Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N Party Tricks Are Coming To Cars That Aren’t N The clever manual illusion that made the Ioniq 5 N a cult favorite is heading into more mainstream Hyundai EVs soon https://www.carscoops.com/author/stephen-rivers/ by Stephen Rivers 56 minutes ago by Stephen Rivers Hyundai will expand fake gearshifts and sounds beyond its performance EVs. The tech is already being tested in non-N models like the Ioniq 9 SUV. Lower-output EVs won’t get it, as the illusion depends heavily on power. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N made the driving experience engaging, playful, and more akin to the experience of a combustion car. After plenty of praise surrounding the fake gearshifts and engine noise used in this model, Hyundai expanded the tech to the 6 N and Ioniq 9. Soon, it’ll find its way into more mainstream Hyundai EVs. More: Hyundai’s N Rule Was Simple Until The Ioniq 3 Made It Inconvenient “We really want to have a proper [driving] experience – not just the sound, but a bit of the boost,” Hyundai Europe product vice president Raf van Nuffel told Carsales . What he’s referring to is that Hyundai doesn’t just use fake engine sounds. It manages power so that when drivers call for a ‘gear shift’, the car feels like a clutch engaged and released. The system can be switched off, so drivers won’t have to use it. That said, it’s a defining feature of models like the 5 N, and most enthusiasts seem to enjoy it. Introducing the feature to the Ioniq 9 and other mainstream cars down the road could help Hyundai stand out from a crowd of otherwise silent contenders. Importantly, the brand says it won’t extend the features to base models, but there’s a reason for that. “It is not something that we limit to N, but we have certain requirements – we do need a minimum level of power to have this clutch-type feeling. We are not going to offer it across the range, but definitely [there is] more to come without always having to go for 600 horsepower,” van Nuffel said. There’s little doubt that
