Drag race: Hyundai Ioniq 5 N vs. new Tesla Model 3 Performance

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 N seems to be the most hot-hatchy EV launched so far, with its fake exhaust sounds and fake transmission, which are both meant to emulate the feel of a traditional ICE-powered hot hatch.

On the other hand, the Tesla Model 3 Performance has recently been refreshed, and stands as one of the best accelerating EVs of its class. So what would happen if someone was to pit these two against each other in a drag race? Let's find out!

As you can see, Mat Watson over at Carwow has decided to test the Ioniq 5 N against the Tesla Model 3 Performance. It's an interesting pairing, this, since while the Hyundai has way more horsepower, the Tesla is way lighter.

So at the start of the test, there isn't one obvious favorite. In case you couldn't watch the video, here's a short rundown of what happened. In the first race, the Tesla is quicker off the line but the Hyundai catches up and wins in the end.

A second run started very similarly but the Ioniq 5 N didn't catch up due to a worse launch than the Model 3. The third run ended the closest, with the Hyundai beating the Tesla by just a tiny hair, as they were both clocked at 11.3 seconds for the standing quarter mile.

In rolling races from 30 mph the Hyundai is decidedly faster from the get-go, so the trend is clear. The Model 3 has better acceleration at low speeds, but the Ioniq 5 N takes the cake above those. That is, unless you employ the fake transmission, in which case the Tesla wins since the Ioniq 5 N has to limit the power in order to create the fake gear changing effect.