just as a typical rear-drive coupe might. Kudos, Mr. Biermann. His deft touch is also felt in braking, as the pedal is linear with an appropriate amount of effort. It’s as seamless as a conventional sports car when you’re trailing it deep into turns, and you can even left-foot brake if that’s your thing. The N Brake Regen feature increases the amount of deceleration when lifting off the throttle, allowing you to more gracefully weave from turn to turn. Biermann was aiming for enough regeneration to get the tail to break loose, but that was a battle he lost, at least for now. Impressively, regenerative braking is active even when dipping into anti-lock territory.Getting back to the N Torque Distribution, you can significantly change the handling behavior by shifting the power bias to the front, which dials in more understeer. This kind of adjustability is an intriguing addition, along with the many other settings. It might be a bit daunting for some, but if you’ve ever delved into tuning a car in the Forza or Gran Turismo game series, this could be geek heaven for you. If you’ve tuned your own suspension in real life, you’ll be amazed by how easy it is.Yet another feature, N Drift Optimizer, aims to allow novice drivers a limited drifting experience by selectively powering and braking specific wheels to induce oversteer. There’s also a Torque Kick Drift system that simulates a clutch dump; it’s triggered by holding both shift paddles and then releasing them. It seems plausible that this will work well, but on the skidpad, we found it challenging. We had better results by turning off all of the stability and traction nannies, sending all the power to the rear wheels, and having at it.Altogether, the Ioniq 5 N is a legitimate track-day weapon. It may not be the fastest car on track, but we’re convinced it’ll be one of the most entertaining. Outside of this specialized environment, it’s equally livable. The ride quality is firmer than the standard Ioniq 5 but not at all objectionable. Our public-road drive revealed the 5 N is just as easy to drive.Range is still an unknown, and official estimates aren’t expected until closer to the on-sale date. There are some notable drive modes to help ensure you won’t run out of juice mid-session, though. Hyundai claims the Endurance mode allowed the 5 N to complete two laps around the notorious Nürburgring Nordschleife without losing any performance on its eight-minute laps. The engineers also point to its 20-20-20 target (20 minutes of track time, 20 minutes of DC fast-charging, and another 20 minutes of track time). The Sprint mode throws all of that to the wind and unleashes maximum power.Related StoriesPrice is also an unknown, but considering the top Ioniq 5 Limited trim with all-wheel drive rings in just shy of $60,000, and the Kia EV6 GT stickers at almost $63,000, it’s not out of the question to assume the Ioniq 5 N will flirt with the $70,000 mark.We came away from the drive impressed by the Ioniq 5 N. It’s predictably playful and extraordinarily versatile. As the N brand’s first foray into the EV space, this apex Ioniq is an enticing portent of what’s to come. As Biermann proclaimed, “It’s like AC/DC meets BTS,” which is certainly one way to put it. Depending on price and range, it’s likely to be one of the most giggle-inducing EVs for less than six figures.SpecificationsSpecifications

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 NVehicle Type: front- and rear-motor, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE (C/D EST)
Base: $70,000
POWERTRAIN
Front Motor: permanent-magnet AC, 235 hpRear Motor: permanent-magnet AC, 406 hpCombined Power: 641 hpBattery Pack: liquid-cooled lithium-ion, 84.0 kWhOnboard Charger: 10.9 kWPeak DC Fast-Charge Rate: 238 kWTransmissions, F/R: direct-drive
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 118.1 inLength: 185.6 inWidth: 76.4 inHeight: 62.4 inPassenger Volume, F/R: 55/51 ft3Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 59/27 ft3Curb Weight (C/D est): 4900 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.1 sec100 mph: 7.7 sec1/4-Mile: 11.2 secTop Speed: 162 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 74/80/70 MPGeRange: 195 miContributing EditorWith a background in design and open-wheel racing, Mark Takahashi got his foot in the door as an art director on car and motorcycle magazines. He parlayed that into a career as an automotive journalist and has reviewed thousands of vehicles over the past few decades. