2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N | UK Review

Flappy paddles and 8-bit engine sounds worked wonders for the 5 N - how does it translate to the 6?

It’d have been easy to dismiss the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N as a flash in the pan. Yes, the flappy-paddle simulated shifts and synthesised exhaust note sounded fun on paper - if a little gimmicky - but nobody could have predicted how effective it would be at putting smiles on the faces of even the most dedicated petrolheads. Heck, our own Matt B chose it as his favourite car of 2024. Knowing it was onto a good thing, Hyundai extended the N treatment to its streamliner-esque Ioniq 6 EV in the hope of delivering back-to-back smash hits.

Which, let’s face it, should have been a slam dunk. Both the 6 and 5 share the same underpinnings, the same powertrain configuration, the same 84kWh battery and roughly the same suspension setup, meaning all Hyundai had to do was take the good bits that made the 5 N so spectacular and bolt them onto the saloon. Which is largely what it’s done, with the 6 N mirroring the 5 N’s peak output of 650hp and 568lb ft from a pair of electric motors, as well as carrying over the same e-LSD and faux dual-clutch system that turned so many hardened journalists into giggling infants.

However, while the core recipe remains the same, the 6 N goes about its business a little differently. The saloon shape alone results in a 50kg saving over the hatch-like 5 N, which will have gone some way towards helping it reach 62mph two tenths quicker, in 3.2 seconds. So will the shorter gearing courtesy of the 20-inch wheels, which are an inch smaller than those on the 5 N, the closer ratios in the virtual gearbox and quicker response from the twin motors. The damping has also been completely reworked, with new ‘stroke-sensing’ dampers that constantly adjust to the road and vehicle conditions. So while it may have all the hallmarks of a re-bodied Ioniq 5 N, the 6 N promises to be the sharper, more focused offering of the two.

You’ll have no doubt read Sam’s first drive of the Ioniq 6 N, a good chunk of which, he tells me, involved lapping the Kini MotorPark circuit and trying to get the back end to step out under the watchful eye of a priggish driving instructor. And when he wasn’t sliding around one of Spain’s many underrated race tracks, he was hooning about on the delightfully deserted roads that surrounded it. It’s a great way to assess the full breadth of the 6 N’s abilities, but a far cry from the narrow, battered roads in the UK. So it only seems right to have another go and see if the 6 N is just as good on home soil as it was on the continent.

Before we get up and running, there’s the small matter of how the Ioniq 6 N looks. PH seems pretty split on how the 6 carries itself, with some finding its swoopy looks akin to a lozenge and its dinky rear wing a tad apologetic. I can’t say I’ve ever had an issue with its styling, and I was quite surprised by how divisive they’ve been, given just how challenging modern car design can be on the eyes. Its narrow headlights, bodywork flicks and broad shoulders give it a look that’s brimming with baditude and make you want to get in and drive the thing. However, Hyundai has an uncanny ability to make cars look smaller on camera than they are in the metal; the 6 N is absolutely huge, being just a smidgen shorter and a touch wider than a BMW 5 Series, which has grown into quite the lump itself.

That does, however, mean you get an incredibly spacious interior. It feels solid and well put together, but it’s mostly a sea of grey plastics and similarly dark finishes that are perfectly pleasant, if not especially plush. That being said, the heavily bolstered seats keep you in place without feeling tight, and the steering wheel is both round and covered in physical buttons. At least four of those buttons are used to control the powertrain: one to cycle through the preset driving modes, one to engage boost mode, one to flick between two configurable settings and one to activate N E-Shift mode. Naturally, that’s the first button you’ll be pressing moments after taking delivery.

No wonder so many manufacturers are scrabbling to make their own version of the E-Shift system, right down to the name in Porsche's case, because it’s hands down the most engaging way to experience an electric powertrain. From the slight jolt between each pull of the paddle to the surge in power that follows, the faux DCT is an utter joy to play around with. When you come across a decent set of bends, you can flick through the paddles to put yourself right where you want to be on the power band. Which is obviously something you’ve been able to do since the dawn of time in combustion cars - but before the 5 N and 6 N arrived, the only way to adjust the platform through a corner was to simply choose which pedal needed the most attention.

