The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is very good. A car that categorically proves EVs can do driver engagement, and although some of its tech may sound gimmicky, it really does work. And it sounds like it’s about to get even better, because Hyundai has just released details of a model year update for the Korean market.
Said update doesn’t seem to change the exterior styling or the interior, but instead focuses on software updates in response to customer feedback. Customers are clearly driving their 5 Ns properly, because the main update sees the N Drift Optimizer mode refined to offer 10 different stages of skid.
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So where the function was merely on or off, the 5 N is now better at reading ‘drift conditions’ and can give you varying levels of assistance to get sideways. The 10th stage is referred to as ‘Pro Mode’ and is apparently for experienced drifters to test their skills.
Hyundai has also been working on the N e-Shift (essentially a fake eight-speed paddle-shift gearbox) and has added a new downhill assist function that mimics the engine braking offered by an internal combustion engine when traveling down steep slopes.
The N e-Shift can also now be used with the car in Eco mode, and it gets a ‘downshift memory’ function that essentially allows you to preselect a lower gear, with the car ‘downshifting’ when the ‘engine speed’ drops to a low enough level. Whole lot of air quotes needed there.
The N Launch Control function has been fiddled with, too, so you now get ‘launch control preparation sound’ played through the speakers even if you’ve got the fake engine noise switched off. Oh, and there are changes to the spec in Korea, so you get intelligent LED headlights, auto central locking, and a steering wheel that vibrates when the car feels the need to get your attention.
Expect to see most of these updates make their way to other markets in the near future. Possibly sideways.
NOTE: This article first appeared on TopGear.com. Minor edits have been made.
