Power, speed, zero emissions

ORANGEVILLE, ONT. — Wai t… what? It’s bouncing off the red line? How can that be? It’s electric.

One of the standout surprises for me at TestFest — the annual event that helps the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada decide Canadian Car and Utility Vehicles of the Year — was the Hyundai IONIQ 6 N.

The IONIQ 6 is one of Hyundai’s second-generation of all-electric vehicles, arriving to market sometime next year after the IONIQ 5 and Kona EV. It’s an interesting four-door sedan reminiscent of the Citroën C6 and early Mercedes CLA with its curved sides and bubble shape.

By adding the N moniker at the end — due out in early 2027 — Hyundai has added it to the list of N performance vehicles, including the Elantra N and IONIQ 5 N. N is to Hyundai what Shelby is to Ford Mustang or Gazoo Racing (GR) is to the Toyota Corolla. Hyundai dubs its N customers “Nthusiasts.”

The N variant increases the IONIQ 6’s horsepower from 320 horsepower (AWD) to 601 hp in normal mode and 641 hp in N Grin Boost mode.

If having 641 horsepower on tap with a motor that delivers torque instantly sounds like fun, it is.

In its default mode, the IONIQ 6 N drives much like you’d expect any electric: quick off the line, quiet, efficient. Drink the potion — I mean — push the N and N Grin Boost buttons on the steering wheel, and the mild-mannered Dr. Jekyll instantly transforms into Mr. Hyde.

As much fun as the extra power provides, what was most surprising to me, not having driven an IONIQ 5 N yet, was the steering wheel-mounted paddles actually operated as if they were shifting a transmission.

Here’s where some explanation is in order: electric vehicles have no transmission. Well, that’s not quite accurate; they do, they’re just single-speed transmissions.

Electric motors don’t have the same narrow performance bands that gas engines do, so there’s no need to change gearing. As the vehicle goes faster, so too does the engine. The need here isn’t the speed multiplication offered by gas-engine transmissions, it’s actually speed reduction, often on the order of 8:1 or 10:1. The effect is also to multiply torque, or the property that makes all vehicles move.

So when the paddles on the steering wheel actually felt like gear changes — you’d get that gear-change little jerk and the sounds would mimic upshifts or downshifts — it was surprising. Surprising and effective. It’s quite possibly the most fun an avowed petrolhead could have in an EV.

The effects are, of course, entirely in software. A flip of the upshift paddle (+) would instantly change the torque response of the electric motor without actually changing gears. The sounds, which were pretty realistic, are also computer-generated.

As the opening paragraph suggests, if you neglect to upshift, the effect is just like hitting the rev limiter in a gas engine. Which is exactly what caught me off guard on the performance/handling course at the Orangeville Fairgrounds.

The car was exceptionally composed on the slalom, thanks to its low centre of gravity but also to its redesigned, relative to the non-N IONIQ 6, suspension, which includes what Hyundai calls stroke-sensing electronically controlled suspension dampers (a.k.a., shock absorbers) and a lowered roll centre. The revisions also include new bushings to balance sharp handling and with a comfortable on-road feel.

There’s a boy-racer wing on the trunk lid and widened fenders to increase downforce for stability at speed yet the car retains a 0.27 coefficient of drag.

Drivers who are tired of the endless parade of touchscreens comprising almost every function of a vehicle will enjoy the IONIQ 6 N interior: it’s a button-lover’s dream. There are buttons for almost every passsenger-centric feature you can imagine, and the touchscreen is reserved for many functions most drivers would set up before shifting into Drive.

The effect is less living room and more cockpit.

Other neat features include an electronic limited-slip differential, which limits wheelspin and redirects torque as needed, N Launch Control, and added structural rigidity, which is visible as red structural tubes running diagonally in the trunk.

Cars such as the IONIQ 6 N will never replace Hemi or five-litre V-8s for some drivers, but all this power and speed — while harming no petrocarbon molecules — will bring a smile to some EV drivers’ faces.

kelly.taylor@winnipegfreepress.com