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

You know, I got in thinking, "Is this just going to be sedan with some flashy bits on it?" It has what sounds like gimmicky features, like shifting and engine noise. But let me tell you, it seems legit. (upbeat music) (car accelerating) (Joseph laughing) I'm really getting the feeling that I am driving a high performance car with an amazing dual clutch automatic transmission. And you know what? This engine sound is pretty good. Listen to these blips on throttle down shifts. It sounds like it's coming from tailpipes. That is wild. (car accelerating) You know, this car's fast. It really is. Hyundai says it does 0 to 62 miles an hour in like 3.2 seconds. And honestly, when we're talking about EVs, sure. There are three row SUVs that do that. So like, all-out speed isn't that important. But what I wanted to know while driving this is, is it engaging? Is it fun? Does it feel like something that you just wanna carve through the canyons with, which I'm doing now? And the answer is yes. This is something that you want to put in this electronic shift mode and just rip through the gears. This does not feel like you're driving an EV. It doesn't. It feels like you're driving a Porsche. I'm just gonna say it. It feels like you're driving a Porsche. And it is wild that this is coming from an EV. This kind of engagement isn't going to convince hardcore gasoline heads that this is a car for them. No, I don't think so. But if you're looking for something with the benefits of an EV, like the power, and it's not just all-out power. I love that this transmission. Sorry, transmission, I'm calling it a transmission like there's a physical transmission shifting gears. There isn't. And one of the things I really like about this, being an EV, there's power everywhere. You're not waiting for turbos to spool. You're not disappointed when you run out of RPMs. It just keeps going. There's no delay in accelerator, and that is a huge benefit to EVs. But previously what you were missing is that engagement. And I really think that these shifting modes and this noise does a lot for that. I'm driving this car like I would a gasoline performance car, and that's fantastic. Now at the time of driving this, there are a couple things I don't know. US specs aren't out yet, so, but they may be by the time that you're seeing this. So horsepower, probably around 650. Price, around $60,000. And if that holds true, I do think that this could be not only one of the best performance EVs at this price, but any performance car at this price. If you wanna read more about my quick spin in the Hyundai IONIQ 6 N, be sure to read my full article at cars.com/news.