Can the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N steal the Kia EV6 GT’s crown?

If you have been following the electric vehicle market in recent years, you are probably aware that Hyundai and Kia have been knocking it out of the park with their latest releases. Not only for creating efficient, affordable electric cars for everyday driving scenarios. They have also made major strides in performance EVs with the Kia EV6 GT and Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, with additional high-end models on the way like the new EV9 GT.

So if you’re looking to embarrass your local Camaro and Mustang drivers, the EV6 GT and Ioniq 5 N are both great contenders. But which one is the true performance king? The YouTube channel Edmunds Cars answers that question definitively with their ‘U-Drag Race’ where each car competes in a quarter mile drag race before braking, making a u-turn, and sprinting back to the starting line.

Until now, the EV6 GT has been undefeated. But the recently released Ioniq 5 N is the first EV to provide a real challenge.

Gallery: 2023 Kia EV6 GT: First Drive

For this race, the Ioniq 5 N is set in a custom mode with Launch Control enabled, Motor, Steering, and e-LSD set to Sport+ with the suspension set to Sport and stability control disabled. N-Grin Boost mode was initially disabled on the Ioniq 5 N. You’ve gotta give the Kia a fighting chance after all since on paper, it is at a pretty clear disadvantage. The EV6 GT is set to GT mode which engages all of the sport settings and disengages stability control. Maximum Power Output mode is also enabled. 

In the first race, the EV siblings were running neck-and-neck right off the line. But as they approached the 1/4 mile marker, the extra power of the Hyundai began to show. By the time both cars crossed the finish line, the Ioniq 5 N had pulled far away from the EV6 GT.

For the second race, the drivers switched vehicles to ensure the win was not a fluke or due to driver error. Once again, the Ioniq 5 pulls far ahead at the end of the quarter mile and never looks back. After the win was assured, the driver finally activated the N-Grin Boost mode for the ending sprint, which gave the car access to even more power as it rocketed towards the finish.

Gallery: 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Review

The Ioniq 5 N reached 60 in just 3.5 seconds with the EV6 GT accelerating in 3.52 seconds. The best time for the Ioniq 5 N on the quarter mile was 11.2 seconds reaching a top speed of 123.6 mph. The EV6 GT completed the quarter mile in a still impressive 11.5 seconds, hitting a top speed of 120.3 mph. On cornering, the EV6 pulled 1.08 G compared to the Ioniq 6 N’s 1.06 G.

For the complete event, the Ioniq 5 N’s winning time was 33.2 seconds, besting the EV6 GT with 34.0 seconds. This puts the Ioniq 5 N in 12th place on Edmunds U-Drag leaderboard, just behind the Lucid Air Grand Touring and ahead of the Corvette Stingray and Bentley Continental GT.

Edmonds says that despite the size and weight, the Ioniq 5 N is very agile, remaining controlled on the turn and immediately rocketing forward on the final sprint. The EV6 GT is still quick however, with the team describing it as a “sleeper” that can outperform most cars on the road and still pass the “significant other” test. For more details and to see these beasts in action, be sure to watch the full video above. 

Are you thinking about picking up one of these amazing performance EVs yourself? Let us know which car you plan to add to your garage in the comments below.

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