Author: EVAI
Ioniq 5 N review, GMC Sierra EV arrival, Maserati EVs, Mercedes eSprinter: Today’s Car News
Maserati might have the first U.S. electric convertible in years. Mercedes adds lower-priced versions of its eSprinter. GMC sets the price, range, and more for the arrival of its Sierra EV pickup. And we look at how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N gamifies its interface to actually make driving more enjoyable. This and more, here at Green Car Reports.
In a first drive of the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, Green Car Reports found what might be a motorsports game-changer—an EV that brings more emotion and joy to high-performance driving, with the capability to keep its cool out on the track.
GMC has confirmed a starting price just under $100,000 and an EPA range of 440 miles for its top 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 electric pickup. That includes four-wheel steering and CrabWalk capabilities, plus GM’s SuperCruise and the same very high-power charging rates as the GMC Hummer EV.
Mercedes-Benz announced pricing and details for its 2025 eSprinter electric van lineup, which includes a smaller 81-kwh battery pack and shorter standard-roof version at a base price of $63,545 that’s more competitive versus fleet-oriented rivals.
And the first U.S.-bound fully electric luxury convertible looks likely to come from Italy. The Maserati GranCabrio Folgore, revealed Monday, is due to arrive in America in the fourth quarter of the year, as a 2025 model, with a price above $200,000.
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2024 Toyota Land Cruiser
The 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser marks the return of an icon and throws the nameplate back with retro flair. But it leaves some hardware off the menu so that the similar Lexus GX can thrive—and it’s nearly overlapped by Toyota’s own upcoming 2025 4Runner. What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser? What does it compare to?…
Bespoke Revuelto shown at first Lamborghini Arena gathering
Lamborghini earlier in April held its innaugural Lamborghini Arena, a gathering that ran for two days at Italy’s Imola Circuit and was open to both customers and fans. Around 6,000 participants and 380 Lamborghinis, from past and present, visited the racetrack, including the new Revuelto supercar. Lamborghini also marked the event with the…
2024 GMC Sierra EV boasts 440-mile range, CrabWalk, lower price
GMC confirmed on Tuesday that the limited-edition launch version of its 2024 Sierra EV pickup will arrive in summer 2024—with about 10% more EPA range than originally suggested.
The full-size electric truck, touted to be the “Denali of EVs,” bears GMC’s top-luxury Denali badge and will offer a CrabWalk mode, unlike the top-trim 2024 Chevrolet Silverado EV RST also detailed earlier this month.
The top GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 will arrive at a starting price of $99,495, including the $1,995 destination fee. That’s thousands less than the around-$107,000 price that was suggested when Green Car Reports first provided a Sierra Denali EV preview. The Edition 1 rides on huge 24-inch wheels and will include rear-wheel steering (enabling that CrabWalk mode), an air suspension enabling adjustable ride height, and a 16.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Super Cruise highway driver-assistance system, which has been expanded to include 750,000 miles of compatible U.S. and Canadian roadways, will be offered.
2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1
2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1
2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1
With a dual-layer battery pack expected to be the same 205 kwh as top trims of the GMC Hummer EV, the GMC Sierra EV can take full advantage of 350-kw, 800-volt charging connectors, according to GMC, allowing up to 100 miles of range in 10 minutes.
The truck produces a “GM-estimated” 754 hp and 785 lb-ft of torque in its Max Power mode, and the automaker has provided a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds. Towing capacity is expected to be up to 9,500 pounds, and bidirectional charging capability will allow it to export up to 10.2 kw of AC power for campsites, workplaces, or more yet to be detailed.
2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1
Like the Silverado EV, the GMC Sierra EV offers a flexible midgate setup, allowing cargo items up to 11 feet long to fit without hanging out from the vehicle, by borrowing some of the cabin space and using the bed tailgate’s load-stop. There’s a front trunk—a frunk, in EV parlance—too.
The Sierra EV was revealed in December 2021 and at that time confirmed for a 2023 market arrival. GMC has suggested all along that it might not be the “high-volume entry” electric truck that GM CEO Mary Barra stressed in describing the Silverado EV. That likely means that work-truck variants planned for its Silverado EV sibling won’t be translated to the GMC side, although GMC had said that an off-road-focused AT4 model is on the way, as well as an entry Elevation trim for around $50,000. With the Denali’s lower price, perhaps the base truck will be more affordable, too.
2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali: 440-mile range, $99,495 price
The 2024 GMC Sierra EV Denali Edition 1 goes on sale this summer with a $99,495 price and a range of 440 miles, GMC announced Tuesday. The electric pickup truck tops the Sierra range, and costs $3,000 more than the range-topping 2024 Chevy Silverado EV RST First Edition expected to land this summer. Both electric pickup trucks cost about $9,000…
Maserati reveals US-bound luxury electric convertible
The Maserati GranTurismo Folgore is getting a convertible sibling that will create a new EV market niche in the U.S.
