Nam Hyun-woo has worked as a staff writer at The Korea Times since 2013, mostly covering business and politics. He currently belongs to the Business Desk where he covers topics such as emerging tech, AI, ICT and Korea's chaebol community. Prior to joining the team, he was the paper's correspondent for the presidential office of Korea during the Yoon Suk Yeol and Moon Jae-in administrations.
Hyundai IONIQ 6 N named top performance car of 2026
The Hyundai IONIQ 6 N / Courtesy of Hyundai Motor
By Nam Hyun-woo
Hyundai Motor’s IONIQ 6 N was recognized for its electric performance on the global stage, winning the 2026 World Performance Car title at the World Car Awards, one of the world’s top three automotive awards.
According to World Car Awards, Sunday, the IONIQ 6 N secured the title after competing against contenders such as the BMW M2 CS and Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray.
Over the past five years, the World Performance Car category has been largely dominated by Hyundai Motor Group, with Hyundai Motor and Kia winning three of the five titles. In 2024, the IONIQ 5 N won the honor, following Kia’s EV6 GT in 2023. Porsche’s 911 Carrera GTS took the title in 2025, while Audi’s e-tron GT won in 2022.
Hyundai Motor Group said the recognition demonstrates the competitiveness of its dedicated electric vehicle (EV) platform, E-GMP, which is used by the IONIQ series and the EV6. It added that the achievement was made possible by combining the group’s motorsports experience with accumulated vehicle data.
“This recognition from the World Car Awards jury means a great deal to the thousands of people at Hyundai who designed, engineered, and built this vehicle. Customers appreciate great design, advanced technology, and real-world value that the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N offers,” Hyundai Motor CEO Jose Munoz told the World Car Awards.
Zvonimir Jurcic, a member of the jury, said that few EVs offer driving enjoyment, precision and a true sense of connection behind the wheel, adding that the IONIQ 6 N may not be the most expensive or the most powerful on paper, but it is a car capable of moving like a true sports car on demanding roads.
The IONIQ 6 N was designed to deliver strong driving performance, high-speed stability and everyday comfort at the same time. It yields up to 448 kilowatts, or 609 horsepower, and 740 newton-meter of torque. With the N Grin Boost function activated, output rises to 478 kW and 770 Nm of torque.
Advanced electrification technologies, including the N e-shift virtual gear system, N Active Sound Plus, which optimizes driving sound, and N Drift Optimizer, which supports drift driving, were also adopted to enhance driving enjoyment.