Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Renault Megane

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.

The Renault Megane RS is still here, in case you were wondering. 

You may have let it slip your mind in recent times, because there’s been a lot of action in the hot hatch scene with the release of the new-generation Ford Focus ST, a fond farewell to the VW Golf R, and consistent talk of the upcoming Toyota Corolla GR hot hatch.

The Megane RS is more than just ‘here’, though. The RenaultSport Megane hatch range has expanded in recent times, and we’ve just spent some time with the Trophy model which first arrived in Australia late in 2019.

It is certainly keeping its presence known in 2020 Renault Megane RS Trophy spec, which represents the most powerful and fastest version of the standard model range before you get to the rip-snorting (and eye-wateringly expensive) Trophy R. 

So what’s it like? Read on and you’ll find out all about it.