HYUNDAI EVS MIGHT VIBRATE TOO, ALONGSIDE FAKING ENGINE SOUNDS

Hyundai is leaving no stone unturned when it comes to making its electric cars engaging for drivers. A few years ago, the South Korean auto giant dropped the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N with an ICE-inspired soundtrack and fake gears. Other major global automakers like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW have since been chasing down and copying such features. What once was dubbed a gimmick turned out to be the template for many EV manufacturers. Now, Hyundai wants to make its EVs even more engaging to drive every day.

Future Hyundai electric cars, underpinned by the new IMA architecture, could come with richer ICE-inspired sounds and vibrations. Hyundai’s global R&D boss, Manfred Harrer, said in an interview with Autocar UK that in the next generation of Hyundai electric cars, the sounds and vibrations will be more realistic, replicating those of ICE-powered cars.

According to Harrer, the OEM could further develop the sounds of a backfiring exhaust and add vibration in the car, which could usher in the next level of driver engagement. “There are so many ideas about how you can advance it further, but this is all about experience," he added. “A lot of people say it’s fake, but people like it, so there is some beauty – and why not play around with it? We are not the serious Porsche guys. We are fun to drive. We made a great move, and over the years we will enhance it – and the next platform will get this. The demos are already running," he added.

Enhanced sound and vibration will be made possible through the new IMA platform

Harrer hinted that the enhanced sound and vibration would be a key part of the new IMA platform-based electric cars of the automaker. Hyundai has been developing the Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA) for several years and could launch it in 2028 with the second-gen Ioniq 5.

This architecture will retain 800-volt technology, but improvements will be made to charging times, efficiency and thermal management. Harrer referred to it as a huge evolution rather than a revolution, unlike the current E-GMP architecture. Hyundai’s new IMA architecture will underpin its new-generation range of electric cars and their subsequent sporty N-branded iterations as well.

2026-06-30T03:37:15Z