Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 N electric SUV has been named MotorWeek’s 2025 Drivers’ Choice award for Best Performance Car at a ceremony during the Chicago Auto Show. The IONIQ 5 N stood out among other category finalists thanks to its engaging performance made possible by its Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and N motorsport technologies. In addition to driving impressions, MotorWeek’s vehicle evaluations team considered reliability and value, as well as consumer trends.
“MotorWeek’s 2025 Drivers’ Choice award recognition for Best Performance Car is proof that the IONIQ 5 N is a special vehicle that doesn’t just stack up well against other high-performance EVs, it competes – and wins – against all kinds of enthusiast machines,” said Ricky Lao, director, product planning, Hyundai Motor North America. “The IONIQ 5 N is Hyundai’s most powerful production vehicle and it delivers a highly engaging driving experience both on and off the track.”
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“When it came to selecting MotorWeek’s Drivers’ Choice Best Performance Car of the Year, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N was our staff’s unanimous pick,” said John Davis, host and creator, MotorWeek. “As the first EV member of Hyundai’s enthusiast-minded N sub-brand, the engineers and designers went all-out to add to the IONIQ 5’s already impressive acceleration; the kind of handling, braking, and overall high-performance driving experience that folks like us live for. But they also upped the power too! Add in the N Drift Optimizer and you’ve got a recipe for whatever high-speed hijinks you want to try. Yes, it also has electronically generated engine sounds to match every touch of the throttle, but that never detracted from the impressive job both outside and in of updating everything, from styling to seat design, to match our N-level expectations. If we had to sum up our feelings of the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, we’d say… this car is just bonkers…so hurry up and get one.”
For the last 44 years, MotorWeek has paused halfway through their television season to examine the state of the automotive business, and to judge the year’s best new cars, SUVs and trucks. Driving, researching, and performing instrumented testing of over 150 new vehicles every year is a benchmark of which MotorWeek is proud. From this intensive process, a list of the best vehicles in each class is prepared and the DCA winners are determined. The goal is to produce a list of winners that align with the perspectives of automotive experts and consumers alike, with recommendations that can be used as a practical guide for new-vehicle shopping.
Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America offers U.S. consumers a technology-rich lineup of cars, SUVs, and electrified vehicles, while supporting Hyundai Motor Company’s Progress for Humanity vision. Hyundai has significant operations in the U.S., including its North American headquarters in California, the Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama assembly plant, the all-new Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and several cutting-edge R&D facilities. These operations, combined with those of Hyundai’s 835 independent dealers, contribute $20.1 billion annually and 190,000 jobs to the U.S. economy, according to a recent economic impact report. For more information, visit www.hyundainews.com.
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