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 24.7 secondsBase: $99,765 | As-Tested: $107,225Power and Weight: 668 hp • 4243 lb • 6.4 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S; F: 275/35ZR-19 (100Y) TPC, R: 305/30ZR-19 (102Y) TPCBrakes, F/R: 15.7-in vented disc/14.7-in vented discWith 6.2 liters of supercharged V-8 crammed into the Caddy’s engine bay, power-robbing heat soak was the primary obstacle to a quick run. Well, that and traction—Oscoda’s fresh pavement posed a challenge for our more muscular rear-drivers.We kept dialing down launch control—all the way down to 1300 rpm—and there was still a whole lot of torque modulation going on all the way through first gear. But the Caddy’s 668 horsepower asserted itself at high speed with the fourth-quickest 150-mph time, and its trackworthy brakes shrugged off that speed in 664 feet and felt like they’d be happy to keep doing so all day long. The Blackwing didn’t beat the GT3 RS, but the fact that it got within 0.3 second confirms its stature as one of the ultimate sports sedans ever built.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 22.5 secondsBase: $144,280 | As-Tested: $167,605Power and Weight: 670 hp • 3672 lb • 5.5 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R ZP; F: 275/30ZR-20 (97Y) TPC, R: 345/25ZR-21 (104Y) TPCBrakes, F/R: 15.7-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic disc/15.4-in vented, cross-drilled carbon-ceramic discThe Z06 is a road-course car, not a drag racer. But its performance here proved that it’s game to trip the beam at your nearest staging lights, cracking off an 11.3-second quarter-mile. The Z06’s launch control is manually adjustable, but we got the best times in auto mode, letting the car learn the surface and adjust its aggression accordingly. By about 144 mph, the numbers climb a digit at a time, so it’s relatively easy to get close to a true 150 mph. As you’d hope, the brakes are stupendous, and it’s all over a lot quicker than it started. The Z06 vanquished its natural foe, the GT3 RS, by almost two seconds, but its margin was narrower against another rival from inside its own brood—the Lingenfelter Corvette ZR1 from 1998, which completed the test in an astounding 23.3 seconds. Think about that: A naturally aspirated C4 Corvette, 25 years ago, could beat a modern Porsche GT3 RS and nearly hang with a C8 Z06. (In fact, the Lingenfelter’s 150-mph time, 15.6 seconds, bested everything at Oscoda except the 911 Turbo.) Makes you wonder what those folks could do with a C8.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 47.0 secondsBase: $34,015 | As-Tested: $34,015Power and Weight: 276 hp • 3196 lb • 11.6 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Sport 4S; 245/35ZR-19 (93Y) HNBrakes, F/R: 14.2-in vented disc/12.4-in vented discAs our own Csaba Csere pointed out in 1998, overcoming aerodynamic drag at 150 mph requires 3.38 times as much power as it does at 100 mph. That’s why Bonneville land-speed cars all look more like the sleek Elantra than the big-winged Civic, and it’s surely one reason why the Elantra N pulled ahead of the Civic by more than five seconds at 150 mph despite its 39-hp deficit. The rorty six-speed manual Hyundai was a handful off the line, requiring a 5000-rpm clutch engagement followed by judiciously managed wheelspin until it hooked up.Then, the driver had to remember that the N allows no-lift shifting—automotive abuse we avoid in testing unless the car has the no-lift feature. From there, it was a smooth ride, with the Hyundai pulling surprisingly hard above 140 mph. The brakes felt stable and strong despite recording one of the longer stops at 710 feet. Yes, the Elantra finished near the bottom of the pack. But we’re tickled that for $34,015, you can buy a four-door family sedan that can take you to 150 mph and back without a shrug.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 40.2 secondsBase: $47,405 | As-Tested: $47,405Power and Weight: 315 hp • 3419 lb • 10.9 lb/hpTires: Bridgestone Potenza S005, 235/35R-19 91Y +Brakes, F/R: 14.1-in vented, cross-drilled disc/12.2-in vented discAfter the tricky, tire-frying clutch drops of the Civic and the Elantra, launching the automatic, all-wheel-drive Golf R was as routine as clocking in for your shift at the 150-mph factory. One driver noted, “Put it in Special mode that’s labeled Nürburgring, push on the gas, push on the brake, rev it up, and it goes.” The Golf hit 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, and a buck-fifty requires 33.3 seconds. Since we were only pointing straight, there was little opportunity to touch the capacitive steering-wheel buttons by accident, so that was nice. The Golf’s brakes gave a little wiggle on one stop but otherwise felt the same every time, essentially duplicating the Civic’s stopping performance and erasing 150 mph in 6.2 seconds.True to its origins, the pocket rocket from the land of autobahns felt like it would be happy to stay at 150 mph for as long as we pleased.