What's the difference?
What is it about single letters and performance cars?
BMW has M, Volkswagen has R, Lexus has F, and with only 23 choices left Hyundai opted for N - which stands for Namyang, site of the brand’s sprawling proving ground and development centre in South Korea, and Nurburgring, the famous German racing circuit where its performance cars are fine-tuned.
And like BMW M Sport, VW R-Line and Lexus F Sport, the Korean giant has N Line as a ‘lite’ option. Sporty models that add a little more punch and visual flair without crossing the line into hardcore hot-rod territory.
And this is one its latest examples, the pure-electric Ioniq 5 SUV in top-spec Epiq AWD trim and equipped with the N Line Option Pack as well as the tricky Digital Mirror Pack.
In this configuration it slots into the $90K price band, which means it has a lot to live up to in terms of performance, safety, driving dynamics, value and more.
So, stay with us to see if this premium five-seater is the kind of sporty EV SUV that gets your heart racing.
Sole traders, SMEs, transport companies and corporate fleets are potential customers LDV is aiming at with its new eDeliver7 electric van range, which competes in Australia’s mid-sized (2.5-3.5-tonne GVM) commercial van segment.
The Chinese manufacturer claims the eDeliver7’s combination of quiet operation, reduced maintenance costs, no battery impact on cargo space and, critically, more competitive pricing is ideal for businesses looking to build ‘sustainable’ fleets.
As the number of battery electric van offerings continues to grow, we recently spent a week in one of the new eDeliver7 variants to see if it can offer a viable alternative to diesel powertrains that traditionally dominate this competitive market segment.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 Epiq N-Line AWD leverages an electric powertrain’s best attributes brilliantly well.
It’s ultra smooth and comfortable with ample performance and great dynamics thanks in part to this car’s N Line spec.
Its price tag pits it against formidable competition from the German Big Three, Tesla and others. But it has what it takes in terms of quality and value to fight that battle. It’s an impressive machine.
There’s room for improvement, but that room is getting smaller. For urban daily fleet or solo operation, using the convenience of back-to-base overnight charging, it offers a compelling alternative to diesel in terms of real-world driving range, performance, payload, warranty/servicing costs... and zero tailpipe emissions.