Hyundai Ioniq 5 N AWD: hot rod SUV of your dreams

This review first appeared in the August 2025 edition of the Cruisin' News, "Oregon, Nevada and California's classic auto news & marketplace."

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Sacramento, California -- So, you have been reluctant to get an electric vehicle for multiple reasons ... including the painful prospect of missing out on the fun of blowing off various, classic sports cars.

Fear not, the tested 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N AWD exists to scratch your itch.

Consider dual electric motors rated at a road-ripping 601 horsepower. Wow, this thing scoots along with alarming intensity.

But wait, there's more.

That little red button placed at 3 o'clock on the steering wheel is called the N Grin Boost feature.  Think of it as what the IndyCar Series drivers call the "push to pass" button.

Push it and you get an additional 40 more horses for 10 seconds.  I should point out that the owner's manual informs one that great care should be exercised when pushing the button.

Wise advice, that. Because pushing the button delivers a press-you-into-the-seat wallop.  I'd advise using it on a wide open stretch of road, with both hands firmly on the steering wheel.

It's that serious a rush.  I felt like I was riding a streak of lightning. Yes, I was hooked.  It's one of the highest highs I've experienced behind the wheel in some time.

And it's essentially guilt-free, given the electric vehicle equivalent ratings of 84 miles per gallon in the city and 72 mpg on the highway.

While all of this is terrific, be advised that the Ioniq 5 is a full-on luxury liner.  My tester was priced at $67,685 and loaded up with plenty of perks to justify that number.

While I was blazing around Mustangs, Corvettes and other iconic sports cars, I also was enjoying heated/ventilated seats, highway driving assist, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, a premium Bose audio system, metal pedals and ambient lighting.

The hands-free power liftgate and wireless phone charger also came in handy.

My tester looked particularly aggressive with an all-black interior and an exterior paint job of "Abyss Black."

But for me, it all comes back to performance.

Not only have Hyundai engineers filled up the horsepower tank, they have incorporated useful sports/performance car technologies to maximize driving enjoyment and precision.

Tech features include drift control, torque distribution, launch control and sway control.

Simply put, I can't remember when I've had so much fun driving a sport-utility vehicle.  And an electric one to boot.