I didn’t think the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N could get much better — until I drove its bigger brother
The world sat up and took notice when Hyundai introduced its game-changing Ioniq 5 N.
Here was a big, heavy electric vehicle — bereft of snarling engine notes and an engaging manual gearbox — that somehow reintroduced the joy of driving to a genre that has been described as “soulless”, “utilitarian” and “devoid of any emotion” by those that love internal combustion engines.
Hyundai’s small team of dedicated engineers worked tirelessly for years to produce simulated engine noises, synthetic gear shifts and a stiffened platform that could handle the monumental amount of torque and horsepower produced by a race-tuned electric powertrain.
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Using all of its experience in endurance racing and the World Rally Championship, Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N delivered fun, thrills and smoky drifts by the bucketful, with the South Korean marque arguably beating far more established sports car manufacturers to the unofficial title of ‘their first genuinely fun EV’.
Not one to rest on its laurels, Hyundai has once again put its N Division to work, using its knowledge and experience to fine-tune the marque’s Ioniq 6 EV and inject a similar amount of grin-inducing juice into the slightly madcap sedan.
Arguably a more ‘mature’ option than the hot hatch Ioniq 5 N, the 6 N has to be able to handle those more mundane trips between business meetings and offer a level of comfort that executive types expect.
Dr Jekyll has to be able to suppress Mr Hyde to a great degree, if you will. No mean feat, considering Hyundai decided to imbue the 6 N with 650hp, 770Nm of torque and a top speed of almost 160mph.
Subtle changes
To get to the bottom of what makes the 6 N tick, you really have to start tearing it apart. There’s an all-new suspension system to kick off proceedings, complete with Stroke Sensing Electronically Controlled Suspension (ECS) dampers and a lower roll center to improve high-speed grip and handling.
Upgrades to axle stiffness also improve performance through faster corners, while the electronically adjustable suspension has a much wider bandwidth than the 5 N. It soaks up bumps at lower speeds and is generally less fidgety on highway surfaces.
Then there are all of the tweaks and changes to the technology that made the 5 N so fun in the first place. Engineers have added an additional gear to the N e-Shift system (a simulation of an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission), giving the driver even more to play with on track or on the road, while upgraded software and hardware in the sound system makes the N Active Sound+ even more realistic.
The Ioniq 6 N has its own bespoke engine note, which feels coarser and less digital than the one found in the 5 N, while the sound system handles the location of the synthesized pops, crackles and bangs with greater accuracy. It genuinely does sound like the vehicle is burbling and banging from its non-existent exhaust pipes.
Finally, the Hyundai N division has also worked on its Drift mode, handing choice over to the driver in the form of a fully customizable system that can now be used to tweak the amount of wheel-spin, torque distribution between the front and rear, and the aggressiveness of steering input required to initiate smoky rear tires.
Sensible fun
There’s no denying the Ioniq 6 N is the more sensible of the two high-performance EVs. It looks more grown-up from the outside, with only the huge ‘swan-neck’ rear spoiler and 20-inch forged alloy wheels giving the game away. Remove the rear spoiler and you have the ultimate ‘sleeper’ car.
It’s clearly slightly lower than the standard car, but not aggressively so, while the interior receives a healthy dose of sportiness without feeling over the top.
The bucket seats for front passengers do a great job of keeping torsos planted through faster corners but remain hugely comfortable over longer highway journeys. Similarly, the round N Pasubio steering wheel adds a few extra buttons to control modes without looking like it has been stolen from an F1 car.
On the subject of buttons, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N is absolutely covered in them, with physical switches taking care of most key functionality. Despite most automotive journalists — and some sectors of the public — crying out for more physical switchgear, it’s a bit much here.
Regardless, it is a well-trimmed cabin and the rear is large and comfortable enough to seat two adults or three kids. Plus, there’s a cavernous trunk for stashing everyday accoutrements.
Despite packing the same sort of horsepower as a modern supercar, the Ioniq 6 N can also still return 291 miles on a single charge according to the European WLTP cycle. Thanks to an 800V electrical architecture and 350kW max charge speed, it can also blitz the 10–80% charge in 18 minutes.