Accompanying every gear shift is a synthesised exhaust note that rises and falls with the equally synthesised engine revs. There are three sounds to choose from, with the default simulating a 2.0-litre turbo four-banger, complete with remarkably lifelike pops and bangs that play through speakers at the back of the car when you come off the throttle. The sound itself is clearly digital and no more convincing than the engine notes used in the original Gran Turismo games, although in fairness to it, the 6 N isn’t trying to dupe you into thinking you’re in a combustion-powered car. Instead, it fully embraces the fact that so much of the driving experience is computer-generated, right down to the 8-bit exhaust sounds.

Mind you, there’s nothing fake about its performance. The 6 N is every bit as rapid as you’d expect an electric performance car to be, though it feels a lot more manageable than you might think. That’s partly because you only get the full 650hp when you hit the ‘N Grin Boost’ button, which lasts all of 10 seconds and is really only there for pinning passengers to the backs of their seats. Otherwise, the default 609hp feels more than enough most of the time, particularly as E-Shift lets you adjust how that power is delivered. Admittedly, the lanes around Wantage aren’t ideal for testing the N Drift Optimiser to its full extent, though the ability to send up to 100 per cent of the power to the rear through N Torque Distribution mode does make the back end noticeably livelier. You can also put all the emphasis on the front axle if you’re so inclined, though the front motor can only muster 238hp and therefore won’t deliver the stratospheric levels of torque steer you might think. Trust me, I tried.

Given its size and weight, tipping the scales at a porky 2,166kg, the Ioniq 6 N does a remarkable job of keeping everything in check. The damping is exceptionally well judged, feeling firm and purposeful without ever becoming fidgety or crashy. It’s clear the sensing tech is doing its fair share of the heavy lifting, too, because even at slower speeds, where you’d typically notice the shortcomings of a stiffer setup, the 6 N remains impressively composed. And while slackening off the suspension doesn’t eliminate the 6 N’s inherent tautness, it does calm things down considerably. The steering is nicely weighted, too. Sure, it’s lacking in texture, but it’s consistent enough to give you a good idea of what the front axle’s doing. That consistency extends to the brake pedal, too, which packs a decent bite while providing a good feel for trail braking.

That being said, there’s so much to configure on the Ioniq 6 N that you could turn it into a rear-wheel-drive super saloon that loves to skid at the press of a button, then into a front-wheel-drive hot hatch with the press of another. Or you could simply turn all the N bits off and drive about as if you were in a regular Ioniq 6. Only with a shorter range. Hyundai claims the 6 N will manage 291 miles on a single charge from its 84kWh battery, which is around 31 miles shy of the all-wheel-drive model - but in truth you’ll be lucky to get much more than 220 miles in the real world. Of course, it doesn’t help that your Ioniq 6 can be turned back into the 6 N in an instant, sapping battery power in exchange for a damn good time.

So you may look upon the £65,800 asking price and think ‘that’s way too much for a Hyundai’, but the 6 N balances hyper-focused performance with everyday usability so well that you begin to wonder what else you’d rather have for the money. It’s hard to think of any other current performance saloon that can match the speed, engagement, adaptability and devilish sense of fun. Would I rather it had an engine? If it was something interesting, sure, but a huge part of the 6 N’s appeal is that it can be whatever you want it to be, in a way only an EV can. I’ll miss the sound of a cold start early in the morning, but for everything else I could want from an everyday performance car, the 6 N has covered – and then some.

SPECIFICATION | HYUNDAI IONIQ 6 N

Engine: Twin permanent-magnet synchronous electric motors
Transmission: Single-speed, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 650 (with overboost)
Torque (lb ft): 568 (with overboost)
0-62mph: 3.2 secs
Top speed: 160mph
Weight: 2,166kg
Battery: 800V lithium-ion, 84kWh capacity
Efficiency/range: 3.3miles/kWh, 291 miles
Max DC charging: 350kW; 10-80% charge in 18mins
Price: £65,800

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theicemario

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