Driven Car Reviews Feb 5, 2026

The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N Turns it Up to 11

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Car

Hyundai Ioniq 6N

The Hyundai Ioniq 6N is a sportier version of the Ioniq 6 electric car. It has upgrades that make it faster and more fun to drive.

Concept

mid-cycle refresh

A mid-cycle refresh is when a car gets updated while it's still being made, usually to improve its look or add new features. It's like giving the car a makeover without changing it completely.

Car

Hyundai 5N

The Hyundai 5N is a sportier version of the Ioniq 5, which is an electric SUV. It has more power and better performance than the regular Ioniq 5.

Term

suspension upgrades

Suspension upgrades are improvements made to a car's system that helps it ride smoothly and handle better on the road. This can make the car feel more stable and comfortable.

Term

brake upgrades

Brake upgrades are improvements to a car's brakes that help it stop faster and more safely. They make the brakes work better, especially when driving fast.

Term

aero tweaks

Aero tweaks are changes made to a car's shape to help it move through the air more easily. This can make the car faster and use less energy.

Term

performance tires

Performance tires are tires made to help cars handle better and go faster. They grip the road more than regular tires, making them great for sporty driving.

Term

N-E shift

N-E shift is a feature in some electric cars that makes it feel like you're changing gears, similar to regular cars. It adds sounds and sensations to make driving more fun.

Term

downshifting blips

Downshifting blips are quick revs of the engine that happen when you shift to a lower gear. They help the car feel smoother and more responsive when changing gears.

Term

electric vehicle

An electric vehicle is a car that runs on electricity instead of gas. They are better for the environment and can save money on fuel.

Term

aerodynamic

Aerodynamic means how well a car can move through the air. Cars that are shaped better can go faster and use less energy.

Term

dual-motor all-wheel-drive system

A dual-motor all-wheel-drive system means the car has two motors that power both the front and back wheels. This helps the car grip the road better and drive more smoothly, especially in bad weather.

Term

N-grin boost

N-grin boost is a feature that gives a car extra power for a short time, making it faster when needed, like in a race. It's similar to a special button that helps you speed up quickly.

Term

A kilowatt-hour battery is a way to measure how much energy an electric car can hold. An 84 kWh battery means the car can store a lot of energy, which helps it go further before needing to be charged.

Part

20-inch wheel

A 20-inch wheel is how big the wheel is on a car. Bigger wheels can help the car grip the road better and look more stylish.

Company

Pirelli

Pirelli is a brand that makes tires for cars. They are known for making really good tires that help cars perform well, especially in racing.

Term

regenerative braking

Regenerative braking is a system in electric cars that helps save energy when you slow down. It takes some of the energy used to stop the car and sends it back to the battery, helping the car go further.

Part

mechanical brakes

Mechanical brakes are the parts of a car that help it slow down or stop. They work by using physical parts to create friction, which helps the car stop safely.

Part

four piston calipers

Four piston calipers are parts of the braking system that help squeeze the brake pads against the rotors to stop the car. Having four pistons means they can apply more pressure, which helps the car stop better.

Term

coefficient of drag

The coefficient of drag is a number that shows how easily air flows around a car. A lower number means the car is more streamlined and can move through the air better, which helps it use less fuel.

Term

rear spoiler

A rear spoiler is a part at the back of a car that helps it stay stable when driving fast. It helps air flow better around the car, which can make it handle better.

Term

downforce

Downforce is the force that pushes a car down onto the road, helping it grip better and stay stable when driving fast. It's important for sports cars and race cars to handle well.

Term

diffuser

A diffuser is a part of a car that helps air flow better underneath it. This helps the car stick to the ground better when going fast, making it safer and more stable.

Car

Hyundai Ioniq 5N

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a new type of car that runs on electricity instead of gasoline, making it better for the environment. It has a cool, futuristic look and lots of space inside, which makes it a great choice for families or anyone who wants a stylish ride. The talk about its suspension means they are making changes to help it drive smoother and handle better on the road.

