FOUNTAIN VALLEY, Calif. (January 6, 2025) – Hyundai’s all-electric IONIQ 5 N SUV has been named Motor Authority’s Best Car to Buy 2025. The driving enthusiasts at Motor Authority selected IONIQ 5 N as the winner from all new or redesigned luxury and performance vehicles made available to their testing staff. Motor Authority’s team declared 5 N the victor after assessing the vehicle’s performance factors including acceleration, handling, styling, features, and value (although the award criteria have no price limit). In the end, the IONIQ 5 N was judged to have the strongest appeal to enthusiasts.

“It’s a great honor for the IONIQ 5 N to be named Motor Authority’s ‘Best Car to Buy 2025. The IONIQ 5 N is a true high-performance beast. With features like N e-Shift and N Grin Boost, 5 N redefines engagement and driving fun for the electric age.”

– Olabisi Boyle, senior vice president of product planning and mobility strategy at Hyundai Motor North America

“Our team had big-time fun and posted some hot lap times in the IONIQ 5 N. The IONIQ 5 N proves that electric-car drivers can excel on the racetrack, too. Sorry about the tires.”

– Marty Padgett, Editorial Director of The Car Connection, Motor Authority, and Green Car Reports

State-of-the-art technology delivers shift feeling and engaging fun in an Everyday Sportscar
Fulfilling the N brand pillar of Everyday Sportscar, IONIQ 5 N delivers an engaging shift feeling and exhilarating driving through its novel integrated N e-Shift and N Active Sound+ functions. N e-Shift[ii] provides unprecedented control over power delivery, replicating the natural, familiar gear-change sensation of a dual-clutch paddle-shift transmission. N Active Sound+ works to underpin this sensation with manually selectable powertrain soundtracks, including the driver’s choice of an ICE-like engine and exhaust soundtrack or more futuristic sounds for a uniquely immersive enthusiast experience. Together, these features greatly enhance the joy of driving by viscerally and audibly simulating the attributes of a high-performance ICE vehicle.

N e-Shift simulates the eight-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT) found in N’s internal combustion engine (ICE) cars. This technology replicates gearshifts by precisely controlling motor torque output to simulate the power-shift feeling between gear changes, painstakingly matched to synchronized audible cues. There’s even a synthetic redline. As a result, IONIQ 5 N delivers a more entertaining and interactive driving experience that feels far closer to a high-performance ICE model than any other EV.

N Active Sound+ is paired with N e-Shift to enhance the driving experience by creating a more visceral and exciting sensory experience. This driver-selectable technology leverages a 10-speaker system (eight internal, two external) to offer three distinct powertrain soundtracks. The ‘Ignition’ theme simulates the sound of an exciting internal-combustion four-cylinder engine. ‘Evolution’ provides a signature high-performance sound inspired by the RN22e Rolling Lab prototype, featuring variable volume that is synchronized with lateral g-forces while cornering. The ‘Supersonic’ theme is a unique aural concept inspired by twin-engine fighter jets. The objective of N Active Sound+ isn’t just added sonic excitement; this technology provides the driver with an acoustic reference point to help gauge the power utilized and available during cornering. This capability was borne from thousands of kilometers of development and testing at Germany’s legendary Nürburgring racetrack.

Hyundai Motor America on Twitter | YouTube | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | TikTok