Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, the electric sports car with gearbox and gears

'Fast N furios'. One cannot describe the Ioniq 5 N electric suv, developed by Hyundai's motorsport department, any other way. On sale for 76,900 euros, it surprises because it can be driven like a petrol car and is just as exciting. The hypnotic sensation comes from the N configuration that activates a gearbox simulating an eight-speed dual-clutch with automatic and manual modes that does not shift to the higher ratio when you reach the limiter.

And yes, because in the cockpit of the 5 N there is also a tachometer that darts along to the melody formed by the warbling, the crackling in the downshifts and the machine gunfire when the needle touches the red band. A cocktail that sweeps away the certainty of driving an electric car.

The rest of the outfit might be less surprising but, in reality, it is a lot. In fact, the twin-engine powertrain that generates the all-wheel drive with 609 horsepower and 740 Nm of torque, which becomes 649 horsepower and 770 Nm with the boost function, propels the 5 N to 260 km/h and 100 km/h in 3"4.

The transformation of the Ioniq 5 into a powerful electric car that also wants to be a petrol car is completed by the reworking of the adaptive set-up and steering, the adoption of a rear differential from the electronics to set the car up even in a rear-wheel-drive car.

All of this requires a lot of settings to get to grips with, otherwise the Ioniq 5 N remains a pure electric that promises ranges of up to 450 kilometres, thanks to its 84 kWh battery that can be recharged from 10 to 80 per cent in eighteen minutes on 240 kW direct current.