Hyundai Ioniq 6 N: Can it challenge the Tesla Model 3 Performance?

Update: ‘Specifications’ section updated.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 went on sale in South Korea in September 2022 and reached U.S. shores earlier this year. Like the Ioniq 5, it will receive a variant from Hyundai N, the South Korean automaker’s high-performance brand, which uses the Nürburgring race track (Germany) as its development bed.

According to a report ET News released on April 30, 2023, Hyundai Motor Company (HMC) has approved the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N (codename: Hyundai CE N) and the development of the new project at Hyundai N has started. Once it hits production, the high-performance electric sedan will also be launched in the U.S., as per the S.Korean news report. Here’s everything we know about it so far:

Design

Hyundai N laid the groundwork for the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N in 2022. It introduced a concept previewing the high-performance electric sedan, the Hyundai RN22e, a racetrack-ready Ioniq 6. As illustrated above, the Ioniq 6 N that’s destined for Hyundai showrooms will be a road-legal model with toned-down aggression and lack some of the concept’s motorsport-style features to meet homologation.

With its low ground clearance and emphasized shoulders, the Ioniq 6 N should have an imposing stance. It may sport a front splitter, larger front air intakes, a massive hood vent, partially blanked headlamps, side skirts, unique mirrors, wider wheel arches, exclusive wheels and tires, a rear diffuser, a triangular brake light, and a fixed rear wing. A signature Hyundai N Performance Blue exterior with a racing stripe, N branding, red accents, and the works for amplifying the motorsport-inspired looks is a given!

Specifications

According to a report Australia’s Drive released on November 22, 2023, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N will offer the best performance ever on a street-legal Hyundai and potentially be faster than the Ioniq 5 N, which accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in approximately 3.25 seconds and hits a top speed of 162 mph. It may pack more power than the Ioniq 5 N, which has a dual-motor powertrain generating 601 horsepower (641 horsepower with boost mode engaged).

Even with the same powertrain as the Ioniq 5 N, the Ioniq 6 N’s more aerodynamic exterior may help it perform better. We’re talking two e-axles, with at least 223 horsepower at the front and no less than 378 horsepower at the back. The Tesla Model 3 Performance can do 0-60 mph in just 3.1 seconds (with the first foot of rollout subtracted), and we believe Hyundai would aim for a matching figure with the Ioniq 6 N (with boost mode engaged). The top speed could be slightly higher than the Ioniq 5 N – ~165 mph.

The significantly more powerful and torquier powertrain Ioniq 6 N will demand high energy. To accommodate this demand, Hyundai could equip the Ioniq 6 N with the new and larger 84 kWh battery pack instead of the standard 77.4 kWh battery. The battery management system should also be a new unit, one that is designed to deliver consistent trackday performance. A 10-80% charging session using a rapid charger should take just 18 minutes. The EPA-est. range of the Ioniq 6 N could be around 250 miles. The car could have a Track SOC calculator that automatically calculates energy consumption per lap.

The Ioniq 6 N’s top speed could be electronically limited to 260 km/h (162 mph). Stopping power is likely to come from brakes with 400-mm front discs with four-piston monobloc calipers and 360-mm rear discs.

Aspect	Hyundai Ioniq 6 N Expected Specification
Length	~4,915 mm (193.5 in.)
Width	~2,023 mm (79.6 in.)
Height	~1,479 mm (58.2 in.)
Wheelbase	2,950 mm (116.1 in.)
Drivetrain Layout	AWD
System Power (w/ boost mode engaged)	≥478 kW (641 hp)
System Torque	≥770 Nm (568 lb.-ft.)
0-60 mph Acceleration Time	~3.1 seconds
Top Speed	~165 mph
Battery Pack Capacity	80-90 kWh
DC Charging Time (10-80% SoC)	~18 minutes
EPA-est. Range	~250 miles

Features

N Drift Optimizer

The Ioniq 6 N should have the N Drift Optimizer, a feature that integrates the torque distribution of the front and rear motors, the torque rate, the stiffness of the suspension, the steering input, and the electronic-Limited Slip Differential to optimize the car for drifting. With N Drift Optimizer, even novice drivers would be able to go sideways in the Ioniq 6 N.

The electronic-Limited Slip Differential (e-LSD) of the Ioniq 6 N should have a model-specific tuning and keep a constant watch on the input from wheel sensors to understand which wheel requires additional torque to improve grip. Primarily bundled for track driving, it will come handy in adverse driving conditions as well, like heavy snow, for instance.

N e-shift

One of the topics that Albert Biermann, Executive Technical Advisor at Hyundai, was enthusiastic about while talking with CarExpert on December 12, 2022, was “N e-shift.” While he confirmed the virtual DCT’s arrival in the Ioniq 5 N, the upcoming Ioniq 6 N is expected to get the same treatment. Here as well, the virtual system will be tuned to have mannerisms currently witnessed in gasoline-powered cars with a physical dual-clutch gearbox.

“Virtual Grin Shift”, as Biermann terms it, is being developed to specifically appease drivers of Hyundai’s N-branded EVs who still want all the traits of a driver’s car. To unlock that possibility, engineers and specialists have been working on every small detail – from replicating exhaust and engine notes to the feel of each gear shift. Biermann said that the system could be switched on or turned off by the driver using a button and the paddle shifters.

Battery

Fouth-generation battery

At an event in Seoul in September 2023, the Hyundai N team discussed updates in battery technology. The regular Ioniq 5 uses a third-generation battery that holds around 618 watt-hours per liter (wH/L). The Ioniq 5 N, though, has a more advanced fourth-generation battery that holds more energy—670 wH/L, to be exact. That’s about an 8.4% increase. This boost comes from using new high-capacity materials and making changes to the cell’s design and process.

We’re expecting the Ioniq 6 N to either use the fourth-generation battery cell, or perhaps a further advancement of the same, with a high energy density.

N Battery Pre-conditioning

The Ioniq 6 N should have an enhanced thermal management system to keep the temperature of its core components at the optimal levels during intense track driving. Expect an increased cooling area, better motor oil cooler, and independent radiators for the battery and motor.

An N Battery Pre-conditioning function, as the name suggests should bring the cells of the battery pack to their most power-efficient temperature. There could be two different modes for this feature, one for short bursts of performance, called ‘Drag,’ and one for endurance on the circuit, called “Track.”

Release Date

The ET News report suggests the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N will be launched in 2025. It says the high-performance electric sedan will enter production in the second half of 2025. The initially produced cars will go to South Korean, European, and Australian customers.

Production of North American- and Chinese-spec units of the Ioniq 6 N will commence in early 2026, says the report, which leads to the possibility of a Spring 2026 release in the United States. Only 6,000 units will be made annually, of which 2,000 cars will be earmarked for China. South Korea will get 1,000 units, Europe and Australia will share an allocation of 1,500 units, and North America will get 1,500 copies, says the article.

TopElectricSUV says

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 N should be designed as a proper high-performance electric sedan, offering a quick 0-60 mph acceleration, a high top speed, and a more engaging driving experience than the regular car. It may not beat the Tesla Model 3 Performance at the drag strip or its travel range on a single charge, but with similar performance levels, a faster charging system, a conventional interior, and accessible pricing, it could be an attractive alternative.

Hyundai Ioniq 6 N FAQs

Featured image: TopElectricSUV’s rendition of the Ioniq 6 N.