Hyundai performance EV’s track options cost more than a new car
Pricey optional extras used to be reserved for the likes of Porsche, Ferrari and Lamborghini, but the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N has thrown its hat in the ring.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 N has joined the brand’s Australian performance stable, arriving as its second performance-focused EV.
On sale in Australia now after being crowned as World Performance Car of the Year, the $115,000 before on-road costs Hyundai Ioniq 6 N looks to build on the foundations laid by its boxier Ioniq 5 N sibling, which has been regarded as the stand-out electric performance cars.
Hyundai is making no secret of its desire for owners to take their Ioniq 6 Ns to the track, launching a comprehensive range of circuit-ready accessories for the electric sedan, though at a premium price.
Available individually under the Carbon Performance Pack on the options list, Hyundai offers 20-inch ‘NP01’ forged alloy wheels ($4695), a carbon-fibre front splitter ($2569), a carbon-fibre rear diffuser ($4175), a carbon-fibre rear wing ($7459) and carbon-fibre side-skirts ($4895).
Add in options like underbody turning vanes ($35 each for right- and left-hand side pieces), a tow strap ($88) plus N-branded DOT 5.1 brake fluid ($30), and the cost of the accessories quickly mounts up to $23,893, not including the price of N performance brake pads - available in street and track compounds, and currently POA.
For context, those additional costs are almost enough to cover the price of a new Hyundai Venue ($23,750 plus on-roads), or could also get you Australia’s cheapest new car, the Kia Picanto (starting from $19,190 plus on-roads).
However, the Ioniq 6 N almost stands alone - or at least beside its Ioniq 5 N sibling - in the performance electric vehicle market.
Tipping the scales at approximately 2201kg, the Ioniq 6 N isn’t light, but with its dual-motor powertrain capable of producing up to 478kW and 770Nm in ‘N Grin Boost’ it can sprint from 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.2 seconds.
Like the 5 N, the 6 N gets Hyundai’s innovative ‘N e-Shift’ mode, mimicking the gear changes of an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, now calibrated to work when launch control and drift modes are active.
It also gets the ‘N Active Sound’ system which can replicate the noises of a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, such as those which power the i30 N and i30 Sedan N.
The track accessories aren’t for show either, with the 6 N featuring an ‘N track manager’, providing integrated lap timing which includes pre-loaded Australian circuits.
