eNgaging into thrills

We got a chance to drive the Hyundai loniq 5 N in the pristine South Korean countryside. But what does it offer and how does it drive? We find out

The Ioniq 5 is not a new car for us. In fact, we have one in our long term test fleet and it is the same car we drove to Gurez Valley in Jammu and Kashmir recently. So when Hyundai invited us to drive another version of it, we thought how different can it be?

The first thing that caught our eye was how different the Ioniq 5 N looks. The car is draped in the N racing colours and that gives it road presence like nothing else. The bumpers have been redone and there are side skirts as well. The rear bumper has been revised too. The redesign allows for ducts that channel air across to aid aerodynamics as well as help cool the bigger brakes better. The N also rides on massive 21-inch wheels which have been smeared with Pirelli P-Zero low profile tyres. Overall the car sits lower too. To add to the stiffness, Hyundai has also glued and welded the bodyshell additionally to make it stronger. Even the suspension subframes have been further reinforced.

Step inside and one can find a grey and blacktoned cabin that is in sync with its hot-hatch credentials. The dash remains the same as the standard car but it gets added padding and bursts of the performance blue accents. Twin displays are offered with one serving as the instrument panel and the other as the infotainment screen. The steering wheel is also loaded with buttons (We particularly liked the NGB button in red). The centre console though is slightly different but it is very usable and has plenty of space for stowing items. The seats are very sporty and hold you back well because it is very much needed.