Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Gets Less Expensive And Easier To Drift For 2026, But Where's The Ioniq 6 N Hyundai WHERE IS IT?!?

Driving the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N for the first time was a revelation. The shifts were fake, it weighed a lot, and yet, it was so darn fun to drive, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It cost more than my annual salary, so leasing one was a no-go, but if you were a little closer to being able to afford one than I was, I come bearing great news. Hyundai just cut the price of the 2026 Ioniq 5 N by $6,300, bringing the MSRP down to $59,900. Throw in the $1,600 destination charge, and you're looking at a base price of $61,500. 

Usually, when an automaker lowers the base price of one of its cars, you get less car. If that's the case here, Hyundai didn't mention it in the press release. Officially, lowering the price "aligns with Hyundai's broader strategy to increase N leadership by making track-ready performance and technology accessible to more driving enthusiasts." The official EPA range is unchanged, still sitting at 221 miles, but Hyundai's swapped the old CCS charging port for an NACS port and Tesla Supercharger access. You also now get a dual amperage Level 1/Level 2 combination charger, driver attention monitoring, and a new Performance Blue Pearl paint option. 

Most of the updates sound nice to have, even if I have my doubts about how many road trips Ioniq 5 N owners take in their 221-mile EVs. But while those new items are mostly about the ownership experience, there is one change for the 2026 model that was added with the driving experience in mind. Previously, the Ioniq 5 N's Drift Optimizer software was either on or off. Now, Hyundai's given it 10 stages of drift optimization that drivers can control. The Ioniq 5 N could already power slide pretty well, but it never hurts to have options.

That's pretty much it otherwise. Also, we only got one press photo. Then again, it's hard to complain about a 641-hp car getting less expensive and easier to drift without crashing. That's the kind of thing we like to see around these parts. Really, my only complaint is that Hyundai put the same powertrain in the Ioniq 6 N, but we still haven't gotten our hands on that one yet. I know you have to deal with an administration that's doing its best to destroy every alternative to fossil fuels consumption, but that one tiny detail aside, can you not hurry up with the 641-hp sedan that you promised me?

Yes, Hyundai, I know your website says the Ioniq 6 N is, "Coming 2026 with extremely limited availability at select dealers," but that's vague, and I'm feeling impatient. Can you at least share pricing soon? I think we'd all appreciate that announcement. Until then, I guess I can settle for no longer making less money in a year than it would cost to buy a base 2026 Ioniq 5 N.