If you want one of the most fun electric cars on the road today, this is very good news. The 2026 (yes, 2026) Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is arriving a little bit late, but it will also be $6,300 cheaper than before. That makes it one of the lowest-cost entry points to a vehicle with nearly 650 horsepower you can get today. And it doesn’t hurt that the hot hatch is terrifically fun to drive, either.
And from what Hyundai tells us, the 2026 model will be even more fun. It seems the price isn’t the only thing that’s changed.
5 N Gets Cheaper, Drifter, Glossier
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N front 3/4 angle in white while parkedHyundai
It’s been almost a year since Hyundai announced the standard version of the Ioniq 5 EV for 2026, and as a result, there was some speculation that the N might not be returning. The 5 is built at Hyundai’s plant in Georgia, but the 5 N is built in South Korea. That could present a tariff issue, but Hyundai has evidently decided there is enough demand. So the N is here with many of the same changes as the standard model – with some N shenanigans.
The changes start with a new drift mode. TheN Drift Optimizernow has 10 selectable stages of sideways instead of just one previously. That should give drivers more control over their hooning than last year’s car. Hyundai has also added the NACS charge port that the standard car received this year. It will also get Tesla Supercharger access, and Hyundai will include CCS to NACS adapters for L2 and DC fast charging.
The rear windows get auto up/down, a small change but one that’s appreciated. Hyundai has added its forward attention warning system that watches the driver with a camera, and there is a new Performance Blue Pearl exterior paint in addition to the matte version that was already available.
Does A Lower Price Make This Car Even More Fun?
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Steering WheelIan Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
Hyundai’s biggest change is the price. It has slashed $6,300 from the MSRP of the N, bringing it down to $61,500 including the $1,600 destination charge. The Korean automaker didn’t say when the 2026 Ioniq 5 N would hit dealers, but it will likely be soon. It’s not far from the 2027 model year, so if it doesn’t arrive soon, it could become a tougher sell even with the lower price.
Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N delivers 601 hp from its two motors, along with 545 pound-feet of torque. That figure jumps up to 641 hp and 568 lb-ft for short periods when you click on the N Grin Boost mode. It’s enough power for zero to 62 mph sprints in 3.5 seconds, and it can run the quarter mile in 11.5 seconds. DC fast charging takes as little as 18 minutes to go from 10-80%.
The N is about more than just being fast. Hyundai has worked to make the EV a genuine N vehicle, which means more driver engagement. It does that through mechanical tech features like the drift mode as well as more esoteric tech like the N Grin Shift mode that simulates a dual-clutch gas-engine system. It will even bounce off of the virtual rev limiter if you want it to.
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N rear 3/4Hyundai
CarBuzz called the 2025 Ioniq 5 N the Best EV of the Year, because it was a great drive and because it was an EV that could appease legit driving enthusiasts. Making it cheaper makes it more accessible, and adding more drifting options makes it more fun – on a closed course, obviously. Everything else is a bonus, though, after a price drop of more than 10% makes this an even better power-per-dollar car.