Unveiled Monday, the Maserati GranCabrio Folgore is scheduled to arrive in the U.S. in the fourth quarter, as a 2025 model, with a price tag of more than $200,000 that will likely make it the first true luxury electric convertible for this market. It will also be the first electric convertible of any kind sold in the U.S. since the withdrawal of the Smart Fortwo Electric Drive Cabriolet and Tesla Roadster.
A straightforward convertible version of the GranTurismo Folgore coupe launched last year as Maserati’s first EV, the GranCabrio has a soft top that can be opened in 14 seconds, and closed in 16 seconds, while driving at speeds up to 31 mph. Operation is via a button on the center console or via gesture controls, by swiping and holding to the left or right on the touchscreen.
2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore
Said touchscreen measures 12.3 inches, and is paired with an 8.8-inch screen for climate controls. The leather-lined interior also features a 12.2-inch digital instrument cluster and standard neck warmers to make driving with the top down more pleasant in a wider range of conditions. The GranCabrio also has 5.3 cubic feet of trunk space, but that shrinks to 4.0 cubic feet with the roof stowed.
Three electric motors—one in front and two in back—are rated at 402 hp each. That adds up to a nominal output of over 1,200 hp, but actual output is limited to 760 hp by the inverters, silicon-carbide items Maserati claims for developed for Formula E racing. A synthesized soundtrack is provided, along with regenerative braking capable of a claimed 0.65 g of deceleration, but that stops short (no pun intended) of one-pedal driving.
Maserati estimates 0-62 mph in 2.8 seconds and a top speed of 180 mph, compared to 2.7 seconds and 199 mph for the GranTurismo Folgore coupe. So while the GranCabrio Folgore seemed like a potential rival for the next-generation Tesla Roadster, it’s not quite in that realm of performance. It should be more luxurious though, and adjustable rear torque vectoring available in the Corsa drive mode (one of four, along with Max-Range, GT, and Sport) bodes well for handling.
2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore
A 92.5-kwh (83.0-kwh usable) T-shaped battery pack sits in the driveline tunnel and behind the rear seats, ensuring a 50:50 weight distribution. EPA range is not certified yet, but Maserati estimates about 250 miles. An 800-volt electrical architecture allows for DC fast-charging speeds that can accomplish a 20%-80% charge in 18 minutes, according to Maserati.
Following the GranTurismo and GranCabrio, Maserati plans to launch an all-electric Folgore version of the Grecale SUV, its current entry-level model. These are the first steps toward goals of having electric versions of all models by 2025, and phasing out combustion engines by 2030.
Carlos Tavares, the CEO of Maserati parent Stellantis, has said that EV tech is the choice technology of politicians, not industry, so will Maserati be able to inject the right kind of feeling into these vehicles? Or is it merely appeasing regulators.
Review: 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N enthusiast EV shows it’s worth the wait
The good folks at Hyundai have scrambled my brain with the 2025 Ioniq 5 N, a devilish little electric compact crossover that might just be a motorsports game-changer.
Most electric vehicles are a blast to drive in a straight line, with incredible acceleration and accessible power. But their weight becomes a liability on the race track, and battery cooling can put a damper on the fun well before running through a charge.
Like many “sporty” versions of best-selling cars—think the Toyota Corolla GR or the Acura Integra Type S—the Ioniq 5 N gets more power, a wider stance, and upgraded tires. The car still has all the tech features we’ve come to expect in a Hyundai like automatic emergency braking, a driver-assistance system that helps ease fatigue on the highway trips, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a large digital gauge cluster and infotainment screen.
However, the company wanted to build an EV that would entice ICE enthusiasts over to the electron world. By and large, enthusiasts don’t care about tech features. Instead, we want emotion. We want to feel connected to the car, like the vehicle is an extension of ourselves. We want to feel joy and excitement and yes, just a touch of fear.
Whoo boy does this thing rock.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Hall
Green Car Reports sent me out to Laguna Seca Raceway with five specific questions—in bold below—to answer. I spent the day amidst professional drivers and Hyundai engineers, dutifully fulfilling my assignment and wondering at the absurdity of hooning a ridiculously powerful car on a compelling track and getting paid for it. Y’all, it was a good day.
Does N Grin Boost put a grin on your face in the Ioniq 5 N? Did you use it on the track?
N Grin Boost is the equivalent to a go-fast gold coin in a video game. Press the red button labeled NGB on the steering wheel and the Ioniq 5 N gives you all 641 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque for 10 seconds. Drivers can do this as long as the battery is at a 30% or higher state of charge.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Hall
Laguna Seca Raceway is a complicated track with plenty of blind crests, tricky decreasing-radius turns and a 0.2-mile front straight. This straight, I figured, would be a good place to boost, and thus grin.
