Hyundai’s first electric N model has already started something of a trend, with a few brands, including Porsche and BMW, now borrowing some of its signature features.
For the 2026 model year, Hyundai is upping the ante. Hyundai announced on Wednesday that the 2026 IONIQ 5 N has a “substantially lower starting price” at just $59,900, or $6,300 less than last year’s model.
“Our 2026 IONIQ 5 N is one of the most critically acclaimed models we’ve ever offered,” according to Ricky Lao, director of product planning at Hyundai Motor North America.
Despite the lower price, the new 2026 model brings a few updates. For one, the 2026 IONIQ 5 N now has a native NACS port, following the standard IONIQ 5, enabling access to Tesla Superchargers without an adapter.
Make sure to get one where the ICCU has been replaced recently, they now have a 15 year warranty on it but you don’t want to be left stranded. It can happen very fast when it fails because the 12 volt battery runs everything that’s not the electric motors and the ICCU failure causes it to no longer be charged from the big battery.
Otherwise those are really fun little vehicles. I test drove the original release version (before the N came out) and I didn’t find it particularly comfortable since I’m used to slightly more premium cars (but usually at much cheaper prices - I also buy used, but 15+ years old mostly with two exceptions), but for what it cost, you get a lot of tech, it looks cool, and the performance is great. The standard Ioniq 5 handled poorly in that there was no steering feel whatsoever (and yet I felt every bump I drove over, just not through the steering wheel). I’m hoping they’ve done something with the N to make it handle better and perhaps even feel better.