Hyundai's Ioniq 6 N is hot, and also it has a camera mount in the ceiling
A few months ago, Hyundai's Ioniq 6 went through the classic movie plot: nerdy but brilliant teen takes off their glasses to reveal, wow, they were hot all along!
Along with its midlife glow-up, the very good electric sedan was revealed in sporty N Line form and – as we punters long expected it would – stealthily previewed in performance hero full-freak N mode.
Well, now it's out. The glasses are off, the shirt is off. Here at last, the Ioniq 6 N!
☝️ Firstly, please enjoy the hilariously bad voiceover and script on the official reveal video.
If you can get past the dude who won't shut up, you'll note that the Ioniq 6 N is noisy, just like the Ioniq 5 N before it.
It's good noise, too. Hyundai matches its N Active Sound system with the physically simulated gear shifts that you can either leave on auto or DIY with the paddles, and you get all the jolting you'd usually get from gear changes – or overstaying your welcome in those gears.
DETAILS
Hyundai has officially pulled the covers off the Ioniq 6 N at Goodwood, and surprise, surprise, it's packed with the same high-performance EV gear as its boxy Ioniq 5 N sibling.
We get the usual buffet of marketing terms like ‘Corner Rascal’ and ‘Racetrack Capability’, which is Hyundai’s way of saying it’s not just a one-trick pony for traffic light drag races.
The headline figures are, predictably, huge: Dual motors forcing 478kW and 770Nm through the all-wheel drive system when you mash the 'N Grin Boost' button.
This translates to a claimed 0-100km/h sprint of 3.2 seconds, which is ferociously quick – but really, that’s becoming the entry ticket for any EV with performance pretensions.
The real meat and potatoes is the hardware.
Hyundai has given the 6 N a fully redesigned suspension geometry, lowered roll centre, and new stroke-sensing adaptive dampers. This is the stuff that actually matters in a corner, especially with a weighty EV.
But, as the 5 N showed us, Hyundai's N team has been bringing a genuine focus to its chassis dynamics.
There's also an improved ‘N e-Shift’ fake gearshift and ‘N Active Sound+’ system, and I don't care what y'all might think – my jury finished deliberating when I got out of the 5 N. These synthesised noises and simulated shifts are very bloody good.
The important bits
- Total Output: 448kW / 770Nm (478kW with N Grin Boost)
- 0-100km/h: 3.2 seconds (with N Launch Control)
- Top Speed: 257km/h
- Battery: 84.0kWh
- Charging: 10 to 80% in about 18 minutes on a 350kW charger, under optimal conditions.
- Driving Range: TBC!
- Drag Coefficient: 0.27
- Brakes: 400mm front discs (four-piston) and 360mm rear discs (single-piston).
- Wheels: 20-inch
- Tyres: 275/35R20 Pirelli P-Zero 5, specially developed for the car.
The 6 N also gets a massive swan neck wing and widened guards, just to make sure everyone at the charging station knows you bought the fast one.
Nah, in fairness to Hyundai, it's all for actual track work – a lifestyle the brand has really embraced, promising warranty coverage for trackday enthusiasts. Even Toyota refused buyers that honour.
And, of course, if it weren't obvious enough that Hyundai is here for the hot laps, there's a bloody camera amount embedded in the ceiling. Go off son!
While other brands are still figuring out how to build a half-decent EV, these guys are deep in the weeds, fettling chassis balance and trying to engineer synthetic fun.
Despite the layer of PR gloss in that video, the Ioniq 6 N looks like a properly serious bit of kit. Kudos, Hyundai.
Tyrone still needs a spanking though...
Mike Stevens
MORE Ioniq 6 N pics in my Threads post:
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