High-powered, tuned SUVs are the perfect vehicles for the occasional traffic light race (they’re also pretty good at flexing their muscles in mall parking lots.) But it might not make much sense to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on shiny, burbling boxes on wheels when there are cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N on the market.
It’s admittedly a crossover and not a full-fledged SUV, but the Korean EV seems to have all it takes to trump cars that cost three times as much–both in a straight line and in the corners.
Get Fully Charged
The magic of electric motors
Electric motors can deliver their maximum torque almost instantly, making big, gas-burning engines feel like yesterday's tech.
We already knew that the Ioniq 5 N is blisteringly quick on twisty mountain roads after we saw its run at this year’s Pikes Peak hill climb, and now we have another confirmation that Kia engineers took their job seriously when the acceleration brief was passed along.
The folks at CarExpert put together a nifty drag race involving a Mansory Rolls-Royce Cullinan, a Lamborghini Urus Performance Essenza SCV12 and a Brabus Mercedes-AMG G63. The Cullinan is powered by a 6.75-liter V-12, while both the G63 and the Lambo have a twin-turbocharged 4.0-liter V-8 humming under their hoods.
Between them, the flashy SUVs have about 1,800 horsepower and cost over $1 million. Meanwhile, the battery-powered Ioniq 5 N retails for a comparatively affordable $67,000 but manages to kick the snot out of every single one of the three gas-burning cars.
Gallery: 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Review
The first race is between the G-Wagon and the Cullinan, with the somewhat lighter Mercedes-Benz G63 taking the win. Then, the German went up against the more powerful Lamborghini Urus Performante Essenza SCV12–which, by the way, was only sold to the 40 people who bought the $2.4 million SCV12 Essenza supercar. The Lambo won.
But even the 627 hp limited-edition Urus was no match for the 601 hp electric Hyundai (and yes, it can make up to 641 hp for 10 seconds at a time.) So, what’s your take on this? Are tuning companies doomed in the wake of the new wave of performance EVs? Let us know in the comments below.
