Automotive

As the Taycan is very unlikely to make it into our garage - the interior space simply doesn’t suffice for our family - the Hyundai Ionic 5N seemed one of the few sensible alternatives. 

While the design is supposed to lean on a Giugiaro concept for a Hyundai Pony Coupe from the 1970s, to me some Delta resemblance is present (and definitely not unwelcome).

Another aspect differentiating the Ioniq 5N from the standard electric cars are the large performance tires (and these are not just for show). The aggressive rubber will probably not help with the range but it certainly helps in how it moves. 

The interior is not exotic by any stretch of imagination but everything is well designed and executed. The steering wheel is conventional in shape and fortunately not too thick (in spite of the large ex-BMW team working at Hyundai, this is one of the unfortunate design elements of their former employer they luckily didn’t take over).

In addition to the standard cruise control and stereo / phone controls you get four driver focused buttons - one cycling through the driving modes, a NGB button for the short term extra boost and two N buttons, activating the N mode (more on which shortly). The main driver display also has a fun and quite practical feature of showing the dead angle as a live feed from a camera in the rear view mirror when you use the indicator. Small detail but well thought through. 

As for the rest of the interior, it’s practical rather than spectacular and the display style inductive buttons for controlling the air on are surprisingly functional (not always the case with these).

The seats are both comfortable and offer the necessary grip to keep you in place during more vigorous cornering. I wish those in the Emira were as good. 

Getting to the most important element - how does it actually drive? And if I was to use a single word to describe it, it would be ‘impressive’. The car is the result of the work of Albert Biermann, whose previous playground was BMWs M Division. And he and his team got enough free rein to really show what could be done. 

The fact that electric cars accelerate well is old news. It will out accelerate the Mercedes E63S AMG to 200kmh and beyond and while the difference is small, having a car costing half as much being able to consistently do that is impressive. In addition it will do it with the same level of otherworldly grip. The one difference is that in the normal Sport mode, mashing the throttle will give you a shove up the back like that you simply never feel on the AMG. The instantaneous pick up is something no combustion engine can match. Using the NGB button adds an over boost function, although situations where it might really be necessary on public roads are few and far between. 

If you’re a lifelong ICE proponent the experience might be somewhat disconcerting and here Hyundai decided to help us oldtimers out with the N Mode. Here the car simulates (and rather well I must say) a more conventional ICE engine with engine sounds (not a melodious V12 😉) and breaks in acceleration akin to gear changes. While I felt this was completely unnecessary on the highway, on a curvy country road it made it so much easier to drive (I guess we will all get used to the idiosyncrasies of electric cars sooner rather than later, than it will become irrelevant but for now it’s a useful feature). It is ultimately a little bit slower this way but at the same time will feel more ‘usual’ so if you jump into an electric car for the first time it will be a much smaller change.

Actually hardly a change at all, and that’s part of the car’s appeal. It simply drives like a well sorted super saloon, and in the N mode you can completely forget it’s an electric car. 

The turn of speed it generates is exceptional and the fact that it can carry this through bends and corners equally well is nothing short of astounding. Adding almost 200kg on top of the certainly not light E63 and yet being able to generate the same corner speeds on first acquaintance - hat off. 

And it’s far from an inert, like on rails experience either. The rear will nicely complement the chosen line if you apply the throttle accordingly and at the same time demonstrate that it’s rock solid at all times. It really is a true tour de force. 

The one aspect where you feel the size and weight is when braking suddenly and strongly. It tracks true and the braking distances are very short but you feel what forces are at play. 

As this is an everyday type of vehicle, unlike the Alpine and Lotus, some more mundane points, too. The cruise control will offer a solid Level 2, meaning you can let go off the wheel on a motorway and country road and it will easily follow the road and break and accelerate appropriately - in that respect it really does as good a job as the E and better than the recent BMWs I have tried. 

It can do the electric car bits just as well as performance driving, with what would be shift paddles in an ICE car here regulating the recuperation. One pedal driving is easily done if you so desire, and at the same time you can fine tune it to require normal throttle and brake application as well - whatever you prefer in a given situation. 

Overall I have to say I came away more impressed than with either the Alpine or the Lotus. No, it is not a competitor and that doesn’t mean that an Alpine or something like it will not enter our household eventually. 

But having an electric 2,3 ton brick easily take it up with an AMG that has been perfected over decades and generations is a feat I truly didn’t expect. 

I know several members here are highly skeptical when it comes to electric propulsion but on the basis of this car I think we could be in for a treat over the coming years. With performance so far unimaginable and done at a much more democratic price point at the same time. 

All I can say is that you should definitely give it a try 👍🏻

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