Term

roll center

The roll center is a point in the car's suspension that helps determine how the car leans when going around corners. It affects how well the car handles and feels during turns.

Part

dampeners

Dampeners are parts of the car's suspension that help smooth out the ride by controlling how the springs move. They make the car feel more comfortable and stable.

Term

ride height sensor

A ride height sensor checks how high the car is off the ground. It helps the car adjust its suspension to make the ride smoother and better for different situations.

Term

N-grind boost

N-grind boost is a feature that gives extra power to the car, making it faster. It's like a turbo boost that helps you speed up quickly when you need it.

LIVE

Recently, Hyundai brought me down to its Irvine California design studio, where I got a preview

of the new Crater concept.

A bonus, chilling in the design courtyard, was the Ioniq 6N.

All sixes get a mid-cycle refresh with redone faces and lamps, but the 6N gets serious

performance upgrades.

Hyundai has announced that this is definitely coming to the North American markets, and

that's great news for enthusiasts, because when I drove the 5N at Laguna Seca, it was

seriously one of the best things I've ever done behind the wheel of an automobile.

A quick refresh if you've somehow missed the praise bestowed upon the 5N.

Far more than just stripes and trim, it gets a serious power bump over the standard 5.

Upgraded cooling for the batteries and motors, aero tweaks, plus performance tires, suspension

and brake upgrades.

There are switchable performance tones and simulated gear shifts called N-E shift.

Okay, so here's the thing, there's the sound, but you actually feel the shift, it's an actual

physical thing.

Downshifting blips, that's awesome.

Don't like the way this tech apes a standard gas-powered vehicle?

Well, turn off the features, the electric ends offer choice.

6N has more potential as a driver's vehicle, for starters it's lower to the ground and

more aerodynamic than the 5's hatchback-y SUV form factor.

And Hyundai engineers learn from the 5N and change things up.

I'm going to let Hyundai's Mike Evanov take it from here for the details.

So starting at the front, it does feature end-specific front fascia, front badging,

but the whole fascia is unique to the end model.

But then also with the refresh, the headlights have been moved, relocated from up above and

here on the hood and the fender to down below, featuring that pixel theme throughout.

And while we're at the front of the vehicle, I'll kind of talk about the motors real quick.

It is obviously a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system that can split between all front, all

rear in between 50-50, but the front motor is about 225 horsepower.

The rear motor is 378 horsepower, so you combine, you get 601, which is the same as the Ionik

5N, but then there's also what we call N-grin boost, which is like an over-boost feature,

like a push-to-pass.

So that gives you 10 seconds of the additional 40 horsepower for a total of 641.

The battery is 84 kilowatt-hour battery, up a little bit from prior.

The whole vehicle has been widened, 60 millimeters.

So it is about an inch and a half, a little over an inch on each side to house these larger

wheels and tires.

It is a 20-inch wheel, but it's a 9.5-inch wide wheel, and those are wrapped in 275 35

Pirelli P05s.

Obviously, with electric vehicles, you get a lot of benefit from regenerative braking,

up to .6 Gs.

We still have mechanical brakes, 15.7 inches or 400 millimeters in the front, huge rotors,

four piston calipers up front as well, two-piece rotor design.

You know, one of the big differences, obviously, is the body style between the 5N and the 6N.

This is what we call kind of our streamliner appearance.

Coefficient of drag is .27.

The base car is about .22.

So yes, there is a little bit of an increase, but you're talking much wider tires, the wider

fenders, the body.

Moving to the rear, the obviously element is the rear spoiler with a swan neck design.

So it mounts on the top, which allows the underflow, under surface to be minimize any

interference from the spoiler mounts.

So we mount it up on top to maximize the down here.

It's about 220 pounds of downforce at top speed.

You'll also see unique rear fascia back here, kind of a diffuser elements underneath.

Talk a little bit about the suspension.

It has been updated from IONIQ 5N.

The geometry has been altered and changed.

The geometry of the suspension components, where they meet, is kind of called the roll

center.

So in the front, it's been reduced a little bit over three inches, which that's pretty

significant to reduce.

And in the rear, lowered about just a little over three and a half inches.

So trying to get that roll center down to give a more stable planted feel in cornering.

But then that combined with the dampeners, basically electronically controlled, but they

now feature an integrated stroke sensor.

And that combined with a ride height sensor front and rear basically adds to a little

bit more refined ride quality, both for as a daily driver, but then more performance

on track as well.

So looking at the inside, I'll start with the kind of like what I figure the most important

aspect are the driver touch points.

So the steering wheel, circular in design, very thick.

You've got all your buttons there.

This is common with the 5N, but you've got your N1 and N2 buttons, your N-grind boost,

that 40 horsepower increase I talked about.

And then also your drive mode selections can be made all from the steering wheel.

The seats, common with the 5N, I find it is a very comfortable seat.

The inserts are all contrived material.

So basically you get that suede feeling and then also the foot pedals, aluminum.

And I always like to point out the dead rest or the dead foot pedal actually is very substantial

and you can use that for bracing, as is there's also a pad on the center console to also kind

of help you with your knee when you're on track and you need that extra leverage and

extra support.

That center console has been updated a little bit for this model.

The displays, while they're the same size, 12.3 inches dual side by side, they now feature

our latest multimedia architecture, which is we call CCNC.

So basically updates to the navigation, all the map, the displays, now running the latest

generation of our multimedia and infotainment system.

And NE Shift simulates the transmission or the gear changes.

There's been enhancements made for this versus the 5N.

Actually, the gearing is shorter.

They're all simulated gearing, so you basically do whatever you want with that gearing.

By looking at the charts, we're in the 5N where you get to the top of second gear in the 6N,

you're basically at the top of third gear.

So you've got one extra gear in between.

And then the rest of the gears kind of follow a similar pattern.

Combined with the shifting is also the sound, the active sound plus, correlates really well

with the gear changes to give you that impression of basically driving a combustion engine car.

Each individual gear has its own torque profile and has a feel of an actual gear as you let off.

You get that decel feeling depending on what gear you're in.

You can bounce it off the red line if you so desire.

So, you know, or you can turn it all off and just drive it like a normal EV.

The 5N really took the market by storm is putting fun into an EV,

which I think a lot of people didn't think was possible.

But I think with the 6N, our goal is just to build upon that incremental improvements,

just keep on making it better.

Now with the sedan body style, the lower roll center,

it transforms into a vehicle that really, I think,

will put a smile on everybody's face either on the street or on the track.

About this episode

Hyundai's Ioniq 6N is set to elevate the performance EV landscape with significant upgrades over its predecessor, the 5N. Featuring a dual-motor all-wheel-drive system that delivers a combined 601 horsepower, plus a temporary boost to 641 with N-grin boost, the 6N promises thrilling driving experiences. The episode dives into its aerodynamic design, advanced suspension, and innovative tech like simulated gear shifts and customizable performance sounds. Insights from Hyundai's Mike Evanov reveal how the 6N aims to enhance both daily driving and track performance, making it a standout in the EV market.

20-inch wheel aerodynamics aero tweaks brake upgrades coefficient of drag dampeners diffuser downforce downshifting blips dual-motor all-wheel-drive system

Hyundai Ioniq Hyundai Ioniq 5

Original notes

Hyundai has made it official- the IONIQ 6 N is coming to the North American market in late spring / early summer of 2026. Is it one better than the legendary 5N? There's certainly reason to believe that. 6N gets upgraded performance electronics and a new suspension for a lower center of gravity. Plus it's more aerodynamic. Tom Voelk travels to Hyundai Design North America in Irvine, CA to talk to Hyundai's Michael Evanoff to discover what's different when it comes to the high-performance IONIQ 6N.

Hyundai provided travel to California for this video.

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