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Hyundai's all-electric N future will be derived from the RN22e Concept, and we are already drooling over it!
Hyundai is on a roll with its EV onslaught. They already have a bunch of new electric cars in the pipeline. Their most recent launch, the Ioniq 6 might have gotten the crowd in splits due to the radical design, but you should hand it to Hyundai for being bold.
But we might have underestimated this South Korean marque's boldness as they managed to shock us yet again with two wild-looking concept racecars. And that brings us to the N Brand which is Hyundai's in-house performance maverick. Both the Hyundai RN22e and the N Vision 74 are wild race cars treated with "N".
The RN22e has particularly intrigued us because it is based on the Ioniq 6 which has been jacked with steroids! It gets a serious design upgrade for downforce, along with aggressive handing and software tweaks to make it a full-blow track monster. While Hyundai hasn't confirmed it yet, we are pretty sure that this will spawn the Ioniq 6 N!
Hyundai's all-electric N future will be derived from the RN22e Concept, and we are already drooling over it!
The Hyundai RN22e and N Vision 74 are the N Brand's vision of the future in two distinctive directions. While the RN22e is a more aggressive take on the production-spec Ioniq 6, the N Vision 74 is a whole different ball game.
It is a performance machine that stitches the iconic 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe and the Hyundai N 2025 Vision Gran Turismo with a hybrid hydrogen fuel cell heart.
It uses hydrogen along with a 62.4 kWh battery pack to churn out 580 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. And Hyundai claims it to have a driving range of 373 miles. Sounds insane right? Well, this retro-vibing future race car is a talk for another article. Let's focus on the immediate future for now!
Hyundai RN22e uses the same E-GMP platform that underpins both the Ioniq 5 and the upcoming Ioniq 6. So, the same 77.4 kWh battery pack is used in the race car. But the dual motors are clearly more powerful. With the motor details under curtains, the RR22e churns out 576 hp and 546 lb-ft of torque to all four wheels.
Hyundai states that the RN22e has a top speed of 155 mph. The 0-60 mph time hasn't been claimed yet, but we expect it to do it in under 4 seconds. There are no tweaks on the charging front. And as it uses the same 800V battery as the road-going Ioniq 6, the RR22e can juice things up from 10-80% in under 18 minutes using a 350 kW DC fast charger.
Related: Here’s Why We Would Buy The Hyundai Ioniq 6 Over The Tesla Model 3
The "N" team has put in a lot of work to make the RN22e connect with the drivers. This is an aspect that we have always feared will be lost when the transition to EVs from ICE-powered cars takes place. But N wants to retain the emotions. And for that the foremost aspect that they have worked on is sound.
This magical bit is called the N Sound+ and elevated the RN22e with noise that is projected from both the interior and external speakers. It is also coupled with the N e-shift which apparently mimics gear shifts and mechanical vibrations via sound through the internal speakers.
Adding to this drama is a dual-clutch torque-vectoring rear differential. This along with a front-rear torque split is controlled via the various drive modes on offer.
The mechanical components have been given the N touch too. This Hyundai race car comes with bigger 15.7-inch front brakes coupled with four-piston monoblock calipers. The N team has also tweaked the RN22e's regenerative braking system to help in cornering and yaw control.
They have also added an "N Drift" mode which sends all the power to the rear wheels to make this EV slide and smoke! The N team has used 3D-printed chassis bits to reduce weight. All of this along with the aggressive aero bits contribute to putting a wide grin on whoever gets to drive the Hyundai RN22e!
Related: Hyundai Puts The Veloster N To Rest, But Here’s Why It Was Awesome
The Ioniq 6, when unveiled, has the car community in splits, mainly because of its polarizing sweeping bodyline. But the N treatment has taken the "streamlined" 6 to a whole different level of aggression. The wide bodykit and its huge rear wing remind us of the Le Mans Prototypes and other touring class race machines. Those huge splitters at both ends, the aggressive side skirts, and fender flares are all to aid in aerodynamics and cooling.
This concept comes with enhanced cooling bits to keep the battery and motor under check during intense and continuous track sessions. This aggressive Ioniq 6 is painted in the iconic Performance Blue shade with a cool "N" vinyl going across the length. Black contrasting elements are highlighted further with the iconic red stripe across the bottom.
The first N-badged all-electric Hyundai has been confirmed to be the Ioniq 5 N which is slated for 2023. But the RN22e gives us a peek at their next N car, the Ioniq 6 N. We expect the technical bits to remain mostly unchanged on the production vehicles.
But the aggressive design will be toned down notably, including that huge rear wing. But with Hyundai N giving us practical insight into what they have been working on, we can't wait to see what the future of N in action!
Tijo is an engineer, mechanic, and an avid content creator. He is a grease-monkey who loves tinkering with automobiles every now and then, when not busy penning down his passion for them. He has always had a soft spot for JDM and is keen on diving deep in for anything that involves wheels and engines.