Joon Park, the man in charge of Hyundai’s N Division, said that he and his team have always aimed for a 20:20 split, meaning keen drivers can enjoy 20 minutes on track, before charging for 20 minutes and then heading back out again.
In fact, Hyundai has installed ultra-fast charging outlets at some of the most popular public race circuits in South Korea and Europe, including the Nürburgring, where anyone with an electric N product can charge for free.
Everyday sportscar
Perhaps intentionally, Hyundai chose to run almost exactly the same launch program as that of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. The same sunny Spanish roads, the same Parcmotor Castellolí race circuit and even largely the same weather.
With the first task being navigating the chaotic streets of Barcelona, the Ioniq 6 N was able to highlight just how smooth and easy to drive it is. In Normal or Eco driving modes, the steering is light, the suspension pliant and there’s enough ground clearance to easily crest speed bumps and potholes.
Prod the accelerator and it’s clear there’s plenty of power lurking beneath, but it never feels unmanageable.
The steering wheel houses N1 and N2 drive mode buttons, which can be configured to tweak the steering, torque delivery and suspension firmness. You can set these various modes to include or exclude the N Active Sound+ synthesized engine note, the simulated gear shifting and various digital screen layouts.
There’s also a bright red button that is labeled GRB, which is short for N Grin Boost. Depress this button and the vehicle provides maximum motor output for up to 10 seconds… perfect for rapid overtaking.
Once out of the slower city traffic, we were quickly in the winding hills outside of Barcelona, where flicking the Ioniq 6 N into one of its racier profiles almost came naturally. Hyundai’s simulated engine note comes to life and taking over ‘manual’ gear changes is a joy.
With more cogs to play with, the driving experience is even more involving than before, while the artificial rev limiter and flashing lights on the dash make it very easy to forget that it doesn’t have an engine.
However, the 6 N settles back down into a mature-feeling sedan once the fun is over, proving quiet and comfortable on the highways. Get rid of the synthesized sound and the cabin is relaxing, while that revised suspension does a great job of floating over road surfaces.
Track monster
Once again we head to the race circuit and once again, it is difficult not to be impressed by what Hyundai’s N Division has achieved with its various software simulations.
The artificial dual-clutch gearbox can be used in any mode, meaning it is possible to cruise around a race circuit in Comfort, cycling up and down through the gears like you would in a conventional car.
What’s more, the programmed engine braking and power delivery are beyond realistic, to the point that selecting the wrong gear as you head up a long, climbing straight will result in limited torque as the ‘engine’ struggles to pile on the revs.
Naturally, the car’s raciest N modes are best suited to pummeling circuits and the full 650hp with N Launch Control activated gets the EV off the starting line and up to 62mph in a neck-snapping 3.2 seconds.
Speed only builds from here and it’s not long before the first corner arrives. Hard on the brakes, cycle down through the gears and the nose dives, revealing that the Ioniq 6 N still weighs in excess of 2,000kg, but the brakes are strong and the body control excellent.
It remains flat as it crests through the first corner, where it is time to start working your way back up through the gearbox again — a solid thump in the chest as it engages each artificial cog.
All the time, the drive is soundtracked by various pops, crackles and bangs from the sound system, with shift lights on the dashboard doing a great job of imitating those found in Ferraris, McLarens and M Performance BMWs.
For those that like to get a little loose, Hyundai’s N Drift Optimizer has been updated with adjustable initiation, angle and wheel-spin control. Alternatively, turn all of the traction assistance off and the 6 N can be coaxed into wild skids.
While not exactly a generational leap from the Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai’s latest performance EV is an altogether more refined vehicle. One that once again delivers on the racetrack, but a model that also transforms back into a more comfortable long-distance cruiser.
With prices starting at £65,800 in the UK for the 6 N (around $87,500 / AU$125,600), it’s no more expensive than the 5 N, which feels extremely generous considering the enhancements.
Where the Ioniq 5 N is arguably the more spacious and practical car, the 6 N ushers in changes that make it the more comfortable and capable machine. A more senior offering that just so happens to be a big kid at heart.
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