Until I drove the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, I didn’t realize how boring many other EVs were.

Having ridiculous power numbers, like many EVs have, doesn’t work the same in the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 5 N. Rather than build a heavy, ubiquitous electric vehicle that goes fast in a straight line, Hyundai did something different. They built the FIRST FUN EV. I was so enamored with the N, I only have one (1) gripe. I’ll cover that quibble at the end.

I know: it’s a bold statement, but hear me out. Not only does the Ioniq 5 N make 601 horsepower and 740 lb-ft of torque as its standard number, there’s a special button that does more. On the steering wheel, there’s the “N Grin Boost” button, and when you push it, you get a ten-second boost with 40 more HP, and 30 more lb-ft of torque – instantly. After that squirt of sheer bliss, the Ioniq 5 N needs a breather before you use it again. With its larger 84-kWh battery, I would imagine playing with this button would kill its already limited range.

Like its brother, it has 350 kW fast charging capability, but good luck finding any charger in California that allows the max.

Then, there’s the N e-shift. It is totally a gimmick, one that won’t make the car any faster (some say slower), but…I drank the Kool-Aid and I adore it. Simply put, the N e-shift simulates a car’s sound, and it interrupts power for a split second, as if to make it feel like a conventional internal-combustion sports vehicle. It’s odd, but it works so well.

For a caveman like me, it makes the N feel sportier as it fills all of my senses. I got a chance to drive it though some curvy roads, and on the Laguna Seca racetrack flat-out. It takes a minute, and it has a nostalgic video game feel (think earlier PlayStation games), but it works.

Unlike many EVs that wish you silently to terminal-velocity, the Ioniq 5 N gives you a sense that you’re speeding up. It blips a bit as you slow as well, and this helps you understand that you’re scrubbing off speed. Honestly, it made me feel like I could have understanding of what the car was doing, even though most of it is simulated.

Yes, you can paddle shift, but I let the car do the work as faking I’m Verstappen on a serious racetrack is already a bad idea. In race mode, it feels light on its toes. Imagine a Coyote pulling a dried carcass off the highway, that type of adhesion is what you get with the Pirelli P Zeros, AND the outstanding traction control system.

You can select front, rear or all-wheel drive (AWD) at the push of a button

Weighing in at 4,861 pounds, it takes less-than-expected effort to bring the N down from over 100-mph dashes. It has 15.7-inch front brake discs and 14.2-inch rear brake discs, which are enhanced by the aggressive regenerative braking system. I drove a regular Ioniq 5 from coast-to-coast, and them some. It was great, but it felt kind of heavy.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, which isn’t that much lighter, feels lighter altogether. The interior has a few revisions, including a purpose-built steering wheel with lots of fun buttons. They added a different (fixed) center armrest, and the front seats work as racing seats, but aren’t too uncomfortable for chunky monkeys like me.

The rear seat is big enough for three-across seating, and the hatch-back storage area is very utilitarian. In fact: that kind of enters the territory of my only (yes – ONLY) gripe. They keep calling this an SUV, and it simply isn’t. It’s a hatchback in my book. Just like a WRX hatchback, or the Toyota Corolla GR… only this one is bigger, and it’s an EV.

There’s a lot to unpack about this vehicle, and you can lear a lot more by watching this video: