2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6 N Prototype review: Quick Drive

Hyundai seems to be having a lot of fun right now. Or at least, their engineers are.

We’re at the Namyang proving ground, an expansive facility south of Seoul, South Korea, that is home to some 20,000 personnel and all of HMC (Hyundai Motor Company) vehicle development, to sample a pre-production version of Hyundai’s forthcoming Ioniq 6 N.

And it’s not the cars wrapped in camouflage, nor the fluttering N-motif flags that stand out the most – it’s the smiles. Everyone involved with the latest electric sport sedan seems to be pretty happy about it, and somehow even happier that we’ll be sampling it ourselves.

The Hyundai N-division is celebrating a decade of being the Korean manufacturer’s sporty sub-brand, and the level of energy and enthusiasm seems to be only building. As is the sense of fun.

And much of it seems to be heightened by the use of, and challenges involved with, integrating electrification, rather than despite it.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 N is based heavily on the current Ioniq 5 N, but ever since the wild electric SUV hit the market in 2023, things have been learned, software has been tweaked, and enhancements made.

We’re told the prototype is as near-as-to-ready as a production vehicle, which is due to be unveiled in full at the 2025 Goodwood Festival of Speed, with all software and performance functions in final testing phases.

The official specification for the 6 N hasn’t been released, but the 5 N uses a pair of electric motors to produce up to 478kW with a 30-to-70 per cent power distribution based on the motor outputs.

But while the 6 N does use the 5 N as a base, there have still been significant changes under the skin, alongside the new body style.

From an electrification standpoint, the motors themselves have been tweaked, as has the cooling of the motors and battery. This, according to Hyundai, is to allow the car to perform continuously and reliably for prolonged race track sessions.

The suspension has been completely overhauled and the car now features semi-active dampers and has stiffer cross bracing, again for more predictable and accurate behaviour in a performance environment.

This gives the 6 N a very different type of handling geometry, which, when paired with a lower ride height and lower centre of gravity afforded by the Ioniq 6’s swoopy sedan profile, points it in the direction of stability and performance, rather than the somewhat ‘playful’ nature of its SUV sibling.

To know that the 6 N program was overseen by ex-Porsche engineer Manfred Harrer only further shows how serious the Hyundai N division is about making this car perform well.

Despite its camouflage, the Ioniq 6 N prototype clearly shows the sleeker front facia of the facelifted EV, albeit with deeper airdams and more muscular arches, making it a far more sleek and arguably more attractive looking machine than the first generation Ioniq 6, and even the RN22e ‘rolling lab’ that was used to develop the performance electric platform.

There are some influences in the appearance of the car that are a firm hat-tip to Europe too. The wheels, 20-inch with 275-wide Pirelli P-Zero tyres all round, feature aerodynamic vanes similar to those used by Mercedes-AMG, and the large rear wing is held from above by swan-neck stays, just like a Porsche 911 GT3.

We had the chance to sample the car on a short high-speed circuit, on a handling course through cones on a skidpan, and of course, use the drift optimiser on a wet test track.

First and foremost, the Ioniq 6 N is quick.

While no timing was conducted, the 5 N is capable of delivering a 3.4-second zero to 100km/h sprint, and with stickier tyres and better aero, we’d expect the 6 N to shave some time off that.

There is of course a launch control setting to help the car launch with optimal grip and performance, and while this is entertaining, the car is almost more fun to play with while on the move.

The car’s AWD twin-motor platform allows torque to be delivered in 11 different ratios, enabling you to feel as though you are driving a different car with each movement of the slider.

The platform is naturally rear-biased and can be quite tail-happy, especially when power's limited at the front axle. But if you occasionally love a bit of front-bias push like a Mitsubishi Evo, you can do that. Want some all-weather balance with a hint of mid-corner lift-off and end-swapping thrills thrown in, just like a WRX? That’s here too.

In fact, playing with the drive modes, traction settings, and torque distribution is just like setting up a car on your favourite computer game. There are no rules to what you can and can’t do – simply play around and find the setting that works for you, or the track, and dial it in.

One of the most fun party tricks of the Ioniq 5N is the simulated exhaust noise, and for the new car, Hyundai has tweaked the N Active Sound+ to make the driving experience even more engaging. Now, when activated, the system will persist even when you switch on cruise control, and can be run in a number of different modes should you feel like a more science-fictiony-sounding car.

The note and timbre of the exhaust changes per your drive mode, and even things like faux limiter-bashing when using launch control sounds highly realistic.

But then comes the 6 N’s real game changer, in the form of an enhanced N e-Shift virtual transmission.

This is an electric car. There are no mechanical gear ratios or physical movements involved with changes, but the engineers at Namyang want you to think otherwise.

Sure, you can drive this as an electric vehicle with no noise, smooth acceleration and deceleration response, but where’s the fun in that?

With the system activated, driving at regular road speeds in a non-sporty setting, the car feels like any typical combustion vehicle. There’s a lull in performance between ‘gear changes’, there’s the sensory jolt of an upshift, and the gradual slowing and movement between changes on downshift.

Dial up the settings all the way to capital N, and the shift changes become faster and sharper, the exhaust barks on the up, and cracks on the down. You even have shift lights to advise you when to change gear... using a gearbox that doesn’t exist.

Sure, the electronic undertones are there, but the team’s drive for more engagement behind the wheel are such that, after time, you honestly forget the car is electric.

At high speeds, it feels planted and capable, and more predictable than the 5 N. Downforce from the big wing and little duck tail do plenty to keep you planted, but response form the electric motors is still such that you need to be on your game, particularly on corner exits, as the car is still impressively quick.

Torque-vectoring software has been added to the car’s digital handling toolbox, making it one that you can learn to be faster in over time, as you start to understand and work within the limits of grip and performance.

Then there’s the drift optimiser.

If you thought the transmission and torque split settings were fun to play with, this makes the 6 N a pure PlayStation – in a controlled environment, of course.

Dial up the ease of drift initiation, how big of an angle hero you want to be, and what sort of wheel spin you want… and go!

It’s not the sort of thing you can use every day, or everywhere, but should your Ioniq 6 N find its way onto a skid pan, get ready to slide!

The final production specification car is set to be unveiled at Goodwood Festival of Speed next week, and is due to arrive in Australia for 2026.

The smiles from the N-team at Namyang are clearly infectious, with cars like the Ioniq 6 N prototype showing there’s still plenty of fun and engagement to be had in a high-tech electrified world.

And even if the traditional sounds and sensations of a high-performance combustion car are simulated, it doesn’t dull any of the sheer enjoyment behind the wheel.

With over 20 years of experience in digital publishing, James Ward has worked within the automotive landscape since 2007 and brings experience from the publishing, manufacturer and lifestyle side of the industry together to spearhead Drive's multi-media content direction.

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