The first sound is Evolution, almost space-inspired, the second is Supersonic and recalls fighter planes, the third is Ignition and reproduces the 4-cylinder of the i30 N. And not only to the ear, but also in the vibrations at idle, in the I muttered at the exhaust and at the possibility of degassing from a standstill. The effect is guaranteed, but it is even more surprising when the simulation of the 8-speed dual clutch gearbox is activated. The progression of the thrust and the jerks at each shift, accompanied by the sound of the engine, are virtual, but absolutely… real, even more so when the rev counter needle reaches the red scale – 7,500 rpm “false” because in reality the engines can rev up to 21,000 rpm – triggers the limiter with the typical hiccups that invite you to shift to a higher gear. If we hadn’t known anything about the Ioniq 5 N before getting in it and found it already “on”, it would have been really difficult to understand that it doesn’t even have a piston.
Equally interesting is the possibility of having 0.6 G of deceleration (equal to intense braking on a normal road) through the energy recovery system which, if the latter cannot be sent entirely to the battery, activates the brake discs. This way, you can focus more on the trajectories. It’s true that there isn’t the pleasure of “braking”, but you drive in a cleaner and more precise way and, given the data in hand, a normal driver obtains the same lap times much easier. To those who see something like this as a degradation of their driving ability, it must be said that coasting – that is, lifting the accelerator in advance before pressing the brake pedal for braking in order to prolong the energy recovery phase – it is already part of competitions at the highest level such as Formula 1, Formula E and prototype endurance racing. Therefore, being good pilots also combines this skill today.
The other functions created thanks to the mix of software and electrification are the drift mode and the possibility of modifying the torque distribution between the two axles from 0 to 100% as desired, simply by moving the finger along a touch cursor on the central 12-inch screen. .3” which, together with another of the same size in front of the driver, forms a single control panel full of information on everything, even the temperature of the individual motors and batteries and the level of foot pressure on the brake pedal. A beautiful video game that builds a real bridge between real and virtual driving and between the car’s hardware and its immaterial part, but also between reason and sensation. In fact, the Ioniq 5 N is certainly faster without playing with the gearbox and its other gadgets, but it also allows more traditional drivers to rediscover the usual sensorial references that are part of the pleasure of driving.
To those who might accuse it of being just a console on four wheels, the Ioniq 5 N responds on paper with all the changes we listed above and which translate into a truly high level of driving. On the road it is fast, easy to handle even when you exploit all the thrust of its engines and put it to the test on the curve-filled routes found around Montserrat. And then you just need to turn on the indicator – it has automatic lane change assistance – and touch the accelerator to overtake in a flash. And it is also unexpectedly comfortable, because rustling and rolling are well contained, thanks also to the laminated front windows, the suspensions isolate it well from the road and even the seats, contrary to what their shape would lead one to believe, also offer good comfort for travelling. The actual autonomy is not far from the declared one of 448 km. Always if you drive it within the limits.
We also tested the Ioniq 5 N on the Castellolì track. Here the goodness of the hardware emerges even more. The Korean sports car obviously likes precise driving, but even when driven like Garibaldi it never gets upset, always remaining controllable when braking and capable of finding support, despite its natural inertia and its wheelbase of a good 3 metres.