The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N’s Fake Shifting Equals Real Fun

I could tell by the blank stare in my colleague’s eyes that my enthusiasm for driving the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N was being met with a great deal of skepticism. How could you take an electric vehicle and give it the driving engagement of a sports car with a world-class dual-clutch automatic transmission? Well, Hyundai figured it out.

I took a quick spin in the Ioniq 6 N as part of my juror duties on the panel of the 2026 World Car Awards, where I sampled the 601-horsepower, all-electric, all-wheel-drive performance sedan on curvy Southern California canyon roads (actually, it’s 641 hp temporarily via the N Grin Boost feature). On these roads, what most stood out was how entertaining and engaging the car was to drive with its N e-Shift mode engaged. This driving mode electronically simulates gear shifts via steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters with authenticity that could convince you you’re driving a lightning-quick-shifting dual-clutch automatic transmission in a Porsche.

Related: Hyundai Ioniq 6 N: A Performance All-Electric Super Sedan

A Shift-It-Yourself EV

The simulated shifting feature debuted on Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N SUV, but the Ioniq 6 N uses an enhanced version in the low-slung, extra stable and sporty sedan. My observation wasn’t measured in lap times or sliding sideways in its drift mode, it’s purely a seat-of-the-pants observation on public roads: Was I having fun?

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“Fun” is a nebulous characteristic to pinpoint, but many cars have lost their edge in driving; recent examples include the BMW M5 and Subaru WRX that are undeniably fast but lack connection with the car and road.

Despite being an EV, the Ioniq 6 delivers on all of the inputs and seat-of-the-pants excitement I want from a high-performance car. Pulling back the gear selector to shift up or down doesn’t only change the “gear,” it also clunks and thunks like a physical gear change, and it pairs surprisingly well with the N Activ Sound+ simulated engine sound that’s updated in the 6 N. At “idle,” a tachometer subtly bounces at 1,000 rpm while the lumpity lump of a simulated engine sound vibrates from the car’s rear-mounted subwoofer.

The only time the engine sound effects seem artificial is when they’re generated when the car is parked, as well as in the high-rpm range. Otherwise, the convincing rev match blips on downshifts and the fake burble on deceleration are the most convincing simulated engine sounds I’ve heard in any EV.

Pairing the direct, firm simulated shifts with no-delay acceleration is an experience unlike most other gasoline sports cars; there’s no boost delay, no waiting for the revs to build to peak power or torque, and no awkward downshifts from poor shift logic. You shift and it rips. It’s as simple as that.

Hunkered-Down Handling

None of this would do much good if the Ioniq 6 N were a wet noodle to drive, and it’s anything but. More than simply fast —because three-row electric SUVs can do sub-4-second 0-60 mph runs nowadays — the Ioniq 6 N is hunkered down and has the steering responsiveness and feedback I’m looking for in a 641-hp AWD pocket rocket. On cold tires and cold roads, the Ioniq 6 N had no hesitations doing a four-wheel drift that was easily correctable thanks to the advanced notice sent through the steering wheel.

But Was It Fun?

Was I having fun? Absolutely. The giggles proved it. Where many performance sedans and SUVs are capable, they aren’t entertaining to drive because of how disconnected you feel from the car. The Ioniq 6 N is raw and direct in a way you wouldn’t expect from an EV.

The 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N is slated to go on sale in early 2026, though we still don’t have details such as pricing or driving range. The 6 N’s SUV counterpart, the Ioniq 5 N, starts at $68,800 (including destination), and if the 6 N comes in around that price, then it could easily be one of the best performance cars in this price range regardless of whether it burns gasoline or electrons.

Read More About The Ioniq 6 N and Ioniq 5 N

• Hyundai Ioniq 6 N: The (Relatively) Affordable Electric Sports Sedan
• Hyundai Teases Upcoming Ioniq 6 N, Set to Debut in July
• Video: Is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N an EV Car Enthusiasts Can Embrace?
• Is the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N an EV Car Enthusiasts Can Embrace?
• Hyundai N-Tices 2025 Ioniq 5 N Buyers With Charging N-Centive

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