Hyundai & Xpeng Highlight New EV Models At Goodwood

Last Updated on: 12th July 2025, 12:52 pm

If you own a 12,000-acre estate called Goodwood in the south of England near the English Channel and the estate has a rather storied racetrack within its boundaries, naturally, you invite 150,000 people a year to visit. The event is now known as the Goodwood Festival of Speed, a celebration that includes motor racing, a hill climb, and a general celebration of everything automotive. It has also become an opportunity for automakers to introduce their latest models in a way that is guaranteed to garner the most attention from the media. This year, Hyundai and Xpeng were among those who took advantage of the glamour and glitz to present their latest EV offerings.

Hyundai IONIQ 6 N Debut

Many manufacturers have specialized high-performance versions of their standard offerings, cars that outperform their ordinary peers in terms of acceleration, cornering, and braking. Volkswagen and Honda use the letter R to identify their specially tuned models. Many manufacturers use the letter S to identify their performance cars. Hyundai has adopted the letter N for its special models.

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 N has been out for a while now. It features software that simulates the sound and feel of a conventional car with a manual transmission. As my colleague Jennifer Sensiba explained, the Hyundai system is more than a parlor trick. Based on a video by Engineering Explained, she says, “The software controls the electric motor and gets it to really act like an ICE engine in every situation. It can sound and feel like it’s lugging when put into a virtual gear that’s too high. It can punish you for getting the timing on a shift wrong.”

Hyundai has now applied the N technology to the IONIQ 6 to create an electric road car with truly sporting intentions. Here are the bullet points from the IONIQ 6 N press release:

• Building on the success of the award-winning IONIQ 5 N, the IONIQ 6 N integrates cutting-edge technologies and capabilities derived from Hyundai N’s motorsport programs and “rolling lab” initiatives.
• The model embodies Hyundai N’s core principles — Corner Rascal, Racetrack Capability and Everyday Sportscar — delivering exceptional handling and an aerodynamic design that ensures stability and confidence at high speeds.
• With an official 0–100 km/h time of just 3.2 seconds (using N Launch Control) and a top speed of 257 km/h, the IONIQ 6 N is a formidable presence on both road and track.

The car features fully redesigned suspension geometry, an improved N e-Shift system that “minimizes performance loss, plus better sound quality through updated hardware and extensive acoustic fine-tuning, ensuring that every drive is both engaging and immersive. By integrating these cutting-edge technologies, IONIQ 6 N not only exemplifies Hyundai N’s pursuit of performance excellence but also signals a bright future for EVs within the high-performance sector,” the company says.

“With IONIQ 6 N, Hyundai N aims to elevate its offerings, enticing drivers with electric powertrains that offer high-performance enthusiasts a thrilling new avenue to electrify their passion both on the road and the track,” said José Muñoz, the CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. For a visual explanation of the changes that have gone into the IONIQ 6 N, treat yourself to the video below. It’s 6 minutes long and worth every second of your time.

Batteries get hot when asked to supply power for exuberant driving. To manage the challenge, the IONIQ N comes with an advanced battery cooling and preconditioning system — Battery N — that adapts to a number of track driving scenarios — drag, sprint, or endurance racing. The integration of battery conditioning functions leads to higher and longer lasting performance. The optimized thermal management control and an increased capacity in the battery coolant heater significantly reduce the preconditioning time so the car is always ready to respond when the driver toes the exhilarator pedal.

As part of the performance upgrade, the redesigned suspension features a lower roll center and incorporates electronically controlled dampers (what some incorrectly refer to as shock absorbers) that permit a wide range of damping force adjustments to suit varying driving conditions, from everyday driving to on-track experiences. The result is improved ride quality and more predictable, responsive handling under all conditions.

“IONIQ 6 N combines formidable power, sophisticated battery management, aerodynamic mastery and advanced suspension systems to deliver a compelling blend of speed, stability and comfort, setting new benchmarks in modern automotive engineering,” said Manfred Harrer, who is the head of vehicle development technology for Hyundai.

Press releases are often breathless descriptions of rather mundane stuff, but the Hyundai presser makes for interesting reading. If anyone is considering buying an IONIQ 6 N, this should make for interesting reading:

IONIQ 6 N redefines the EV driving experience through its in-house developed advanced vehicle control software, optimized to enhance every aspect of driver interaction with the vehicle. Central to this interconnected experience is the N Active Sound + system, which brings a dynamic audio dimension to the driving experience. Powered by a stereo sound source and performance-enhanced Acoustic Design Processor (ADP) it delivers an enriched sound stage that makes each journey aurally immersive.

