At the 2026 New York International Auto Show, the Ioniq 6 N was named World Performance Car of the Year — the second time in three years that an N-branded EV has won the category, after the Ioniq 5 N in 2024. The field narrowed from 20 cars down to three finalists: the Ioniq 6 N, the BMW M2 CS, and the Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray. The Korean won.
Impressive Performance
In standard mode, the Ioniq 6 N makes 601 hp and 546 lb-ft through twin motors and all-wheel drive. Hit N Grin Boost — a 10-second overboost — and those climb to 641 hp and 568 lb-ft. Zero to 62 mph in 3.2 seconds. Top speed 160 mph. The 84 kWh battery can go from 10 to 80 percent charge in about 18 minutes on a 350 kW charger.
The more interesting stuff is that Hyundai also figured out shifting gears in EVs. N e-Shift mimics a gearchange through throttle and brake inputs. N Active Sound+ generates synthetic engine noise.
How Does The M2 CS Stack Up?
The BMW M2 CS is powered by the S58 3.0-liter twin-turbo inline-six making 523 hp. Rear-wheel drive only. Eight-speed automatic. It does 0–60 in 3.7 seconds and 188 mph flat out, starting just under $100,000.
It’s 97 pounds lighter than the standard M2, with carbon fiber across the roof, trunk lid, and transmission tunnel. Springs and dampers reworked, sits 0.2 inches lower. It also received great reviews in the last few months. But in the end, the numbers favor the Ioniq 6 N — more power, quicker, cheaper.
BMW did take the win though for the World Car of the Year Award. The 2026 BMW iX3 managed to beat the Hyundai Palisade and Nissan Leaf.
