Discussion
I'm a petrol head, but these are getting me intrigued.
Something really compelling about the package.
May look after a business lease, first car I've considered this for.
Anyone know the actual release date/when we will be able to order, and does anyone know if the warranty will cover trackdays. I understand it does for other N cars
Something really compelling about the package.
May look after a business lease, first car I've considered this for.
Anyone know the actual release date/when we will be able to order, and does anyone know if the warranty will cover trackdays. I understand it does for other N cars
Driving impressions embargoed until next week. Sounds fun.
In the meantime have a listen to this, 19m50s on
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/podcasts-my-wee...
In the meantime have a listen to this, 19m50s on
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/podcasts-my-wee...
Test drove one today. Not really a vehicle I'd seriously consider as I don't like SUVs and immediately just felt like I was sat WAY too high, but was keen to try it out from a drivetrain and related tech perspective.
Test route was just under an hour drive with a mix of dual carriageway, B-roads and town driving.
For reference driven a number of EVs in the past - the i3, i4, Mini Electric and Seat Mii Electric, which were all very different. None really came across as fun to me though - not that bothered about the performance, but just in terms of braking, cornering, etc.
Thought the engine noise and fake gearbox stuff was going to be s
t but it actually works brilliantly and makes it very natural and fun to drive.
It varies the torque delivery and regen based on the 'gear' you're in. Its not perfect (letting it hit a fake rev limit is silly for example) but it does a good job of giving you some more normal aural feedback of your speed and quickly adjust the attitude of the car.
When pushing on on the B-road section it hid its weight (2.3t) very well but suspect it would eat tyres and brakes with continuous hard use.
So if you want it to it does a good impression of something like a high performance petrol SUV with DCT gearbox, and for me it did make it more fun to drive in doing so.
From an actual car perspective it wasn't for me. It was bloody massive, particularly in terms of width, and as I say I don't like sitting so high-up.
I had a sit in the Ioniq 6 as well as that had a much more natural seating position for me with the seat dropped all the way down.
The boot was tiny considering the size of the car and it has no front storage in the dual motor version.
Its got a lot going on inside, but it did at least have physical buttons for a lot of functionality.
The steering wheel was comically complex and made wheel of the 458 I'd driven there in seem sparsely populated by comparison!
Main takeaway for me was that actually whilst running a petrol car may not be economical in the future, Hyundai have done a damn good job of synthesising the experience of driving one.
If they bring the tech down to something i30 sized. Doesn't need the big power, but to 200-300bhp with a single motor and lop out as much weight as possible. Range can be less too so long as ~200 miles. At that point I'd be very interested.
Test route was just under an hour drive with a mix of dual carriageway, B-roads and town driving.
For reference driven a number of EVs in the past - the i3, i4, Mini Electric and Seat Mii Electric, which were all very different. None really came across as fun to me though - not that bothered about the performance, but just in terms of braking, cornering, etc.
Thought the engine noise and fake gearbox stuff was going to be s
t but it actually works brilliantly and makes it very natural and fun to drive.It varies the torque delivery and regen based on the 'gear' you're in. Its not perfect (letting it hit a fake rev limit is silly for example) but it does a good job of giving you some more normal aural feedback of your speed and quickly adjust the attitude of the car.
When pushing on on the B-road section it hid its weight (2.3t) very well but suspect it would eat tyres and brakes with continuous hard use.
So if you want it to it does a good impression of something like a high performance petrol SUV with DCT gearbox, and for me it did make it more fun to drive in doing so.
From an actual car perspective it wasn't for me. It was bloody massive, particularly in terms of width, and as I say I don't like sitting so high-up.
I had a sit in the Ioniq 6 as well as that had a much more natural seating position for me with the seat dropped all the way down.
The boot was tiny considering the size of the car and it has no front storage in the dual motor version.
Its got a lot going on inside, but it did at least have physical buttons for a lot of functionality.
The steering wheel was comically complex and made wheel of the 458 I'd driven there in seem sparsely populated by comparison!
Main takeaway for me was that actually whilst running a petrol car may not be economical in the future, Hyundai have done a damn good job of synthesising the experience of driving one.
If they bring the tech down to something i30 sized. Doesn't need the big power, but to 200-300bhp with a single motor and lop out as much weight as possible. Range can be less too so long as ~200 miles. At that point I'd be very interested.
I've had time to digest my time with the Ioniq N5 (really need a 48hr test drive to be honest.