Drivers can choose from bespoke sound modes tailored to specific moods and driving scenarios — from the motorsport inspired ‘Ignition’ to the heritage infused EV sound ‘Evolution’, and the futuristic sci-fi tones of ‘Lightspeed’. Each mode offers a captivating auditory experience.

Elevating the sense of performance even further is N e-Shift, Hyundai N’s innovative shift control feature. By simulating motorsport inspired close gear ratios, N e-Shift heightens responsiveness and strengthens the driver’s connection to the car. Now fully compatible with key performance features including — N Launch Control, N Drift Optimizer, N Grin Boost and N Torque Distribution — N e-Shift ensures a seamless integration of control and power.

Adding to the sensory experience is the N Ambient Shift Light, a unique interior lighting feature that visually cues precise shift points for optimal performance. This synchronized ambient glow transforms the cockpit into an arena where every gear change is not just felt but seen, further enhancing driver immersion.

The N Track Manager empowers drivers to tailor and analyze their on-track performance like never before. This intelligent feature allows users to create custom tracks, monitor speed data, and evaluate performance through real time ghost car visuals and detailed lap time analysis. By offering advanced track data management, N Track Manager further solidifies IONIQ 6 N as a track-capable EV engineered to meet a wide range of performance demands.

Complementing this is the N Drift Optimizer, which offers unparalleled control over the vehicle’s drift characteristics. With customizable parameters for drift initiation, angle and wheel spin drivers can fine-tune the vehicle’s behavior to suit their skill level and driving style.

Together, these driver-focused features demonstrate Hyundai N’s commitment to delivering a versatile and exhilarating driving experience. By pushing the boundaries of advanced vehicle control software, the IONIQ 6 N opens new dimensions in driver engagement — for enthusiasts and everyday drivers alike.

Well, it certainly seems Hyundai has a handle on how to appeal to the tire shredding crowd. If you include yourself in that group, the IONIQ 6 N may be just what you are looking for.

Xpeng At Goodwood

Xpeng also showcased its latest EV technologies at this year’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, but its focus was not on high performance but rather on new battery and driver assistance technologies. The highlight of its presentation was the announcement of new LFP battery technology in an 800-volt format. The new battery uses no cobalt, manganese, or nickel, yet can accept up to 451 kW of charging power, which allows it to go from 10 to 80 percent state of charge in just 12 minutes.

Xpeng is taking battery safety very seriously. The new G6 as well as the P7+ both feature a “bulletproof-level battery protected by a 4-3-4 structural safety framework and ballistic grade armor, capable of withstanding extreme conditions — including 1,000°C heat and 80 tons of side crush pressure. Additionally, the battery lifespan has been increased by 30%, meeting the most stringent safety standards.” That is certainly impressive stuff, which will now encourage other EV manufacturers to do the same.

The company is also touting a new high-efficiency heat pump that can heat both the cabin and battery from -20°C to 40°C in a little over 4 minutes, which reduces the loss of performance in cold weather conditions. Both the latest Xpeng G6 and Xpeng P7+ feature advanced driver assist systems powered by the Qualcomm 8295 processor.

The P7+ also incorporates the company’s latest vision for AI defined mobility, which merges “executive sedan” comfort with advanced AI capabilities to meet the evolving expectations of modern drivers. Using AI to manage both ADAS and cockpit settings are said to “revolutionize the driving experience, offering users a seamless and personalized journey.” Sales at Xpeng have surged of late, an indication that its focus on advanced technology is finding favor with customers.

Lagniappe For CleanTechnica Readers

The announcements from Hyundai and Xpeng indicate how quickly EV technology is improving — and how quickly some companies are falling behind. Before we go, we thought you might enjoy a video of historic car racing at Goodwood, which has come to symbolize all that is good, and right, and true about motorsports. This is racing where knowing how to muscle a car around a racetrack with style and aplomb is the only reward. Seat of the pants racing some might call it, shorn of electronic aids and reliant solely on the sensory inputs that drivers get from their fingertips, toes, and buttocks. Enjoy!