I’m not quite sure how fast I was going when I hit the button. I had just finagled my way out of turn 11, a 90-degree left-hand turn, so it couldn’t have been more than 35 or 40 miles per hour. I floored the accelerator, waited a few seconds and smacked my right thumb on that NGB button.
Did I grin? Yes. Did I also panic? Again, yes. I had been using one of Hyundai’s pre-programmed propulsion sounds—more on that in a minute—and as soon as the NGB kicked in, all went silent. It was like I was suddenly in a hyperspace vortex where time and physics meant nothing.
Space, however, was in full effect as I careened towards turn one, a blind crest that turns slightly left that has terrified me every single time I’ve been to this track. I risked a brief glimpse of my speedometer and saw 105 miles per hour.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
“This is fine,” I thought. “I’m fine, everything is fine.”
I managed to stay in the throttle over the crest without any kind of Code Brown moment, but the hysterical laughter that came out of me served as a reminder that I was indeed experiencing a tiny bit of fear. I got on the brakes hard and somehow managed to get through turn 2, the Andretti Hairpin, before NGB deactivated itself, the fake noises came back on and I was back to a slightly more manageable pace.
Hyundai later told me that NGB can be set to one of three audible sounds and doesn’t have to be silent. In retrospect it was kind of cool for the car to go quiet, as it was very clear something was happening. I just wasn’t necessarily prepared for it.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
How do the fake gearshifts work in the Ioniq 5 N? Why did Hyundai choose this and did it ever consider a two-speed gearbox?
The Ioniq 5 N plays games with the driver with a simulated shiftable transmission, while it’s actually just running its motor up the rev range. Sure, I could keep it in Auto mode and let the two electric motors spin all the way up to 21,000 rpm, or I could let the computer in the N e-Shift feature manipulate my emotions a bit, keeping the motor—my perception of the motor—at a maximum of 7,750 rpm and divided into eight steps, making me feel more at one with the car.
Combined with the simulated sounds—and be patient, I’ll get there—shifting the car gave me a much more visceral experience. Auto mode is fine for toddling to the grocery store, but this is Laguna Seca, dammit. I wanted to feel like I was driving the car. I wanted to be in control.
The way the Hyundai engineers developed the simulated shifts is so simple it borders on genius and surely borrows from a driving simulator. When in manual mode, if I use the right paddle to upshift, the torque briefly drops then blips up, all in a nanosecond. From the driver seat it felt at minimum like a gentle push, but when I was on the throttle it was enough to jolt my head back a little, just like a real transmission would do when under load.
Coming into corners I could downshift and get some engine braking to help slow the car down, and put a few electrons back in the 84-kwh battery (more capacity than any other Ioniq 5). For science, I tried exiting turn 11 in fourth gear and the car protested with a noticeable lag, just like it would with an actual manual transmission.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Hyundai could have gone the Porsche Taycan route and opted for a two-speed transmission, but again, it’s looking to build a bridge for ICE enthusiasts to cross over to The Democratic Republic of EVs. The company knows enthusiasts like manual transmissions and while this doesn’t have a clutch pedal, it at least gives the driver a modicum of control.
Joonwoo Park, Vice President N Brand Management Group, told me that a two-speed transmission would also add weight and cost. By eschewing a real, physical thing and merely adding a few lines of weightless code to its simple single-speed transmission, Hyundai adds lightness and helps keep the price of the Ioniq 5 N to $67,475 including $1,375 for destination.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
What about the Ioniq 5 N propulsion sounds themselves? What was the inspiration for this “simulated” part of its experience?
Okay, let’s talk about the sound! Hyundai has incorporated what it calls N Active Sound+ into the myriad choices drivers can make in the Ioniq N 5. Of course, you can have no sound, just the slight metallic whirr or the electric motors spinning up. That’s great for everyday driving but track shenanigans call for drivers to use all their senses, aural included.
The best sounding option by far is called Ignition. This is based on the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine found in the Elantra N, complete with lift-off pops and gurgles. My first session on the track was in silent mode with the single-speed gearbox doing its own thing. When I turned on the N e-Shift and the N Active Sound+, I got the physical motion of snapping off gears with the paddle shifters and the audible cues of a throaty little engine. Suddenly I was much more invested in the experience, and my time shows it. Sure, I’m no Max Verstappen, but my second session went by much quicker than the first, and it was much more fun to boot.
2024 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N eN1 Cup race car
The sound is pumped into the car from eight speakers, but also released to the unsuspecting pedestrian through two external speakers. Park said that those participating in the new eN1 Cup racing series in South Korea with the Ioniq 5 N may one day get to choose their own bespoke sound, so fans know who is coming around that corner and on to the straight.