Now the initial excitement of driving one is a few days past, do I still want one? Yes probably.
It's the most genuine Jekyll & Hyde car I have ever driven.
Want a comfortable car to be "just a car"? It will do just that, it's quiet (although had some concerning trim rattles from the rear), it rides pretty well, especially when you consider it runs on 275/35R21 tyres. The sports seats, despite their limited adjustment are comfy.
The power delivery in "normal" mode is smooth, although when you really prod the accelerator it it plenty fast enough for most situations,with acceleration that will embarrass an awful lot of cars on the road today.
However.... engage "N"mode and things take an entirely unexpected, rather amusing turn. Power is nearly doubled to 601bhp, with an additional 40bhp "overtaking boost" (not that it really needs it) available for 10s (bare in mind here the o-100mph sprint takes just 6.9s.
The 0-60 time of just 3.3s actually feels marginally uncomfortable after a few runs but is highly addictive, but all of this is merely a supporting act, to something that was somewhat of a surprise....the "active sound & simulated exhaust"
I'm not a fan of EV's with fake engine sounds, the Taycan sounds all rather too false. The 5N was different. The sound was pretty convincing, it comes with a gearbox mode also, that replicates the torque spikes of a DSG type 'box, and it does it very, very well.
Add to this the pops & crackles on "gear change" the whole thing is pretty convincing, you can feel the "engine" through the chassis too, courtesy of a subwoofer mounted to the body, in the boot. Pop a non petrol head in the car & I suspect they would never know it's an EV.
This could well be the car to convince me we don't need a boring car & a weekend fun car, this car genuinely fulfills both briefs on that front. Will I buy one, probably, but I'll need to find a dealer that can offer a 48hr test drive to be 100% sure as it's costly.
It's very clear that some very clever people within Hyundai has spent an awfully long time calibrating powertrain, brakes steering to make it genuinely enjoyable.
Now the initial excitement of driving one is a few days past, do I still want one? Yes probably.
It's the most genuine Jekyll & Hyde car I have ever driven.
Want a comfortable car to be "just a car"? It will do just that, it's quiet (although had some concerning trim rattles from the rear), it rides pretty well, especially when you consider it runs on 275/35R21 tyres. The sports seats, despite their limited adjustment are comfy.
The power delivery in "normal" mode is smooth, although when you really prod the accelerator it it plenty fast enough for most situations,with acceleration that will embarrass an awful lot of cars on the road today.
However.... engage "N"mode and things take an entirely unexpected, rather amusing turn. Power is nearly doubled to 601bhp, with an additional 40bhp "overtaking boost" (not that it really needs it) available for 10s (bare in mind here the o-100mph sprint takes just 6.9s.
The 0-60 time of just 3.3s actually feels marginally uncomfortable after a few runs but is highly addictive, but all of this is merely a supporting act, to something that was somewhat of a surprise....the "active sound & simulated exhaust"
I'm not a fan of EV's with fake engine sounds, the Taycan sounds all rather too false. The 5N was different. The sound was pretty convincing, it comes with a gearbox mode also, that replicates the torque spikes of a DSG type 'box, and it does it very, very well.
Add to this the pops & crackles on "gear change" the whole thing is pretty convincing, you can feel the "engine" through the chassis too, courtesy of a subwoofer mounted to the body, in the boot. Pop a non petrol head in the car & I suspect they would never know it's an EV.
This could well be the car to convince me we don't need a boring car & a weekend fun car, this car genuinely fulfills both briefs on that front. Will I buy one, probably, but I'll need to find a dealer that can offer a 48hr test drive to be 100% sure as it's costly.
It's very clear that some very clever people within Hyundai has spent an awfully long time calibrating powertrain, brakes steering to make it genuinely enjoyable.
I am now quite interested in this and can lease one through a work scheme for £850 a month for 24months 15,000 miles a year inclusive of servicing and insurance.
I currently run a BMW 840d and a Mazda 2.0 MX5 ND Sport. One is for commuting one is for fun. I have a desire to go EV as I am about to install a big solar array and home battery system so it becomes super super cheap to drive EV.
If there is a car that could do BOTH the BMW and Mazda roles then that is of quite some interest.
But I do wish they'd do the same thing but in a smaller package as I also have Discovery4 for family duties and big ass cars are a pain sometimes.
