The 2024 Ioniq 5 N Is Now The Most Expensive Hyundai In America

Hyundai has made strides in increasing its cars’ desirability and attractiveness over the years. Once known for value and low prices, which, let’s be honest, it really had no right to attach high prices to its cars back in the day, the average transaction price for a new Hyundai has crept up. Hyundai customers now pay an average of $35,445 for their car, which is more than $10,000 from a decade ago. That’s clearly a sign that people perceive Hyundai a lot differently than a decade ago.

Just how much will you be willing to pay for a brand-new Hyundai in 2024? Granted, if you want something more premium from the brand, that’s when you have to start looking at your nearest Genesis showroom. But if you want the most expensive car with a Hyundai badge on it, then you’ll have to ask your sales agent about the new Ioniq 5 N.

In order to give you the most up-to-date and accurate information possible, the data used to compile this article was sourced from various manufacturer websites and other authoritative sources, including Hyundai and CarEdge.

The Ioniq 5 N Shows How Far Hyundai Has Come

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N was unveiled in the middle of 2023 to huge fanfare. The first electric vehicle (EV) to wear the Hyundai N badge is set to arrive in the United States at your nearest dealership as soon as this March already, but before heading to your nearest Hyundai dealership, here’s how much you’ll need to shell out for an Ioniq 5 N.

The Ioniq 5 N Starts At $66,100

With a price tag of $66,100, the Ioniq 5 N is the most expensive Hyundai ever. Are customers ready to pay that much money for a Hyundai? That’s something we’ll have to wait and see, but it’s worth noting that the Ioniq 5 N isn’t just your typical humble Hyundai–or even your typical humble EV for that matter.

But how does its price tag compare against its sister from another Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) brand, the Kia EV6 GT? Well, the Kia EV6 GT costs $61,600, which is less than the Ioniq 5 N. That’s not to say that Hyundai is overcharging customers for the Ioniq 5 N, because in the performance hierarchy of HMG, Kia’s GT performance vehicles sit below Hyundai’s N. That’s something you’ll eventually realize later in the article. Now, as for the Tesla Model Y Performance, the Ioniq 5 N is likewise more expensive, since it even undercuts the price tag of the EV6 GT.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 N vs. Competition

(Specs sourced from respective automakers)

Everything Already Comes As Standard

Even though the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the most expensive vehicle that the brand has ever made, the South Korean automaker hasn’t forgotten its value-for-money roots. Most automakers still tend to hide a few features behind options and packages as opposed to offering them as standard–even in higher-end vehicles.

That’s not the case with the Ioniq 5 N, because apart from the $1,375 destination fee, everything else already comes as standard–even the fun and the smiles you’ll get when driving this EV. Hyundai Motor North America COO José Muñoz is even proud to highlight that the Ioniq 5 N is indeed “fully equipped”.

“Hyundai N is a key driver of advanced technology expansion throughout Hyundai. N brand technology and motorsport success proves Hyundai’s ability to push the envelope, and our fully equipped Ioniq 5 N delivers a new level of driver engagement in the world of all-electric high performance. We are confident that both current Hyundai customers and new buyers will be impressed with the exceptional dynamism, emotion, and innovation of our new Ioniq 5 N.”
José Muñoz, President and Global COO, Hyundai Motor Company and President and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America

Fully Equipped With Power And Smiles

As mentioned, the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N doesn’t come with any form of optional extras. This means that you get all the performance upgrades that the Hyundai N engineers have given the Ioniq 5, whether it’s chassis, suspension, or more importantly, the more powerful electric motors and bigger 84 kWh battery. Oh, and it’s also worth mentioning that the 84 kWh battery is also going to be fitted to the Long Range version of the upcoming mid-cycle facelift for the standard Ioniq 5.

