Hyundai Motor Company’s high-performance electric sedan, the Ioniq 6 N, has won the world performance car title at the World Car Awards 2026, signaling a shift in a segment long dominated by premium brands.
According to Hyundai Motor on Sunday, the company has secured multiple recent wins in the category — beginning with the Kia EV6 GT crossover SUV in 2023, followed by the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N in 2024 and most recently the Ioniq 6 N.
Equipped with dual motors, the electric sedan delivers up to 478 kilowatts, or 650 horsepower, and 770 newton-meters of torque with its “N Grin Boost” function, offering strong acceleration. Advanced chassis technologies, including next-generation suspension geometry and electronically controlled dampers, enhance both ride comfort and dynamic handling.
Powered by cutting-edge engineering, features such as N e-Shift, N Active Sound Plus and N Drift Optimizer further elevate the driving experience.
The World Performance Car category at the World Car Awards — one of the three major auto awards held in New York — has typically been led by European luxury automakers, including Porsche, Audi, McLaren and BMW.
Industry watchers say Hyundai’s emergence signals a new competitive landscape, where electrification technology is challenging the internal combustion heritage that once defined the high-performance segment.
Hyundai’s success is largely driven by its EV platform, E-GMP, which integrates advanced electrification systems with motorsport experience and real-world data from its “Rolling Lab” development program — test vehicles that validate high-performance technologies.
Building on more than a decade of participation in the World Rally Championship, Hyundai has also refined its EV performance through experimental Rolling Lab models such as RN24, later optimizing these technologies for both track and everyday driving.
In addition to the latest win, the Ioniq 6 N was named best electric performance car at the UK’s What Car Awards 2026 and best driver’s car at the TopGear EV Awards 2026.
hyejin2@heraldcorp.com
