Bench racing will only get you so far. Car enthusiasts love to line up numbers on a spreadsheet to crown a performance king, but the real world isn't that simple. Take this Carwow race between a new Tesla Model 3 Performance and a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. A competition between 460 hp and 601 hp, respectively. Open and shut. Hyundai by a mile.
But the real world isn't that simple.
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Hyundai disrupted the performance EV world when it launched the track-ready Ioniq 5 N. Not to be outdone, Tesla has redesigned the Model 3 Performance. It should offer more performance and a more refined driving experience, but we're still waiting on the U.S.-market version.
Both fight in different weight classes. The Hyundai's hauling 4,861 lbs, while the Tesla is closer to 4,200 lbs. Both have different tire compounds, different launch control tuning and different electrical architectures. Both are also U.K.-market cars, which means the Model 3 is fighting with one hand tied behind its back.
While Chinese-built, U.K.-market Model 3 Performances get 460 hp, the American version gets 510 hp. The 0-60 time for the U.K. model is 3.1 seconds, two ticks behind the U.S. car's 2.9-second figure.
Despite this, the Hyundai can't shake the Model 3 from its heels. The Tesla launches quicker in all three attempts and outruns the Hyundai in one. For the other two, Hyundai's power advantage kicks in later in the run, nudging it past the Tesla as it approaches the end of the quarter-mile race. That's true in the rolling race, too, where the Hyundai's power advantage pays dividends.
But that slower start shows that it's not invincible. Either due to the added weight, worse launch control programming, a lack of N Grin Boost activation—which bumps power up to 641 hp briefly—or all three, the all-wheel-drive Hyundai doesn't launch with as much ferocity as the dual-motor Tesla. It does appear to be the more fun option, though. In the drifting test, the Hyundai looks far more composed and predictable, while the Tesla snaps around on the driver.
Hyundai's focus on fun doesn't come without a cost. I love Hyundai's N Grin Shift feature, for instance, which emulates an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission and is a game-changer for giving EVs an innate sensation of speed. But in order to emulate the "power band"—that is, the way engines produce more power at certain areas of their rev range—an EV inherently must pull back some power. Electric motors produce their maximum torque from a standstill, so their more perfect power band has no real defining curve. Just max torque until a high-speed drop off point.
To learn how pulling back a bit of its power affects the Ioniq 5 N's acceleration, Carwow does a rolling race with the technology both on and off. It's worth watching the video just to see how big the effect is.
Do you think it's worth it? Will you take a slightly slower experience if it gives the car more character? Let me know in the comments.
Contact the author: mack.hogan@insideevs.com