I currently run a BMW 840d and a Mazda 2.0 MX5 ND Sport. One is for commuting one is for fun. I have a desire to go EV as I am about to install a big solar array and home battery system so it becomes super super cheap to drive EV.
If there is a car that could do BOTH the BMW and Mazda roles then that is of quite some interest.
But I do wish they'd do the same thing but in a smaller package as I also have Discovery4 for family duties and big ass cars are a pain sometimes.
Honeywell said:
I am now quite interested in this and can lease one through a work scheme for £850 a month for 24months 15,000 miles a year inclusive of servicing and insurance.
I currently run a BMW 840d and a Mazda 2.0 MX5 ND Sport. One is for commuting one is for fun. I have a desire to go EV as I am about to install a big solar array and home battery system so it becomes super super cheap to drive EV.
If there is a car that could do BOTH the BMW and Mazda roles then that is of quite some interest.
But I do wish they'd do the same thing but in a smaller package as I also have Discovery4 for family duties and big ass cars are a pain sometimes.
It's not actually that largeI currently run a BMW 840d and a Mazda 2.0 MX5 ND Sport. One is for commuting one is for fun. I have a desire to go EV as I am about to install a big solar array and home battery system so it becomes super super cheap to drive EV.
If there is a car that could do BOTH the BMW and Mazda roles then that is of quite some interest.
But I do wish they'd do the same thing but in a smaller package as I also have Discovery4 for family duties and big ass cars are a pain sometimes.
Honeywell said:
I am now quite interested in this and can lease one through a work scheme for £850 a month for 24months 15,000 miles a year inclusive of servicing and insurance.
I currently run a BMW 840d and a Mazda 2.0 MX5 ND Sport. One is for commuting one is for fun. I have a desire to go EV as I am about to install a big solar array and home battery system so it becomes super super cheap to drive EV.
If there is a car that could do BOTH the BMW and Mazda roles then that is of quite some interest.
But I do wish they'd do the same thing but in a smaller package as I also have Discovery4 for family duties and big ass cars are a pain sometimes.
Personally I would prefer your current combination rather than a 5N. We’ve got a family EV, and it’s great, but doesn’t scratch the ICE itch for me. Having said that, the latest generation of ICE cars don’t really excite me that much. For me, an EV + an older ICE is the right combination. I currently run a BMW 840d and a Mazda 2.0 MX5 ND Sport. One is for commuting one is for fun. I have a desire to go EV as I am about to install a big solar array and home battery system so it becomes super super cheap to drive EV.
If there is a car that could do BOTH the BMW and Mazda roles then that is of quite some interest.
But I do wish they'd do the same thing but in a smaller package as I also have Discovery4 for family duties and big ass cars are a pain sometimes.
I think I'd prefer the EV6 GT and if you had to you could still have something like an MX5 with the difference.
You're paying a lot more for the wick to be turned up on the batteries a bit and a gimmicky sound generator.
But I guess you can kid yourself that you're going to drift it around a track if you want.
You're paying a lot more for the wick to be turned up on the batteries a bit and a gimmicky sound generator.
But I guess you can kid yourself that you're going to drift it around a track if you want.
Love my cars but also love tech and had a Tesla for the last few years via work (tax efficiency), but missed the noise and interaction of my previous cars (hot hatches and mx5 etc).
Went for a test drive in the 5N a few months ago and for me it was a game changer. I thought the fake gear/noise would be naff but it is fantastic and brings back that interaction I lacked with the Tesla. You have a 'proper' rev limiter, you get vibration through the seat, you get chassis shunt, deceleration on downshift, lag etc. etc. - its honestly unbelievable how accurate it feels. On top of that, the steering, suspension and brakes are a different level compared to the Tesla and the other EVs I've driven (which were was always 'soft' or disconnected) and much more like a traditional hot hatch or lower level performance car.
I'm bias, as I put my money where my mouth is and got my delivery on Saturday. I've already done 500 miles and grinned the entire time! Time will tell if its a gimmick but so far I love it - it solves all the enthusiast downsides that i saw in the EV transition. My advice to any doubters is not to knock it until you try it. If EV is going to be the future, then we need more cars like this, not the appliance/eco stuff a lot of firms are currently offering.
