2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N makes e-Shift feel real

Albert Biermann, the über-engineer tapped to lead Hyundai Motor Group's R&D and vehicle development, officially retired in 2021. But the fingerprints of the longtime chief engineer of BMW's fabled M performance division are all over a run of acclaimed models from Hyundai, Kia and the Genesis luxury brand.

The electric 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is the latest with a seemingly magic touch. Literally, in the case of a world-first transmission that simulates the shifts, revs and sounds of an eight-speed, dual-clutch gearbox and ICE engine. Yet this paddle-shfted “N e-Shift” is an entirely digital overlay that disguises a familiar single-speed EV tranmission.