I think I’d want mine to sound like a Mötley Crue guitar riff, but I digress.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Hall
Preconditioning is as much about getting the most track time as it is getting the quickest charge. How does this all work in the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5?
Of course, EVs have a few disadvantages when it comes to running hot and heavy on the track. Sure, an ICE vehicle will likely need more fuel during a day of track driving, but it’s a task completed in five minutes or less. With an EV, there are so many other components that come into play to make sure the batteries can deliver the most power and recharge quickly.
First, there is power delivery. The battery in the Ioniq 5 N can be set for a sprint race with an optimal battery temperature of 86 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit or an endurance race, where the temperature should be a bit cooler, between 68 and 86 degrees or so. Keep in mind that these numbers are for optimal performance, not range. During my time on the track I lost 10% of my charge in each of my two endurance sessions and the battery temperature stayed around 70 degrees. I used 16% of my battery juice in my one sprint session ending with a battery temperature of 93 degrees.
The Ioniq 5 N has triple the amount of cooling surfaces as the regular Ioniq 5, a cooling element inside the battery and its own separate radiator as well. Further, the computer can tell the driver how long it will take to reach optimal temperature, so she knows just how long before the next track session is a go.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
When it comes to charging, the Ioniq 5 N can fast-charge at a peak of about 235 kw thanks to its 800-volt architecture. However, anyone with any experience with an EV knows that rate is not guaranteed. Not only does the charger need to be reliable enough to deliver the power; the battery pack needs to be ready to accept it. Like most EVs, the Ioniq 5 N can condition the batteries for charging, getting temperatures in that sweet charging spot between 68 and 86 degrees.
Hyundai has installed 10 high-speed chargers at the Inje Speedway in South Korea to support its new eN1 Cup racing series. It also hopes to put chargers at tracks around the world including the famous Nurburgring, where the company says the Ioniq 5 N can do two laps flat-out of the nearly 13-mile track in Endurance mode.
As for charging at Laguna Seca, Hyundai had to hire a few trucks with generators to keep the electrons flowing. There are Tesla Superchargers but the Ioniq 5 N does not have NACS capability, nor is the station a Magic Dock station. Nuts.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Overall, does the Ioniq 5 N compare to the EV6 GT in driving thrills—and in driving range?
Although the Kia EV6 GT might be built on the same platform as the Ioniq 5 N, the two are hardly comparable. Don’t get me wrong, the EV6 can generate 576 horsepower and 545 pound-feet of torque from its two electric motors—close—and it shares a few features with the Ioniq 5 N like an electronic limited-slip differential and a drift mode, but not its larger battery and intensified pack cooling. At the end of the day the EV6 GT is a quick car that can carve a canyon or two. It’s not a track car.
The EV6 GT doesn’t have an e-Shift feature nor deliver any audible cues, both of which enhance the Ioniq 5 N to the, ehem, nth degree. The Hyundai also has distinct settings for the motors, the steering, the electronic limited-slip differential, suspension and steering feel and the driver can push close to 100-percent of the torque to the rear wheels if he so desires.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Hall
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N – Emme Hall
There are even two different kinds of brake regeneration: I-pedal with your standard levels of regen or N pedal, which is meant more for weight transfer. Select this setting and the 0.36g of regen not only slows the car before a turn, but really gets the weight moved to the front, helping the Pirelli P Zero tires grip through the turns. Yeah, you’ll hear some squealing but trust me, the grip is there. The EV6 GT with its less sticky Goodyear Eagle F1 shoes just can’t compare.
As for driving range, well, that’s a tough one. I got to sample the Ioniq 5 N on public roads, but not for an extended amount of time. Hyundai says the 84-kwh battery is good for 221 miles of range—less, of course, while hooning on a track. Meanwhile the 77.4 kWh battery in the Kia EV6 GT can eke out 206 miles. Again, I would expect it to be difficult to hit that EPA number if you exploit the GT’s power at every green light.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Hyundai Ioniq 5 N summary: Driving joy
By the time I left Laguna Seca I was worn out. I had pushed through the fearsome turn 1 at triple digits, bothered Hyundai engineers with technical questions and loved every second of it. While the 2025 Ioniq 5 N might be a rolling computer with myriad complicated settings, it produced more emotion and amusement than I thought possible from an electric vehicle.
This isn’t a car about saving the world with a green powertrain. It isn’t about making a commute safer with advanced driver’s aids or even about pushing the boundaries of all-electric range. No, the Ioniq 5 N is about driving joy. And I’m here for it.
2024 Toyota Land Cruiser, 2025 4Runner are similar — but different
The redesigned 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser goes on sale this spring with a higher price and lower volume expectations than the upcoming 2025 Toyota 4Runner, due late this year. Toyota admits there will be some overlap.