The regular Ioniq 5 has a good interior and it is enhanced in this N version.
On the one hand, the upgrades are traditional ‘performance car’. There are some nicer pedals and a 370mm sports steering wheel that’s roughly the same size as what you will find in an RS-badged Porsche, as well as a pair of purposeful yet comfortable, figure-hugging seats. They allow for a hip point 20mm lower than you get in the standard Ioniq 5, the driving position of which would not have been appropriate for a performance car.
Alas, the posture you adopt in the N still isn’t wholly convincing, and the cavernous space around you, which otherwise makes the Ioniq 5 such an excellent family car, diminishes the sense of sporting intent a touch, but ergonomically this cockpit still inspires enough confidence to enjoy driving the car fast.
As well as the racy additions, the Ioniq 5 N generally also feels more luxurious than the standard car. There are fewer hard plastics on show, and there’s a more useful set of centre console bins. The fixed centre console also has subtle knee pads on its flanks – a signal of intent if ever there was one. The same can be said for the airbag cover: there’s no Hyundai logo to be seen here, just an enormous ‘N’.
In short, it’s all very usable, and there are real buttons for the things you need while driving – useful in a car that, ridiculously, will officially hit 60mph in a time more or less equal to that of a McLaren F1.
We should also touch on one of the overt strengths of the regular car, which is carried over into the N. That is the huge reserves of second-row leg room, which is superior to what you find in any traditional super-saloon. It’s the same story for head room.
Hyundai is currently readying an Ioniq 6 N, and while that car will have certain in-built advantages over its hatchback-shaped sibling, passenger ergonomics will still play second fiddle to the overgrown hatchback shape espoused by the 5.
Multimedia system
The Ioniq 5 N uses the regular car’s 12.3in central touchscreen. It’s paired with another 12.3in screen that functions as an instrument display.
The standard car’s useful smattering of physical switchgear is also present, and makes changing the volume and adjusting the climate controls hassle-free. There is, however, no doubt that the touchscreen display itself is a little too far from the driver for comfort, and prodding icons required more of a reach than any of our testers would have liked.
The Ioniq 5 N’s brace of large displays do provide a mountain of information, mind – including tyre pressures, temperature of each motor and the battery, g-force, plus brake and throttle utilisation. You will find the settings for the N’s various dynamic toys too. The use of a big central speedo – or yellow rev counter, if you so choose – also adds a touch of flair to proceedings. When you are not using the native system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are quite neatly integrated.
