The Ioniq 6 N sports sedan is still coming to the U.S., but the less powerful versions of the Ioniq 6 have been eliminated from Hyundai's EV lineup.
Hyundai has confirmed that the standard Ioniq 6 electric sedan will not return for the 2026 model year.
A refreshed Ioniq 6 was revealed last year, but a combination of tariffs and slow sales after the elimination of the federal EV tax credit seems to have prevented the refresh from reaching the United States.
Hyundai still plans to sell the high-performance Ioniq 6 N, which has 641 hp and wears the updated bodywork, in limited quantities later this year.
Last spring, Hyundai unveiled a refreshed version of the Ioniq 6, the swoopy sedan counterpart to the retro-futuristic Ioniq 5 electric SUV. The updated model sported thinner headlights for a more streamlined look, as well as a redesigned steering wheel inside. We had expected these updates to reach the U.S. market for the 2026 model year, but now we have learned that the standard Ioniq 6 is dead.
In a statement to Car and Driver, a Hyundai spokesperson said, "Going forward, our award-winning Ioniq 6 lineup will consist of the all-new Ioniq 6 N." The spokesperson then confirmed that the non-N versions of the Ioniq 6 would not return for the 2026 model year, meaning that the refreshed bodywork will only appear atop the N's 641-horsepower powertrain. The standard Ioniq 6, while dead in the United States, will live on elsewhere with the updates shown last April.
Whereas the normal Ioniq 6 came with either a single-motor rear-wheel-drive powertrain making either 149 or 225 hp or a 320-hp dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup, the Ioniq 6 N features the 641-hp powertrain that propelled the Ioniq 5 N to 60 mph in just 3.0 seconds in Car and Driver testing. The N model also has a more extreme suspension setup, huge brakes, and sticky Pirelli tires, and should cost roughly $70,000.
Hyundai said that 2025 Ioniq 6 sedans will continue to be available at dealerships for the time being as the automaker finds homes for its remaining inventory. The Ioniq 6 started at $39,095 for the 2025 model year, but we have a feeling dealerships may apply discounts to move the remaining units of this slow-selling EV.