Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Coming With Fake Gear Changes, Rev Limiter Sound

In case you’ve missed the memo, Hyundai is putting the finishing touches on its first electric N model. The winner of the Motor1.com 2022 Editors’ Choice Award will get the high-performance treatment in 2023, likely in line with the mechanically related Kia EV6 GT. Because enthusiasts are not quite ready to give up on the thrills delivered by a gas-powered sports car, the South Korean brand has been working on artificial sounds to mimic an ICE.

In an interview with Australian publication CarExpert, Hyundai Executive Technical Advisor Albert Biermann said the idea behind these add-ons is to deliver the “same jolt and downshift vibrations you experience in our ICE N cars.” He went on to mention “the idea is to come pretty close to the feel and sound of the DCT in the i30 N hatch.”

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To that end, the Ioniq 5 N will have something called Virtual Grin Shift (VGN), activated by pressing a button on the steering wheel. The driver then must pull both paddles to turn on the “virtual shift mode” to artificially change gears. VGN is complemented by N Sound Plus, which contains various noises you’d expect from a gas-fueled N car. Future over-the-air updates will bring additional sounds, and owners will be able to add their own fake noises.

Hyundai is currently fine-tuning these faux noises, including one that’ll imitate the sound made by a gas car when you’re bouncing off the rev limiter. Another trick up its sleeve will be a dedicated drift mode courtesy of a rear-biased setup by pressing a button mounted inside. Stronger friction brakes for the regenerative braking system are also planned.

As for the technical specifications that really matter, expect a dual-motor setup Albert Biermann has already revealed the Ioniq 5 N will have somewhere in the region of 600 horsepower. There’s no word about torque, but we’ll remind you the EV6 GT has 564 pound-feet (740 Newton meters). Kia’s speedy electric crossover does 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) in three and a half seconds en route to 162 mph (260 km/h), but don’t be too surprised if Hyundai’s EV will top those numbers.

The Ioniq 5 N has already been teased several times, so look for an official debut in the first half of next year.