We’re at an interesting point in the automotive world where the quickest cars aren’t always the most fun to drive. Automatic transmissions shift significantly faster than humans can, and electric cars without transmissions are the quickest accelerating vehicles on the road, but what happened to driver involvement and fun factor? Hyundai’s electric Ioniq 5 N aims to reach a compromise between outright speed and driver involvement with N e-Shift mode. This mode simulates an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission when activated, and allows drivers to use steering wheel-mounted paddles to run through the “gears.” Car and Driver proved that while this mode may encourage more driver involvement, it also yields slower times.
In Car And Driver’s testing, the Ioniq 5 N went from 0 to 60 mph in a scant 3 seconds using launch control and the car’s drag mode which pre-warms the battery and doesn’t simulate any shifts. When using N e-Shift mode, the car doesn’t allow usage of launch control or N Grin Boost which unlocks access to 40 extra horsepower, but it will still allow drag mode to condition the battery. For this test, they let the car shift through the fake gears itself rather than attempting to pull the paddles to maximize speed while still letting the car “shift.” This time, the quickest 0 to 60 run the car could manage was 3.5 seconds, or half a second slower than the time set without activating N e-Shift mode. It was also 1.1-seconds slower to 100 mph, 0.2-seconds slower from 30 to 50 mph, and 0.6-seconds slower from 50 to 70 mph.
To simulate the seat-of-your-pants feeling of an eight-speed dual-clutch auto, this EV’s N e-Shift drive mode software creates a drop in torque between simulated gear shifts rather than normal operation which unleashes the entirety of its power without any pauses. Should the driver choose to “shift” the “gears” using the paddles, the Ioniq 5 N is programmed to emulate an ICE car hitting redline, so missed “shifts” will still be embarrassing. When N e-Shift mode is not activated, the Ioniq 5 N operates like most EVs and neither actually shifts, nor fake shifts.
Hyundai’s N e-Shift mode is designed to inject the Ioniq 5 N EV with some driver involvement, whether real or simulated. As fewer and fewer cars offer analog driving experiences with speed-robbing wastes of time like manual transmissions, we’re going to have to divest from our obsession with 0 to 60 times. Just because a car can reach 60 mph quicker than the speed of sound doesn’t automatically make it fun to drive. The magic that happens when a driver forms a connection with their vehicle is not formed in the 3 seconds their brain is squished against the back of their skull, it’s a more holistic experience. Dare I say, it’s about the vibe. The Ioniq 5 N deserves praise for its dedication to a holistically enjoyable driving experience, even when that means making it a bit slower.