Hyundai IONIQ 6 N ( 2026 - ) Electric review

The Ioniq 6 N comes at a hefty premium over the Ultimate-spec Ioniq 6, but when you compare it to other electric saloons with similar performance, you’ll quickly realise how much more affordable the Hyundai is. A similarly powerful Porsche Taycan GTS, for example, will set you back nearly twice as much money, and that’s before you start adding options. Hence, the Hyundai doesn’t qualify for the government’s Electric Car Grant. The Ioniq 6 N can travel 302 miles on a charge, and when you do need to top up it has the hardware to make the most of rapid 350kW chargers, topping the battery back up from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes - though you will pay more for the privilege depending on your charge provider. Charge it up at home and it won’t cost much to run.

With fewer moving parts, electric cars are generally more reliable than those with engines, but nevertheless Hyundai backs the Ioniq 6 N with a five-year unlimited mileage warranty and five years of annual health checks, while the high-voltage battery is covered for up to eight years or 100,000 miles. Hyundai cars generally perform well in customer reliability indexes, so there are no major alarm bells here.

The Ioniq 6 N is as packed with safety equipment as it is performance. Forward-collision-avoidance tech for example, not only keeps an eye out for cars, pedestrians and cyclists, but there is also a function that can prevent collisions from taking place while turning at a junction. As you head out of town, there’s a lane keep assistance system that monitors both the road’s edge as well as the line markings, and even when parking the car, it keeps a watchful eye on its surroundings, just in case there’s anything you might have missed. Like so many other new cars, even when on your best behaviour, it’s hard to avoid triggering the various audible warnings of the monitoring systems that are now mandated. But Hyundai seems to appreciate how annoying some of these can be, so there are some shortcuts, such as holding the volume button for a few seconds to mute the speed limit warning. One safety feature we really like is the blind-spot view monitor, which displays a live camera feed in the digital instrument display when you turn on the indicators.

The Ioniq 6 N is somewhat low slung by today’s standards, where seemingly every other car is either a crossover or SUV, but the sleek silhouette also features a lengthy wheelbase, which provides occupants with plenty of space. Rear passengers don’t get as much headroom as those in the loftier Ioniq 5 N, but people of average height won’t have too much to complain about, and the generous amount of legroom more than makes up for that. The sports seats up front are bolstered in all the right places yet aren’t as extreme as those in some hot hatches and sports cars, so for everyday use, they’re comfortable enough. While there is plenty of space inside the car, the boot capacity is less impressive at 371 litres, and practicality isn’t helped by the shallow opening. Still, the boot is deep enough for longish items. On the road, there’s a healthy balance of comfort and control thanks to the adjustable suspension that’s softer in the Normal drive mode. Even riding on 20-inch wheels, the Ioniq 6 N remains composed and reasonably quiet, thanks partly to the double-glazed front windows.

From the factory, the Ioniq 6 N comes with a generous standard specification, so even if you choose not to tick many of the extra boxes, you’ll still have a good package. The 20-inch five-spoke wheels are standard and come with Pirelli P Zero tyres, while the body kit is enough to differentiate it from the common-or-garden Ioniq 6, with a rear wing leaving observers in no doubt. The interior gets some added bits as you might expect, but there’s also the same dual-12.3-inch display panel and a bank of proper buttons along the centre console as in the regular model. The steering wheel gains some additional functions, including two buttons on the bottom for choosing preset driving modes. Complementing the drive mode button is an NGB (N Grin Boost) switch that delivers the full 650 horsepower for up to ten seconds at a time. You get plenty of dark suede-like materials inside, all the phone connectivity and charging solutions you’d expect and a colour-head-up display, while a Bose stereo means if you don’t want to listen to the augmented engine sounds, your favourite playlist will sound great.

The Ioniq 6 N packs an impressive set of numbers, though none that are that different to the Ioniq 5 N. An 84kWh battery feeds electric motors on the front and rear axles, combining to a 609-horsepower output in normal operation, though that can be boosted to 650 horsepower via the NGB button. With ‘N Launch Control’ engaged, it can sprint to 62mph from rest in 3.2 seconds, though if you prefer to drive it in a more normal, everyday fashion, it slips into that role when required. In this setting, it’s a competent and comfortable electric car that can be relatively efficient, though the Ioniq 6 N is no range champion like its less powerful sibling. When you do want to have some fun, the Hyundai feels dialled in to the task at hand, providing positive levels of feedback through the steering wheel. Even on track, braking performance is consistent and has a natural pedal feel. There are several fun aspects, such as being able to shift ‘gears’ manually via the paddles, providing a surprisingly realistic experience. High-speed upshifts deliver a kick in the back of your seat, while running into a rev limiter seems strange in an EV at first. It’s easy to look at these things as gimmicks, and in a way, they are, but they do make it a more fun experience overall. You get a sense of its length when linking apexes, but it rotates nicely and allows just enough lean to keep you informed of what the car’s doing. You get a sense that this is a performance EV that has been created by enthusiasts.