Hyundai's Electric Soap Bar Gets Spicy: Ioniq 6 Refresh and a Blistering N!
Image Credit: Hyundai.
Oh wow… It seems Hyundai has decided their sleeky-beaky electric slipper, the Ioniq 6, needed a bit of a… well, a sharpenin'. Apparently, looking like it was carved from a particularly slippery bar of soap wasn't quite cutting the mustard. And the best bit? They're even hinting at a proper, fire-breathing (electrically, of course) N version. Crikey.
The Ioniq 6 hasn't exactly been clogging up the streets like some other electric contraptions. Probably for that reason, it is getting a bit of a nip and tuck for the 2026 model year. Fresh from the Seoul Mobility Show, this newly invigorated electron-guzzler boasts a front end that's supposedly… even more streamlined. Apparently, it wasn't slippery enough to slide right under a closing garage door already.
Hyundai fiddled with the daytime running lights, turning them into these skinny little LED strips of four rectangles each. Pixelated, they say. Sounds more like they ran out of design ideas halfway through. And the bumpers? Oh, they've been "comprehensively reworked" to make it look wider and lower. Because that's what everyone wants – a car that looks like it's trying to limbo under a particularly low-hanging cloud. I think.
The black trim along the sides has also decided to go for a bit of a climb, creeping up onto the doors. This supposedly gives it a "more purposeful stance." I'd say it looks like it's trying to escape the tarmac, but what do I know? At the rear, the Ioniq 6 gets a new "extended ducktail spoiler." The old, supposedly large one has been binned in favor of this new, slicker profile that still manages the same aerodynamic wizardry. Perfect - that's exactly what the average driver needs as they constantly battle gale-force winds on their commute to the grocery store.
Here's a bit of tech that tickles my fancy, even if it probably won't tickle the fancy of the bloke in charge of US regulations: cameras instead of side mirrors. Imagine that! Fewer things to accidentally knock off while navigating those oh-so-spacious American parking lots. Sadly, the fun police will likely have a field day with that one, so don't expect to see those on your "6" anytime soon.
Inside, it's mostly the same old spaceship-lite affair, though the steering wheel has sprouted a third spoke. The center console has been fiddled with for "better ergonomics," and the climate controls are now supposedly bigger. Which is good, because fumbling for tiny buttons when you're trying to defrost the windshield is about as much fun as a tax audit. They also claim the door panel materials are now "more premium." Let's hope that means they've upgraded from something resembling recycled cardboard to… slightly thicker recycled cardboard.
And then, just when I thought this electric lozenge couldn't get any more… interesting, Hyundai wheeled out an N-Line version. Ooh-err. This one gets the usual sporty trinkets: a blacked-out front bumper that looks like it's wearing a rather aggressive face mask, complete with swooping black panels and little winglets. I guess adding aerodynamic frippery to something that's already slipperier than an eel in a barrel of oil makes perfect sense. It also gets some "unique" wheels and N Line badges plastered all over it, just in case you forget you opted for the slightly more shouty version.
But looking closer at the official images, I noticed something hiding in the shadows - the pièce de résistance, the cherry on the electric cake. At that moment my eyebrows did a little dance: we have a teaser for the proper, full-fat Ioniq 6 N! Hidden away in the background of some blurry photograph, this blue beastie looks like it means business. Blacked-out rear bumper, giant ducktail spoiler (because apparently, the standard ducktail isn't enough), and a rather substantial rear wing. Now we're talking! Hyundai has confirmed it'll be properly revealed in July, and the whispers suggest it'll be borrowing the 641-horsepower dual-motor setup from its Ioniq 5 N sibling. Yes! Six hundred and forty-one horsepower in something that looks like it should be silently gliding through a futuristic cityscape. The mind boggles. And I love it.
Image Credit: Hyundai.
For now, there is no word on battery capacity, range figures, or, crucially, how much this electrified missile will cost us in good old American dollars. The current Ioniq 6 starts somewhere in the region of $42,450, and you can bet your bottom dollar the N version will be significantly north of that. The Ioniq 5 N retails for $66,200 so I really do expect the 6 to hover around the same figure.
Acceleration times? Expect that to be in the "hang on to your fillings" territory. The 5 N deals with the zero to 60 sprint in just over 3 seconds and gallops onto a top speed of 162 mph. I really don't think the 6 N will be any slower - if anything, it should have an even higher top end thanks to its soapy shape. That shape should help it as well to eke out a bit more out of its battery than 5 N's 220 miles. We’ll know all the details in June.
Well, the Ioniq 6 is getting a bit of a makeover, and it seems Hyundai is finally injecting a bit of much-needed lunacy into the range with that N version. Will it be a proper giggle? Will it be able to put a smile on even my jaded face? I bet it will. The prospect of a silent, sleek saloon with the grunt of a startled rhino? That's certainly got my attention. I need to go and find which one of my cars will be making way in the garage for this electric spaceship. Oh - and I need to find a very long, very empty stretch of road… just in case.