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 31.2 secondsBase: $62,925 | As-Tested: $63,100Power and Weight: 576 hp • 4815 lb • 8.4 lb/hpTires: Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 3 SUV, 255/40R-21 102YBrakes, F/R: 15.0-in vented disc/14.2-in vented disc On a recon run, without the complete array of test equipment active, the EV6 notched a 30.8-second pass, which would have put it ahead of the Supra. Alas, without the granular data, the score from the Russian judge got tossed, and the EV6 officially finished 0.1 second behind the Supra. That is still a quick time, and scrambling to 150 didn’t use as much juice as you’d think—about 5 percent of the battery’s charge per pass, 2 percent of which returns with a regen-friendly gentle stop. When throwing out the anchors in anger, the Kia’s brakes felt good but required a longest-in-test 756 feet of pavement. Launching the EV6 couldn’t be simpler: Press the GT button on the steering wheel to enable all 576 horsepower, brake-torque (which doesn’t seem to do anything, but why not?), and you’re off. Dispatching the quarter-mile in 11.8 seconds, the EV6 is reminiscent of the Bentayga—more motor than brakes but still puts up a nice number at the end of the run. In fact, if the EV6 had been there in 1998, it would have beaten every stock vehicle we tested, including the Dodge Viper. Not bad for a car with zero cylinders. Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 29.7 secondsBase: $67,155 | As-Tested: $74,500Power and Weight: 500 hp • 4025 lb • 8.1 lb/hpTires: Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS; F: 305/30ZR-19 (98Y), R: 315/30ZR-19 (100Y)Brakes, F/R: 15.4-in vented disc/14.0-in vented discWe’ve driven a lot of 5.0-liter Mustangs, so launching the Dark Horse was a familiar exercise: Be patient with the throttle, get it rolling, then go wide open. Get it hooked up, and 60 mph arrives in 4.3 seconds, which is normal Mustang stuff, really. It’s pretty much all as expected until you hit the brakes and your eyeballs get sucked out of your head.Did we predict that a Mustang would outbrake both the Corvette Z06 and the 911 Turbo S, posting a preposterous 569-foot stop from 150 mph? No, we did not. Credit those six-piston Brembos up front, super-sticky Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS rubber, and perhaps whatever high-speed downforce magic Ford worked in its new wind tunnel.Dark Horse owners will certainly bolt on superchargers and headers and all manner of horsepower-juicing aftermarket mods. We recommend not touching the brakes.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More

From the December 2023 issue of Car and Driver.0–150–0 mph: 31.1 secondsBase: $58,745 | As-Tested: $60,365Power and Weight: 382 hp • 3376 lb • 8.8 lb/hpTires: Michelin Pilot Super Sport; F: 255/35ZR-19 (96Y) ★, R: 275/35ZR-19 (100Y) ★Brakes, F/R: 13.7-in vented disc/13.6-in vented discAlthough this test doesn’t involve much lingering at triple-digit speeds, some cars spend enough time there to reveal foibles. And in the Supra’s case, the low-speed agility that makes it such fun on a twisty road manifests as unsettling jitters at high speeds. The truffle hunting starts at about 120 mph as the Supra nervously sniffs the edges of the lane. It regains its stability under braking, but we were glad for the wide expanse of the taxiway as we neared 150. Launching the Supra was fairly simple—keep the revs low, brake-torque it a little bit, and don’t light up the tires. Compared with its unexpected rival, the EV6, the Supra was notably slower to 60 mph (4.3 seconds versus 3.5) but reeled in the EV at higher speeds. It closed the gap to 0.4 second at 150 mph and then clawed back 0.5 second under braking. Yes, the Supra has strong brakes. And at 150 mph, you’re happy to use them.back to 0-150-0 Speed Test 2023Senior EditorEzra Dyer is a Car and Driver senior editor and columnist. He’s now based in North Carolina but still remembers how to turn right. He owns a 2009 GEM e4 and once drove 206 mph. Those facts are mutually exclusive. More