2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N electric performance car spied
With a lower centre-of-gravity, better aerodynamics, and more power rumoured, the Ioniq 6 N could be the fastest car to ever wear a Hyundai badge.
A 'test mule' for the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N high-performance electric sedan – wearing the body of the regular model – has been caught on camera for the first time.
Engineers from Hyundai's performance division have been testing what is believed to be an early prototype of the Ioniq 6 N at Germany's famous Nurburgring circuit, with the model expected to arrive in showrooms in 2025 – as reported by Drive in November 2023.
The Ioniq 6 N is expected to be the second electric performance car from the South Korean brand, following the launch of the Ioniq 5 N in February – which offers up to 478kW and 770Nm in its most potent setting, allowing for a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time of 3.4 seconds.
But as reported by Drive, the Ioniq 6 N could offer even greater performance than its sibling, however exact specifications remain unknown at this stage.
As the Ioniq 6 N shares Hyundai's 'E-GMP' architecture with the Ioniq 5 N, there is a fair chance the sedan will use the same 84kWh battery pack, offering an estimated 500 kilometres of driving range on a single charge.
In July 2022, Hyundai unveiled the RN22e concept (below), which applied wild aero improvements to the Ioniq 6, including a wider body, deep front spoiler, and a large rear wing.
Hyundai was quick to downplay the RN22e as a precursor to the Ioniq 6 N, instead labelling the concept as a 'rolling lab' for the development of future technologies.
While the bodywork on the latest Ioniq 6 N prototype appears to be almost identical to the standard version, there have been some subtle changes to the rear deck spoiler, very subtle wheel arch extensions, and new alloy wheels – the same design seen on the RN22e concept – clad in Pirelli performance tyres.
Future prototypes are expected to adopt more aggressive production-ready bodywork – just as early Ioniq 5 N test vehicles looked almost identical to standard versions, aside from lowered suspension, and larger wheels and brakes.
Given the Ioniq 6 is lower and has a sleeker body profile than the Ioniq 5, on-road handling and race-track lap times should be somewhat improved – even without the rumoured power increase.
With unconfirmed reports the Ioniq 6 N could hit Hyundai dealerships in 2025, more information on the new electric car is expected later this year.
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