Hyundai Ioniq 6 N revealed as electric BMW M3 rival with 641bhp

Super-saloon said to be sharper, keener, and “more sophisticated and predictable” than Ioniq 5 N sibling The Hyundai N division’s second electric performance car, the 641bhp Ioniq 6 N, will arrive this autumn as a sharper, keener and “more sophisticated and predictable” follow-up to the lauded Ioniq 5 N. Speaking to Autocar, Hyundai N founder and vice president Joon Park said the new 6 N will take advantage of its lower saloon silhouette to be a different proposition from its smaller sibling, with which it shares a powertrain. “We want a different type of driving experience between the two. The 5 N is a bit wilder. The 6 N is more precise,” he said. The 6 N is based on the latest facelifted Ioniq 6 but has wider wheel arches to cover a 60mm increase in front and rear track widths. N’s chief designer, Eduardo Ramirez, said every new design element on the 6 N “serves a purpose”. There’s a lower nose that “stresses the silhouette”, with a larger front mesh, N-specific winglets to channel air along the body side, and a large rear spoiler that “in combination with the front splitter balances the car’s aerodynamics,” Ramirez said. The 6 N, shown for the first time at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, shares the same 641bhp and 568lb ft output and four-wheel-drive layout as the 5 N, owing to a 234bhp motor at the front and one making 406bhp at the rear. But “it’s an all-new car, I mean technically,” said Sven Risch, N’s head of chassis control and braking. There are new motor magnets “to improve performance durability”, said Risch, as well as a 7kWh heater for the 84kWh (total) battery, to quickly bring it to optimum operating temperature. Significantly, the Ioniq 6 N has a lower centre of gravity than the 5 N. Combined with its increased track width, that helps to make the handling “much more reachable and controllable,” said Risch. “It’s much more sharp.” In terms of hardware, there are electronically controlled dampers, an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential and a new design of forged 20in alloy wheels with holed spokes to reduce weight, shod with 275/35 Pirelli P Zero tyres all round. No kerb weight or 0-62mph time has been disclosed for the 6 N yet. At 4.94m long, it’s 220mm longer than a 5 N but, because it is lower, we’d anticipate a similar kerb weight to the 5’s 2235kg. As with the 5 N, many of the 6 N’s driving characteristics will be defined by software and its tuning. There is torque vectoring via braking on both axles, an ‘N Grip Boost’ button to release the full 641bhp regardless of which of the plethora of drive modes the car’s set to, and a development of the 5 N’s artificial engine sound and gearshift points. There are new drive or altered drive modes too, including an enhanced drift mode that has three-stage adjustment for ‘initiation’, 10-stage adjustment for ‘angle’ and 10-stage adjustment for ‘smoke’ (wheelspin) elements. A new ‘N track manager’ allows the driver to programme their own circuit and record its lap time. Production of the Ioniq 6 N begins in September for the Korean market, with UK sales later in the year. There’s no word on pricing yet but Park said he would prefer it to be more affordable than the £65,010 Ioniq 5 N.

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