Hyundai’s IONIQ V Has Lambo Looks And 225 HP, So We Imagined The N

When Hyundai pulled the wraps off its China-exclusive (for now) IONIQ V at Auto China 2026, the reaction was immediate, and most of it came down to the way it looks. Low-slung proportions and sharp angular surfacing that reads more Sant’Agata than Seoul. Then you get to the spec sheet and find a single motor making 225 hp, which is a lot less drama than the bodywork suggests.

That gap between how it looks and how it moves invites one obvious thought: what would happen if Hyundai’s N division got hold of it? Sure, there’s no evidence to suggest such a model is being considered, yet the company has demonstrated with the Ioniq 5 and 6 N that it knows how to inject driver appeal into electric vehicles. 

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Stretch the logic a little and the IONIQ V N starts to look like the spiritual successor to the Elantra N, only with the full weight of Hyundai’s current EV tech behind it.

A Wicked Wedge

Our exclusive rendering imagines the IONIQ V in full N attire while preserving the dramatic, wedge-shaped aesthetic of the standard model. At the front, the aggressive fascia gains a deep splitter, larger cooling intakes and red accents seen on other N products.  

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At 4.9 meters (193 inches), the Prius-on-steroids profile remains one of its defining features, with its heavily raked windscreen and fastback look. Larger wheels, performance brakes, subtle side skirts and lowered ride height help sharpen its stance. Out back, a more functional diffuser, discreet spoiler, and N-specific taillight elements help complete the transformation. 

High Tech Cockpit

The standard Ioniq V’s interior.

As with the exterior, the standard car’s cabin would carry the concept’s aesthetic into production largely intact. A 27-inch 4K panoramic display commands center stage, backed by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8295 processor, customizable performance graphics, track-focused telemetry, and an AI-powered voice assistant.

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Other goodies would include an advanced head-up display with a lap-timer, Level 2 semi-autonomous highway driving, heavily bolstered sports seats with illuminated N logos, a sports steering wheel with N mode presets, and acres of Alcantara trim.  

Performance to Stun 

Based on Hyundai’s 800-volt E-GMP architecture, the IONIQ V N could utilize the same dual-motor, all-wheel-drive powertrain from the Ioniq 6 N, which in that application generates north of 601 hp (448 kW) or 641 hp in N Grin boost mode. 

Also a possibility is the use of Hyundai’s recently patented electronic manual transmission. This setup expands on the automaker’s e-Shift technology by employing a gated shifter with six speeds (plus reverse), a clutch pedal, and software-controlled gear simulation to recreate a manual driving experience.

Underneath, the chassis would get stiffer springs with adaptive damping, larger anti-roll bars, sharper torque vectoring, and upgraded brakes to keep the powertrain honest.

Amped Alternatives

The regular 2027 Ioniq V is expected to go on sale in China later this year.

If Hyundai ever greenlights an IONIQ V N, such a model would face off against Tesla’s Model 3 Performance, Polestar 4 Performance Pack, MG IM5 Performance, BYD Seal Performance, Xpeng P7 Ultra, and BMW i3.

The standard car is widely expected to go global eventually, albeit not in the US, where Chinese cars are effectively blocked. If it does, the smart money says it’ll land with more performance than the Chinese-market version makes today.

Would you rather this over the Ioniq 6? Let us know in the comments below.