From sticky tires to gallons of 93 octane, it feels like every bit of automotive fun these days is getting pricier. We’re in the age of the $37,055 base Subaru BRZ and the $137,850 base Porsche 911, so even for the upper-middle-class, it’s rough out there. Thankfully, Hyundai is bucking the trend by making the ludicrously quick Ioniq 5 N less expensive. Much less expensive.
If you’re looking for a normal electric car, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N probably isn’t for you. It’s quicker than a Lamborghini Urus, comes with a variety of drift modes, will happily lap the Nürburgring without derating, and looks like an overgrown hot hatch raised on Monster Energy and HGH. Its simulated transmission will let you bang it off a fake rev limiter from cold guilt-free, or you can turn the sounds off and simply cruise around town. Driving one feels like seeing a side of the world you’ve never known. A regular Ioniq 5 is great if you want a good electric car. The Ioniq 5 N is great if you want to be really naughty.
However, such performance comes at a price. Last year’s Ioniq 5 N carried an ask of $67,800 including freight. Even with giant-slaying performance, that’s some proper coin for a heavily reworked mainstream electric crossover. Well, Hyundai’s gone and done the right thing for the 2026 model year that’s somehow only finally arriving by lopping $6,300 off the price tag. The new model year Ioniq 5 N starts at $61,500, which leaves room in the budget for a few sets of toasted Pirellis.
Needless to say, this is a rather unusual move. Car companies rarely lower pricing on performance cars by this much, so what’s the catch? What’s been stripped out of the Ioniq 5 N to meet this lower price point? Surprisingly, Hyundai is actually giving the 2026 Ioniq 5 N more standard equipment than the 2025 model. Bet you didn’t expect that.
The headline feature, of course, is a built-in Tesla-style NACS port for easy hookup to Superchargers without an adapter. On the subject of charging, there’s a new hybrid cable included that works with 120-volt and 240-volt outlets. Oh, and because J1772 Level 2 and CCS DC fast charging connectors are still plentiful, the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N comes with adapters for both. Score.
Beyond that, Hyundai’s improved the N Drift Optimizer to offer 10 stages of sideways, thrown in one-touch automatic up-and-down operation for the rear windows, and added its Forward Attention Warning system to keep tabs on whether the driver’s looking where the car’s going. On the color front, Performance Blue Pearl has joined the party as an update of the N division’s signature color. Regardless of which hue you choose, you still get updated badges.
Add it all up, and Hyundai seems to have made the Ioniq 5 N better while charging less for it. That’s the sort of math I can get behind, making a 641-horsepower grin machine nearly 10 percent more accessible. So, if you’re in the market for a fast family car, give an electric Hyundai a go. That’s a sentence I couldn’t have even imagined ten years ago.
Top graphic image: Hyundai
Could somebody please loan me about $63,000?
Sure. But you won’t like the terms.