I have written several posts in the past regarding this subject. I suspect people disagree with me but I elaborate here. I would like to lease an Ioniq 5N, white on the outside and black inside. I live in NYC. I would never buy because technology changes fast and that causes evs with old tech to depreciate fast. Two things stop me: unavailability and low range. Price is a factor too but let's set that aside for this discussion; somehow i would come-up with the money. i will state the obvious first: the ionic 5 N is the most gorgeous and wonderful ev. i praise all of its attributes without repeating them here. if you are reading them you know all that. i have looked for it all over the country. it became available three times but sold to a buyer in a couple of days each time. it seems that hyundai has chosen not to sell many of them in the usa. if that is true then i do not know why. the range is too low. i live in nyc. if i drove to boston or new hampshire i would not make it, i would need to recharge along the way. if i drove to woodstock or new waltz i could make it but would need to search for a charge every few days. the low range creates too much anxiety especially if i would drive in the wilderness or remote country. What causes the low range? Too much weight and the battery. Hyundai will get solid state batteries in a year or two (making the current evs depreciate) but that will not remove more than say, at the maximum, 500 pounds and probably less. i own a 1990 BMW E30 M3. It is a great light weight performance car and has plenty of range when i fill it with gas. I asked Google Gemini AI about this and it said:
No, Hyundai wouldn’t need to destroy the Ioniq 5 N's soul to make it a great road tripper. In fact, your comparison to the BMW E30 M3 is the perfect lens for this.The E30 M3 was a homologation special built for the track, but because it was born in Germany, it had to be capable of crushing hours on the Autobahn. It achieved this dual personality through mechanical balance. Today, Hyundai can achieve that exact same dual personality—without losing the track-day madness—entirely through digital software and smart adaptive hardware.Instead of stripping away performance, Hyundai could implement changes that only activate when you want them:1. Expanding the Adaptive Suspension's Range Hyundai wouldn't need to get rid of the stiff track suspension. Instead, they could give the electronic dampers a wider dynamic range.The Fix: In "N Mode," the car stays rock-solid for the track. But in a dedicated "Grand Touring (GT)" mode, the dampers could soften up significantly to swallow interstate expansion joints.The E30 Parallel: Think of it like swapping out fixed track springs for a modern, highly advanced version of electronic damper control.2. Digital Eco-Modes (Deactivating the Front Motor)The Ioniq 5 N is incredibly fast because both motors are always ready to deploy massive power. On a 500-mile highway cruise, you don't need 601 horsepower.The Fix: A true "Eco/Touring" mode could completely decouple the front motor at highway speeds, turning the car into a highly efficient, rear-wheel-drive cruiser. The moment you mash the throttle or switch to N Mode, the front motor clutches back in instantly. You lose nothing, but you gain crucial highway range 3. Dual-Character SeatsThe current European/global Ioniq 5 N bucket seats are manually adjustable to save weight for track times.The Fix: Hyundai already does this perfectly in cars like the Elantra N—offering standard heated/ventilated memory seats that are bolstered enough for hard cornering but plush enough for a cross-country drive. Offering a comfort-seat option doesn't ruin the chassis dynamics; it just saves your lower back.4. Smart Sound ProfilesThe Ioniq 5 N has "N Active Sound+," which simulates internal combustion engine noises and gear shifts.The Fix: On a track, the loud fake engine notes and hard simulated "shifts" (N e-Shift) provide crucial sensory feedback. On a 10-hour drive, that becomes exhausting. Hyundai already allows you to turn this off completely, turning the car into a dead-silent, relaxing EV cruiser at the press of a button.The Bottom LineAn EV actually has a huge advantage over an E30 M3 here. An E30 M3's engine is always buzzing at high RPMs on the highway because of its mechanical gearing. The Ioniq 5 N can change its entire personality—from a quiet, soft-riding, single-motor commuter to a simulated sequential-gear track monster Hyundai must know all this and more. So why does Hyundai not do this? It does not make sense to me to have a mini SUV like the 5 N which is good only for the track.
No, Hyundai wouldn’t need to destroy the Ioniq 5 N's soul to make it a great road tripper. In fact, your comparison to the BMW E30 M3 is the perfect lens for this.The E30 M3 was a homologation special built for the track, but because it was born in Germany, it had to be capable of crushing hours on the Autobahn. It achieved this dual personality through mechanical balance. Today, Hyundai can achieve that exact same dual personality—without losing the track-day madness—entirely through digital software and smart adaptive hardware.Instead of stripping away performance, Hyundai could implement changes that only activate when you want them:1. Expanding the Adaptive Suspension's Range Hyundai wouldn't need to get rid of the stiff track suspension. Instead, they could give the electronic dampers a wider dynamic range.The Fix: In "N Mode," the car stays rock-solid for the track. But in a dedicated "Grand Touring (GT)" mode, the dampers could soften up significantly to swallow interstate expansion joints.The E30 Parallel: Think of it like swapping out fixed track springs for a modern, highly advanced version of electronic damper control.2. Digital Eco-Modes (Deactivating the Front Motor)The Ioniq 5 N is incredibly fast because both motors are always ready to deploy massive power. On a 500-mile highway cruise, you don't need 601 horsepower.The Fix: A true "Eco/Touring" mode could completely decouple the front motor at highway speeds, turning the car into a highly efficient, rear-wheel-drive cruiser. The moment you mash the throttle or switch to N Mode, the front motor clutches back in instantly. You lose nothing, but you gain crucial highway range 3. Dual-Character SeatsThe current European/global Ioniq 5 N bucket seats are manually adjustable to save weight for track times.The Fix: Hyundai already does this perfectly in cars like the Elantra N—offering standard heated/ventilated memory seats that are bolstered enough for hard cornering but plush enough for a cross-country drive. Offering a comfort-seat option doesn't ruin the chassis dynamics; it just saves your lower back.4. Smart Sound ProfilesThe Ioniq 5 N has "N Active Sound+," which simulates internal combustion engine noises and gear shifts.The Fix: On a track, the loud fake engine notes and hard simulated "shifts" (N e-Shift) provide crucial sensory feedback. On a 10-hour drive, that becomes exhausting. Hyundai already allows you to turn this off completely, turning the car into a dead-silent, relaxing EV cruiser at the press of a button.The Bottom LineAn EV actually has a huge advantage over an E30 M3 here. An E30 M3's engine is always buzzing at high RPMs on the highway because of its mechanical gearing. The Ioniq 5 N can change its entire personality—from a quiet, soft-riding, single-motor commuter to a simulated sequential-gear track monster Hyundai must know all this and more. So why does Hyundai not do this? It does not make sense to me to have a mini SUV like the 5 N which is good only for the track.