The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N even manages to impress BMW.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is one of the first EVs that even seasoned petrolheads say is going in the right direction. In terms of figures, it is nothing more or nothing less than the next EV, so a high car weight but a lot of horsepower and therefore especially good for sprints. Although you could drive an Ioniq 5 N through a bend better than many other EVs.
N mode
No, where Hyundai really scores is that they actually put the best of both worlds in the Ioniq 5 N. Because what counts in a petrol car that you don’t have with an EV? Sound and a transmission. So Hyundai has come up with the following: in the special N mode, the car emulates the engine sound (of an Elantra N) and the torque curve is adjusted so that it seems as if the car has gears, whether or not you operate them yourself. EV skeptics suddenly have their EV with engine noise, but at the push of a button it is the silent driving experience that an EV normally offers. On paper it’s perfect and as mentioned: serious car journalers are impressed by what Hyundai has done with the Ioniq 5 N.
BMW interested
Not just car journal, also other car brands. BMW M boss Frank van Meel says that the efforts to make the Ioniq 5 N feel like a petrol car are an inspiration for the brand. In fact, the first electric BMW M (the (i)M3) could well have the same emulated engine noise and ‘accelerations’.
Feedback
According to Van Meel it is quite simple: the way Hyundai has approached it provides feedback. And that’s not only a way to make skeptical gas drinkers feel more at one with the car, it’s also useful. How do you know how much you are kicking an EV on its tail? Not, unless you look at the speedometer. With gears and sound you know better which part of the ‘speed range’ you are in and that can be useful. Van Meel confirms that it is not just putting feathers in Hyundai’s rear end – they are also working on it themselves.
Variation
BMW wants to take a different approach in terms of simulated accelerations, but Van Meel is not saying much about that yet. Even though the M boss thinks that an engine sound for an EV is possible without making it feel ‘fake’, the brand wants to tackle it without gimmicks. So not like with a Renault Clio RS that you can blast the sound of an F1 car or Nissan GT-R through the speakers. The goal will be ‘a new dimension for a purist sports car’. It sounds exciting, but is it? (via Top Gear)
