Revised Hyundai Ioniq 6

A Stunning New Look

Hyundai’s EVs boast a great combination of range, efficiency, and charging speed. That’s in addition to the value, technology, and standard equipment that you’d come to expect from the brand. The Ioniq 5 all-electric crossover has been one of the best selling EVs in North America. In 2024, the Ioniq 5 was the fourth best-selling EV in the US with 44,400 units sold.

In contrast, the Ioniq 5’s stablemate, the Ioniq 6 all-electric sedan only sold 12,264 units in 2024. The reason? You could argue that it’s because consumers prefer a crossover over a sedan, but that wouldn’t explain the over 145,000 Tesla Model 3 sedans sold in the same time period. It’s not the EV technology either, since the advanced powertrain is shared with the Ioniq 5 and actually gets more range than its crossover sibling. We’ve driven the current Ioniq 6 and it’s a fantastic EV that is a serious rival to the Tesla Model 3. Many believe that it is the Ioniq 6’s controversial styling that hindered its sales success.  

Hyundai recently revealed a refreshed 2026 Ioniq 6 at the 2025 Seoul Mobility Show. Hyundai hasn’t officially released any North American specifications yet, but here’s a preview of what we would expect.

Exterior Design

The upcoming 2026 Ioniq 6 is a looker! The biggest changes are some nips and tucks that make the overall redesign a more attractive and sleeker package. It’s clear that Hyundai focused on addressing some of the more controversial exterior design elements.

Hyundai refers to the styling as a “Pure Flow, Refined” design language. The front end now matches the Ioniq 6’s streamliner design. Gone are the bubbly large headlights. In their place are pixelated LED daytime running lights with the headlights hidden and integrated into the bumper. Together with a revised front fascia, it gives the Ioniq 6 a shark-nose design that looks lower and wider for a sportier and more aggressive look.

Out in the rear, the new Ioniq 6 loses the double spoiler look that gave off vibes of a Porsche 911 Turbo whale tail. There’s only one larger spoiler now mounted low at the end of the trunk lid for a much cleaner finish. The back end of the Ioniq 6 is now much more streamline and less controversial.

Interior Refinements

The interior of the Ioniq 6 was always a good place to be. Hyundai decided to leave most of it intact, with some minor enhancements. A 3-spoke steering wheel replaces the odd 2-spoke design. More premium materials are used throughout, including the door panels. The center console has been improved by moving the window and other switches closer to the front for easier use. The console also repositions the wireless phone charger and cup holders but retains the useful open area underneath for larger items and handbags. The climate controls have been made larger for better functionality.

The Ioniq 6 retains the attractive 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment screen, likely to come with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and revised graphics like those found in the new Ioniq 5.

Rear trunk space and versatility have also been a sticking point with the Ioniq 6. Unfortunately, this will likely remain the same with limited trunk access and space due to the sloping rear exterior design.

Powertrain/Range/Charging

There’s no official word from Hyundai on any changes to the electric motors, battery, or charging. However, since the powertrain is shared with the Ioniq 5, we expect to see similar enhancements to the new 2025 Ioniq 5.

It’s possible that Hyundai will use the bigger batteries now found in the new Ioniq 5. If so, the standard range battery pack could grow from 58 kWh to 63 kWh. This bigger battery gave the Ioniq 5 an 8-9 percent boost in range. For the Ioniq 6, this could potentially bring the standard range model from the current 240 miles to 260 EPA estimated miles.  

The Ioniq 5’s long range battery grew from 77.4 kWh to 84 kWh and gave it a 2-8 percent increase in range. This could potentially give the Ioniq 6 an increase from 342 miles to 369 EPA estimated miles on long range RWD models. On long range AWD models, it could potentially bring the current EPA estimated 316 miles to 341 miles.

Not sure about charging speeds? Dive deeper with our explainer on different electric car charging levels.

Like the new Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9, it's likely that the new Ioniq 6 could come equipped with a NACS port (referred to as the Tesla or J3400 port). This would replace the currently CCS port and provide easier access to the Tesla Supercharger network without the need for an adapter. Since the Ioniq 6 is built on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform, the 800V architecture should still allow over 200 kW of peak DC charging speed and 10-80 percent in under 20 minutes when using a 350 kW DC fast charger.

New Trims

Perhaps the most exciting news for enthusiasts is the addition of an N-Line and N model. This brings the Ioniq 6 in line with the rest of Hyundai’s sportier and performance model lineup.

The N-Line trim adds a sportier flair to the new Ioniq 6. Like other N-Line Hyundai models, it’s more about exterior and interior sporty styling elements than powertrain and performance enhancements. Up front, the Ioniq 6 N-Line has a much more aggressive front fascia with a “wing-inspired” bumper design and large opening designs. Along the side, lower side skirts are added to give the sedan a much lower ground-hugging look.  

N-Line wheels, badging, and accents trim out the sport Ioniq 6. The rear departs from the rest of the Ioniq 6 trims, losing the full-length double pixelated LED light bar and gaining black colored accents along the rear end and a new rear bumper. Inside, N-Line accents and badging adorn the cabin.

Hyundai teased the 2026 Ioniq 6 N, but it will be revealed this summer at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. We suspect that the N model will carry a lot of influences from the Ioniq 6-based RN22e concept car that was revealed in 2023. This would include styling cues like a second rear-deck spoiler, red accents, N badging throughout, unique wheels, and a full skirt package from front to rear. If it ends up sharing the Ioniq 5 N’s powertrain, power could be up to 641 horsepower and 568 pound-feet of torque from standard dual motors, making the Ioniq 6 N capable of 0-60 mph times of less than 3 seconds.

Pricing

Although no official pricing has been announced by Hyundai, we expect MSRP to be similar to the current model, starting at around $40,000. The N-Line could add a few thousand dollars. The Ioniq 6 N could hover around the Ioniq 5 N, which starts at an MSRP $66,000.

Competitors

It’s clear that Hyundai is targeting squarely at the Tesla Model 3. It’s been a clear sales leader in the world of EV sedans. Model 3’s recent refresh gave it many worthwhile enhancements that warranted Hyundai to improve its Ioniq 6.  

The Polestar 2 all-electric sedan is the other main competitor for the Ioniq 6. It too recently received some major upgrades, but its future and availability is questionable as it is subject to tariffs because it is being built in China.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 At Quick-Glance

Final Thoughts

We’re still waiting for details on the North American spec Ioniq 6, but from the recent first look, Hyundai has clearly made the Ioniq 6 better than the current model, and a more attractive alternative to the Model 3. Will the new Ioniq 6 be a sales success like its crossover sibling? Time will tell whether consumers like the improvements, but we think that the new Ioniq 6 looks like a winner.

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