Tesla isn't synonymous with build quality. But even so, Tesla's electric vehicles are in a league of their own as far as consumer demand is concerned. Be it the T-shaped badge or the ridiculous performance of the Performance and Plaid specifications, the American company has no equal in the EV space.
The question is, who is going to pick the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N at $66,100 for destination over the Model Y Performance at $52,490? According to the South Korean challenger, the N-branded Ioniq 5 comes with all the bells and whistles from the outset. Over at Tesla, prospective customers of the Model Y Performance are charged extra for loads of stuff, including any paint other than Stealth Gray.
Think $1,000 for white or blue, $2,000 for black or red, $1,000 for a tow hitch, another $1,000 for the black and white interior, a staggering $6,000 for the misleadingly named Enhanced Autopilot, and a simply preposterous $12,000 for the very misleadingly named Full Self-Driving Capability. It definitely adds up, but we're not looking at this difference in pricing from the right perspective.
As opposed to the Model Y Performance, which is a balancing act between straight-line performance and techy stuff that makes tech bros that little bit cringier, the Ioniq 5 N is 100 percent focused on the performance. Both in a straight line and in the corners, that is. Hyundai also gifted it with something called N Active Sound+ and N e-shift to make the transition from ICE to EV smoother, but in truth, artificial engine sounds and simulating the power-shift feeling of gear changes is also cringe.
The cold, hard numbers are not, with Ioniq 5 N delivering maximum acceleration performance with up to 10 seconds at a time. Hyundai promises 3.25 seconds from zero to 60 miles per hour (97 kilometers per hour) with N Grin Boost and N Launch Control activated, whereas the MYP does that in a claimed 3.5 seconds.
Photo: Hyundai
Top speed? 162 miles per hour versus 155 miles per hour (just around 260 versus 250 kilometers per hour). Driving range? For some reason or another, Hyundai did not publish the EPA's estimate. It should be worse than the Model Y Performance, though, which offers 279 miles (449 kilometers).
Available in six paint colors over a Performance Blue and Black interior, the Ioniq 5 N can surely hold its own in the corners thanks to dual-motor AWD, Pirelli P Zero 275/35 R21s, and a set of lightweight forged alloys. Visually distinctive from lesser versions of the Ioniq 5 both inside and out, the go-faster N brings the point home with shin support and knee pads.
Even the seats are mounted 0.79 inches lower compared to the Ioniq 5, while the N sits 0.79 inches closer to the ground as well. Better still, Hyundai understood that it needs to deliver a fun yet comfortable vehicle. In this regard, the heated and ventilated track-ready seats stand out the most.
Rated at 601 horsepower by default or 641 horsepower with N Grin Boost, the Ioniq 5 N is – for the time being – the most powerful Hyundai entitled to wear a license plate. Its high starting price, on the other hand, will make plenty of prospective customers reconsider their options in the performance-oriented EV segment. That Tesla badge is way more special than Hyundai's, right?
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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