This is the most fun you can have in an EV

​Oh Hyundai…where did this bundle of fun come from?

An €80k Ioniq 5 should not interest me or thrill me or, in any way, win me over to dedicate the lead highlight here on this weekly motor spread to it.

But after a week in the pocket rocket I am here to tell you that Hyundai have achieved something really quite special here. It’s a little rascal of a car. A complete scamp of a lad who could be described as a ‘sleeper’ if it hadn’t got so much publicity when it was announced last year.

I know they will only sell a handful of these pimped-out, high-performance cars in Ireland, but the speedster represents a fun, brilliant and exciting side to the Korean brand that we haven’t seen for a while.

They have achieved ‘brilliant’ several times over, especially with their recent range of EVs, but this is on a whole new level. Imagine a car that can convince diehard petrol heads that an EV might actually be worth buying!

As I pulled away from the Hyundai offices I had to stop immediately and take a moment to work out if this was actually an EV. Genuinely. Unless you manually flip it into Eco mode you could be forgiven for thinking this beauty had a combustion engine under the bonnet.

But before we get to the powertrain and the utterly bonkers-yet-fun gadgetry, let’s talk about the look. If this was a black car you would easily lose it in a sea of bumper-to-bumper urban traffic.

It has some tweaks to the original low-fat Ioniq 5 of course, but only the eagle-eyed car enthusiast may pick up on that. But because this N line comes in this gorgeous ‘Performance Blue’ paint job, in keeping with its N brethren, it gives these cars an extra kick and allows them to stand out from the crowd.

There is a wing-type rear spoiler and additional front active air flaps for cooling, which enhance the sporty aspects of the standard model and maximise the track driving potential of this iconic high-performance EV. Not that I discovered that potential.

At the front, there is an N Mask graphic fascia with functional mesh, supported by an air curtain and an additional active air flap for extra cooling. A lip spoiler on the lower bumper emphasises the car’s low-slung stance and is probably the biggest visual difference from the regular Ioniq 5.

There is a (very) luminous orange accent line at the bottom of the black front bumper cover which is exclusive to the EV N model and continues along the side skirts for a racetrack-ready look.

And the huge 21-inch alloy wheels house the entire chassis, offering a much lower than the standard ride height.

Inside, it doesn’t get any tamer. The N bucket seats are created using a luxurious recycled poly Alcantara and leather finish that feature illuminated N logos that light up to welcome you when you open the door.

The newly designed leather steering wheel is like something out of a Formula 1 car with buttons strategically placed all over it, including the N Grin Boost button in red and Drive Mode button in blue, perfectly placed for instant gratification.

The blue button opens up a vast menu of customisation options for the driving systems on the touchscreen and the red button marked ‘NGB’ for N Grin Boost allows access to the electric motor’s full performance for up to 10 seconds at a time.

I only pressed it once and completely chickened out of flooring it but I still got a sense of the ludicrous speed you can achieve if you really want it.

The N offers 609bhp before you press the NGB button which raises it to a mind-blowing 650bhp. And there is a 7670Nm of torque at your disposal. Hyundai claim the top speed is 260km/h and can reach 100km/h in just 3.4 seconds. I will just have to take their word for it. And you will just have to take mine. On a fully-charged battery you are promised 420km but reality would suggest closer to 320km. But you aren’t buying this for its range.

This is a wildly engaging drive. Some EVs are overly simplified, while others are a little more complicated yet fun. This is entirely different. On all fronts. And that’s why I think it will appeal to the car junkies out there.

They have made a lot of effort here to make this as fun as it can be. So much so that my usual default ‘cynical’ state when it comes to gimmicky gadgetry is out the window.

The software system is designed to simulate the operation of an eight-speed, dual-clutch gearbox. Hyundai calls it N e-shift, allowing the driver to ‘change gear’ using the paddles behind the already-busy wheel.

It is completely unnecessary and I absolutely love it.

With two external speakers and another eight inside, the Ioniq 5 N gets a roar in line with how it is being driven.

You don’t have to have it, obviously, but if you do you get three options to choose from — Supersonic (a fighter jet sound), Evolution and the best of all ‘Ignition’, designed to sound just like Hyundai ICE Ns.

All of the hype and window dressing is backed up here. That’s what you need to know.

Hyundai has created a car like no other and the more I got to drive it and like it the more I realised that they are giving you more and more reasons to buy it.

Is it ridiculous? Yes. Is it expensive? Yes. Is it brilliant? Definitely.

Would I buy it? Nope. Would I recommend? Yep. Do I want to drive this cheeky rascal again? I’d bloody well love to.