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.
French manufacturer Peugeot is at the cutting edge of electric commercial vans in Australia, having introduced its E-Partner small van (under 2.5-tonnes GVM) in 2023 before recently adding its new E-Expert in the popular mid-size segment (2.5 to 3.5-tonne GVM).
We recently spent a working week aboard the E-Expert to see if it has what it takes to provide a genuine zero-tailpipe-emissions alternative to Toyota’s dominant diesel-only HiAce.
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.
The driving comfort and competent load-carrying ability of the E-Expert in a daily short-haul working role would be well suited to both tradies and fleets, if equipped with the convenience of back-to-base overnight charging at home or depot. However, its zero-tailpipe-emissions technology comes at a high price, requiring careful cost-benefit analysis by potential buyers.