Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Named Best Performance EV 2026

JAKARTA - South Korean manufacturer Hyundai has won an award for its Ioniq 5N model. The car was named Best Performance EV in Car Talk's Best EVs of 2026 list.

Previously, the Ioniq 5 was chosen as the Best Battery-Electric Hatchback and became the overall Best EV choice in 2025. This annual award is given to the best BEVs and PHEVs, whether it's the latest release or models that have been updated. This year, the awards are given in ten categories based on evaluations by a team of expert editors from Car Talk.

Hyundai Motor North America's Product Planning, Ricky Lao Directo, revealed Hyundai's award-winning E-GMP platform as the perfect foundation for the high-performance EV, the Ioniq 5 N.

"The Ioniq 5 N combines very precise ability at high speeds, endurance to run on the track, and a pleasant driving experience, creating a driving dynamics that has never existed in an electric vehicle. We are pleased that the Ioniq 5 N is on Car Talk's Best EVs of 2026 list," he said in an official statement received, Thursday, February 19.

Hyundai was able to exceed customer expectations by introducing the N variant for the Ioniq 5, an award-winning EV model. The Ioniq 5 N combines the Electrified-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) of the standard Ioniq 5 model with motorsport technology from the N brand and the advantages resulting from the 'Rolling Labs' electrification vehicle series.

This combination allows Hyundai to maximize the performance of the Ioniq 5 N and ensure that this model meets the three pillars of performance from the N brand: Corner Rascal, Racetrack Capability, and Everyday Sportscar. The Ioniq 5 N electric motor is capable of producing up to 641 hp (478 kW) when N Grin Boost1 is active.

Compared to other BEVs, the Ioniq 5 N is able to provide better performance through new technologies that pamper drivers, such as N e-Shift and N Active Sound+, which replicate the sensation of a typical car gear shift and sound characteristics such as high-performance ICE cars with dual-clutch paddle-shift transmission.

"Hyundai ensures everything goes perfectly with this high-performance EV vehicle," said John Goreham, Vehicle and Tire Tester, Car Talk, and Vice President, New England Motor Press Association (NEMPA).