Downsides though.....:
Went for a test drive in the 5N a few months ago and for me it was a game changer. I thought the fake gear/noise would be naff but it is fantastic and brings back that interaction I lacked with the Tesla. You have a 'proper' rev limiter, you get vibration through the seat, you get chassis shunt, deceleration on downshift, lag etc. etc. - its honestly unbelievable how accurate it feels. On top of that, the steering, suspension and brakes are a different level compared to the Tesla and the other EVs I've driven (which were was always 'soft' or disconnected) and much more like a traditional hot hatch or lower level performance car.
I'm bias, as I put my money where my mouth is and got my delivery on Saturday. I've already done 500 miles and grinned the entire time! Time will tell if its a gimmick but so far I love it - it solves all the enthusiast downsides that i saw in the EV transition. My advice to any doubters is not to knock it until you try it. If EV is going to be the future, then we need more cars like this, not the appliance/eco stuff a lot of firms are currently offering.
Downsides though.....:
- It's huge(!), and I've already had a few instances where i cant fit it in parking spaces. It's definitely an SUV not a hot hatch.
- The range is relatively small compared to other cars, and will definitely put people off. Although, having had an electric car for a few years this is not as much of an issue as people perceive it to be, as charging infrastructure has improved massively in recent years.
- the interior is spacious, but the boot space is relatively limited - the additional motor and LSD gubbins have eaten into it quite a bit compared to the normal 5.
- The tires are huge and ridiculously low profile. The suspension is good enough to make up for it but I fully expect I will destroy a tyre at some point given the state of UK roads. at c£300 per tyre that is going to hurt!
- Did i mention how big it is........
mutsy88 said:
Love my cars but also love tech and had a Tesla for the last few years via work (tax efficiency), but missed the noise and interaction of my previous cars (hot hatches and mx5 etc).
Went for a test drive in the 5N a few months ago and for me it was a game changer. I thought the fake gear/noise would be naff but it is fantastic and brings back that interaction I lacked with the Tesla. You have a 'proper' rev limiter, you get vibration through the seat, you get chassis shunt, deceleration on downshift, lag etc. etc. - its honestly unbelievable how accurate it feels. On top of that, the steering, suspension and brakes are a different level compared to the Tesla and the other EVs I've driven (which were was always 'soft' or disconnected) and much more like a traditional hot hatch or lower level performance car.
I'm bias, as I put my money where my mouth is and got my delivery on Saturday. I've already done 500 miles and grinned the entire time! Time will tell if its a gimmick but so far I love it - it solves all the enthusiast downsides that i saw in the EV transition. My advice to any doubters is not to knock it until you try it. If EV is going to be the future, then we need more cars like this, not the appliance/eco stuff a lot of firms are currently offering.
Downsides though.....:
Dream Car Giveaways have got one as a prize...I reckon I'll buy a good few tickets, as it seems to be a fun daily. I was wondering about the size though. Looking at the stats, length isn't bad but it's wider than the Jag S-Type R I owned and my Wife's Kia Sportage. Question is, can I fit one in my single garage?!Went for a test drive in the 5N a few months ago and for me it was a game changer. I thought the fake gear/noise would be naff but it is fantastic and brings back that interaction I lacked with the Tesla. You have a 'proper' rev limiter, you get vibration through the seat, you get chassis shunt, deceleration on downshift, lag etc. etc. - its honestly unbelievable how accurate it feels. On top of that, the steering, suspension and brakes are a different level compared to the Tesla and the other EVs I've driven (which were was always 'soft' or disconnected) and much more like a traditional hot hatch or lower level performance car.
I'm bias, as I put my money where my mouth is and got my delivery on Saturday. I've already done 500 miles and grinned the entire time! Time will tell if its a gimmick but so far I love it - it solves all the enthusiast downsides that i saw in the EV transition. My advice to any doubters is not to knock it until you try it. If EV is going to be the future, then we need more cars like this, not the appliance/eco stuff a lot of firms are currently offering.
Downsides though.....:
- It's huge(!), and I've already had a few instances where i cant fit it in parking spaces. It's definitely an SUV not a hot hatch.
- The range is relatively small compared to other cars, and will definitely put people off. Although, having had an electric car for a few years this is not as much of an issue as people perceive it to be, as charging infrastructure has improved massively in recent years.
- the interior is spacious, but the boot space is relatively limited - the additional motor and LSD gubbins have eaten into it quite a bit compared to the normal 5.
- The tires are huge and ridiculously low profile. The suspension is good enough to make up for it but I fully expect I will destroy a tyre at some point given the state of UK roads. at c£300 per tyre that is going to hurt!
- Did i mention how big it is........
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