We Got Them Both Out, Here’s The Highlights

The DNA of car companies runs deep. In the veins of every Lexus lurks a Toyota, every Audi bears a strong resemblance to a Volkswagen, and your Cadillac has plenty of Chevrolet underfoot. In 2015 Hyundai introduced Genesis as its flagship model and, after 1.5 million sales, the brand is doing well in more than 22 markets.

Genesis vehicles feature more luxurious exteriors and interiors than their Hyundai counterparts, but the company isn’t content to be a fancy-pants brand. It goes all in with Magma, its operational sub-brand.

First up is the GV60 Magma, an EV built on the same platform as Hyundai’s rambunctious Ioniq 5 N. So is it just a 5 N attraction or is there more to the story? Let’s take a look, shall we?

Both cars are all-wheel drive and put out more than enough power for crazy-pants performance. The two GV60 motors can produce up to 641 horsepower and 580 pound-feet of torque. That’s enough to propel it to 62 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds, on its way to a top speed of 164 miles per hour. Not too shabby, eh?

The Ioniq 5 N comes with excellent numbers as well. Maximum power output is the same, but the torque number is a notch lower at 568 pound-feet. It weighs 77 pounds less, but that’s enough to get it to 62 miles per hour in the same time as the GV60, albeit with less torque. Top speed here is low: “just” 162 mph.

To access all that power the steps are the same for both cars. Press the Boost button on the GV60’s steering wheel and you get 15 seconds of high performance. Otherwise you’re looking at 601 ponies and 546 pound-feet of twist. Hyundai calls its N Grin Boost button and it only allows you to enjoy high performance for 10 seconds. If you’re not involved, the Ioniq 5 N is good for 601 horsepower and 545 pound-feet of torque, the most of which is matched here.

Both EVs use a simulated gear shift pattern and audible cues to make the driving experience more immersive and each does a great job in its own unique way. They cut the power briefly with each click of the paddle shifter and quickly turn it back on, causing my head to fall back by inertia. Each allows you to change eight gears and like a real gearbox connected to an internal combustion engine, if you are in the wrong gear, you will spin the corner or bounce the “rev limiter,” depending on how badly you start. In any case, it should feel hokey but pure joy.

However, while the Ioniq 5 N uses the turbo four-cylinder Elantra N as its sound inspiration, the GV60 uses a deep V6 rumble that doesn’t hit the redline until 9,000 rpm. You can turn off this EV seemingly forever before you hear the “Bap bap bap,” of rev limiter calibration.

Both EVs use an 84 kWh battery, but Genesis estimates it will get better range than the Ioniq 5 N: 230 miles versus 221 miles. That’s just acceptable in the EV world today, with most buyers expecting a range closer to 300 miles. But most EVs aren’t that fun to drive. I’ll take a hit of distance in exchange for the perma-smile I’d have on my face if I had to drive one of these every day.

Using the same underpinnings, both vehicles can charge over 250 kW and go from 10 percent to 80 percent charging in just 18 minutes. The Genesis is slightly faster on the 50 kW charger, taking just 73 minutes to charge versus 81 minutes for the Ioniq 5 N. Both have a 10.9 kW on-board charger, so charging up to 100 percent at home can easily be done overnight.

Both the GV60 Magma and the Ioniq 5 N have standard driving modes to improve range, comfort or sport, but also have their own advanced modes specific to each model. Hyundai has an N Race button that opens two additional modes: Sprint and Endurance. The default here is Sprint, which gives the driver all the power when the distance is compromised. The second mode here is Endurance, which takes into account the battery charge required for long sessions on the track.

The Magma button on the GV60 is a little different. While there is a Sprint mode, the tough GT mode is the default. This setting is designed for slow cruising on the best road trips but can still provide strong acceleration when needed. You’ll find a Drift setting in both cars if you want to go sideways on the track, but my test day in the GV60 didn’t include a sampling of this mode.

However, time spent in GT and Sprint modes in the GV60 was equally enjoyable. GT mode is good on the freeway and although the speed limiter kept my right foot firmly planted, the accelerator responded very quickly on the few occasions I was able to open it. On a very windy mountain road the Sprint mode was almost too much, as there wasn’t enough road between turns to use all the power. Still, the car handled the ess like a champ with a Pirelli P Zero tire out of place as I backed down the hill two or three times just because it was so much fun.

When I think back on my time in the Ioniq 5 N, my memories are of a smoother and firmer ride, with more edge than the GV60. I would like to take them back, but my feeling is that the Ioniq N behaved like a skilled but young driver, think Kimi Antonelli currently burning up the F1 circuit. The GV60 Magma, on the other hand, is very much like Lewis Hamilton: mature and patient but willing to attack at a split second.

No doubt about it, the GV60 Magma is a looker, but with a completely different aesthetic than the equally unique Ioniq 5 N. While Hyundai’s all-future Pixels develop a hot hatch with sharp angles on all body panels, the GV60 Magma is curvaceous and sleek. It’s still a hatchback, but while the Ioniq 5 N has a rear roof spoiler, the Genesis gives us a real wing that manages to look functional and sophisticated at the same time. The color is agreeable, but your humble author thinks the Ioniq 5 N looks best in the Performance Blue Matte color. I only got to drive the GV60 in Makalu Gray and people who don’t want to stand out will love it. However, the name Magma Orange is your best bet here. It’s surprising.

Inside the Magma is a much nicer place to spend time than the 5 N. The seats are soft but still very supportive, made of grippy suede and the driver’s is 10-way adjustable including cushion extension. Even the passenger seat is adjustable in eight ways. 5 N errs on the supportive side when it comes to seating, sacrificing little comfort. Both the driver and passenger seats are only six-way manually adjustable and made of synthetic material. Both seats, however, get heating and ventilation.

I love the central Magma stack with the cool crystal sphere that rotates at the start to reveal the gear selector. The Ioniq has its shifter on a stick on the steering column and I always find it difficult. The Ioniq 5 also has four large buttons on the steering wheel in addition to the adaptive cruise control and the like that sits in the center of the spoke wheel. Genesis designers cleaned that up and moved some buttons to the center stack, resulting in a cleaner-looking cockpit.

The infotainment system is housed in a 12.3-inch color touchscreen on the Ioniq 5 which is integrated with a digital gauge cluster of the same size. There are many ways to set up a 5 N in terms of noise, dynamics, drive modes and the like and it can be very difficult. You’ll want to sit with it for a while to get it all. The Genesis uses a single 27-inch OLED screen that houses the infotainment and gauge cluster and while I want to spend more time with it, my first impression is that it’s more organized and easier to use than the rig in the Hyundai.

Audiophiles will appreciate the Bang & Olufsen 17-speaker 1,400-watt sound system in the GV60 Magma. It makes the eight-speaker Bose system in the Hyundai sound down right in comparison.

Of course, the big difference here is the price. The current Hyundai Ioniq 5 N comes in at $67,800 including $1,600 destination. We won’t know pricing until mid-July, but the most expensive non-Magma GV60 currently comes in at just over $74,000 including destination, so expect to shell out a few thousand more for the hottest version. Considering the performance of the Ioniq 5 N and GV60 Magma is very close, you are really paying for more comfort and a more sophisticated design. However, you may find that the adult version of the fun performance hatch costs a little more.