Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 6 N was named the "world performance car of the year" at the World Car Awards, one of the world's three major automotive awards. Industry watchers say Hyundai Motor Group has created a new competitive landscape in high-performance cars with electrification technology in a segment long dominated by European brands such as Porsche and BMW.
Hyundai Motor said on the 5th that the Ioniq 6 N was selected as the world performance car of the year at the "2026 World Car Awards (WCA)." It is the third win, following Kia's EV6 GT in 2023 and Hyundai Motor's Ioniq 5 N in 2024. Until now, the field had been monopolized by European brands such as the Porsche 911 Carrera GTS, Audi e-tron GT, and BMW M5.
Driving performance is cited as the reason for the Ioniq 6 N's win. Launched in Nov. last year, the Ioniq 6 N is a model that concentrates motorsport technology on Hyundai Motor Group's E-GMP, a platform dedicated to electric vehicles. Know-how and driving data accumulated over 11 years in the World Rally Championship (WRC) were transplanted to push performance to the extreme. It delivers a combined maximum output of 448 kW (609 horsepower) and peak torque of 740 Nm (75.5 kgf·m). When "N Green Boost," which momentarily increases output, is activated, it surges to a maximum of 478 kW (650 horsepower).
It also features front hydro G bushings and rear dual-layer bushings—premium suspension components—to maximize grip at high speeds. In addition, high-performance electrification features such as N e-Shift and N ambient shift light, N Active Sound Plus, and N Drift Optimizer are applied in droves to deliver a driving feel unique to high-performance cars.
Judge Zvonimir Jurcic said of the Ioniq 6 N, "In today's fiercely competitive high-performance EV market, many models can go fast, but not many combine driving fun, precision, and feel," adding, "It's not the most expensive model, nor is it at the very top on paper, yet on the road it moves like a pure sports car."
The Ioniq 6 N was recognized for its product strength in the global market, winning "best performance electric car" at the "2026 What Car? Awards" in Jan. and "best driver's car" at the "2026 TopGear Electric Awards" in early this month.