An EV Masquerading As An ICE-Powered Hot Hatch

As a recap, the Ioniq 5 N has a dual-motor all-wheel drive (AWD) drivetrain that has an output of 601 horses and 545 pound-feet of torque. The power figure jumps to 641 horsepower in N Grin Boost mode, and this lets the Ioniq 5 N sprint from 0-100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.4 seconds. However, unlike other high-performance EVs, the Ioniq 5 N is trying to be a hot hatch with an internal combustion engine (ICE).

This is due to stuff like the N Active Sound+, which, through a bespoke speaker system, creates synthesized engine noises in three different flavors. There’s a mode that mimics Hyundai N’s 2.0-liter turbo-four (pops and bangs included), an “Evolution” option that mimics the EV noises of the RN22e concept, and a “Supersonic” theme inspired by twin-engine fighter jets.

If an EV has sound, then might as well add fake gear shifts as well. Called the N e-Shift, this makes use of the paddle shifters that would otherwise be used to adjust the regenerative braking to simulate upshifts and downshifts from a dual-clutch transmission (DCT). Yes, the electric motors have been programmed in a way to deliver a power interruption when “changing gears”. Plus, it also includes the bouncing that happens when an engine hits a rev limiter. This feature, however, can be turned off, along with the N Active Sound+.

Rally-Bred Handling

Furthermore, the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N has been imbued with everything that the N engineers have learned from their experience with rallying. The dual-motor AWD system has N Torque Distribution, which can adjust the torque split of the front and rear motors at 11 different levels. These adjustments make the AWD system rear-biased, front-biased, or offer an even 50-50 torque split. The electric motors also have an N Drift Optimizer, which is a mode that allows the driver to easily enter a drift.

Further building on its identity as an EV masquerading as an ICE car is the Torque Kick Drift function, which simulates the kicking of a clutch in a manual car when cornering to enter a drift. However, since the Ioniq 5 N is obviously not fitted with a manual, the Torque Kick Drift function simply sends a surge of torque to the rear wheels for the rear end to let itself loose.

But what if you don’t want to be a hooligan or a rally driver and want to achieve the fastest lap times possible? Well, the Ioniq 5 N can also oblige. You can use the N Battery Pre-Conditioning as a way to warm up the batteries at their most power-efficient temperature. From there, you can choose Track mode, which then optimizes the battery temperature for sustained laps.

Furthermore, N Race adjusts the suspension, brakes, power delivery, and battery conditioning based on two sub-modes: Endurance and Sprint. Endurance is focused on limiting power to slow down temperature build-up, while Sprint focuses on intense, short bursts of acceleration for the battery’s energy programming.

Everything Else That You Get In The Ioniq 5 N

Apart from the obvious upgrade in terms of performance, the Ioniq 5 N will also have to stand out with the way it looks. After all, if you’re paying $66,100 for a Hyundai, it better look the part.

A Mean-Looking Electric Machine

The 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N sets itself apart through its front fascia, which is characterized by what Hyundai now calls its “N Mask graphic fascia”. This is basically the combination of the blacked-out central section of the front bumper, in which below it is a wider air intake with Luminous Orange accents at the front lip. Those orange highlights continue onto the side skirts, in which you’ll see on each end a set of forged 21-inch wheels wrapped in Pirelli P Zero summer tires.

Finally, the rear end comes with an orange-accented rear diffuser, a triangular third brake light integrated at the rear tailgate spoiler, and a rear bumper with checkered flag graphics. Oh, and it’s probably worth mentioning that the Ioniq 5 N comes with a rear wiper–a feature that has been missing in the Ioniq 5 range for the longest time.

An Interior With Sportier Intentions

Interior upgrades to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 are much more minor compared to the exterior. These include, but are not limited to, new, sporty steering with bespoke N buttons such as the aforementioned N Grin Boost and metal paddle shifters. The expected sports seats with aggressive bolstering and suede inserts are also part of the upgrade, along with knee and shin pads on the center console for support when cornering.

It’s also worth noting that the software running the two 12.3-inch screens is new, and it’s what HMG calls their connected car Navigation Cockpit (ccNC). ccNC first appeared in the Kia EV9, and it has been adopted by the Kona and now, the Ioniq 5 N.