I have some sad news for people who enjoy weird cars that are also nice to drive: Hyundai is dropping the Ioniq 6 from its lineup for 2026. The South Korean automaker confirmed the news to multiple outlets yesterday afternoon, saying it plans to sell only the high-performance, high-dollar N model in the U.S. going forward, albeit in limited numbers.
First launched in 2022, the Ioniq 6 is a sleek sedan with a catfish-style face that played counterpart to the all-electric Ioniq 5 SUV (big hatchback?) in Hyundai’s lineup. While it never sold as well as that car, the Ioniq 6, in my mind, was always the better choice, due in part to its fascinating styling and superior range.
Now that it’s dead, I feel like the Ioniq 6 is about to become the ultimate affordable commuter sedan for buyers shopping used, not only because of its range, but because it’s one of the strangest, most interesting-looking things on the road right now.
The Ioniq 6’s Death In America Was Sort Of Expected
While Hyundai hasn’t issued an official reason for discontinuing the Ioniq 6 Stateside, anyone who understands simple math could see the writing was on the wall. The more popular Ioniq 5 is built in Hyundai’s Ellabell, Georgia assembly plant, while the 6 is assembled all the way in Korea. That means it’s subject to a hefty 25% import tariff, which wasn’t part of the tariffs recently struck down by the Supreme Court, according to Car and Driver.
There’s also the elimination of the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which knocked down the sales of electric cars across the board in the fourth quarter of last year. The Ioniq 5 was among those cars that took a sales hit, but according to sales data released by Hyundai, it actually sold more units of that car in the first two months of 2026 than it did that same period last year, when the tax credit was still around. Slashing prices by up to $9,800 probably had a lot to do with that increase.
The Ioniq 6, meanwhile, saw no such jump in sales. In fact, sales of the Ioniq 6 in the first two months of 2026 cratered by 70%, from 1,883 units to just 573 cars. Even before all of this tax credit drama went down, the 6 was a niche car. Now it’s even more niche, to the point where Hyundai can’t justify keeping it on showroom floors.
The ultimate Ioniq 6 die-hards need not worry, though, because the high-performance Ioniq 6 N will still be offered in America for 2026. That car is mechanically similar to the lovely Ioniq 5 N, with two electric motors delivering a combined 641 horsepower and all-wheel drive. There’s also a widened track and real aero, which includes a swan-neck rear wing that Hyundai claims can generate 220 pounds of downforce at 155 mph. It should also be the priciest Ioniq 6 offered in America, with an estimated MSRP of around $70,000.
The Thinking Person’s Used EV
While the Ioniq 5 remains one of the best EVs you can buy new or used, I think there’s a lot of potential for the Ioniq 6 to become the thinking person’s choice in the lightly used segment.
On the looks front, the Ioniq 6 outshines virtually anything else in its price range, at least to me. Its sloping roofline borrows much of its design from the original Prophecy concept shown back in 2020. Though the proportions aren’t as dramatic, I still think it’s incredibly cool that such a shape made it past the bean counters. Every time I see one on the street, I have to stop and look.
From head-on, the Ioniq 6 isn’t what I’d describe as stunning—note my catfish comment earlier—but it’s certainly not boring. In a world where most car designs look like they were bred from the same grey, unassuming crossover, being interesting is a huge win. And the Ioniq 6 has that in droves. Don’t get me wrong, the Ioniq 5 is a looker, too. But this car regularly turns heads and starts conversations in a way the 5 doesn’t.
The Ioniq 6 is pretty impressive on the range front, too. Go for an early model with the large battery and rear-wheel drive, and it’ll deliver 361 miles of range per charge, according to EPA estimates. While that figure isn’t as mindblowing as it would’ve been five years ago, it’s more than enough for the average buyer to commute for an entire week before having to juice up.
And it’s not like you’re really sacrificing on space much if you choose an Ioniq 6 over an equivalent crossover. One thing about the 6 is that it is far bigger in person than it looks in pictures. I first got one to drive for a review, and I was amazed by the roominess of the interior, especially in the back seat, where it felt like there was as much legroom as in my long-wheelbase Audi A8. The cabin is also stuffed with real, actual, physical buttons, which means it’s not infuriating to use (though I’d recommend getting a dark-themed interior, as I’m not sure how well the light-themed cabins will age).
If a used EV sounds like a bad idea, you have some time. There are still 419 brand-new Ioniq 6s sitting on dealer lots right now waiting to be sold, according to Cars.com. Personally, though, I think certified pre-owned is the way to go. You can get a low-mileage Ioniq 6 for half of what they go for new, and still have a warranty to back you up in case things go south. As someone with taste, that’s what I’d do.
Top graphic image: Hyundai; DepositPhotos.com
Just plain funny looking. Do not want.
Respectfully, it does not look good. It looks like the bastard child of a 1998 Olds Aurora and a 1999 Mercury Sable.
Can we have a moment of appreciation for cars with biplane (double) spoilers? Merkur XR4Ti, Ford Sierra XR4i, 1984-86 Ford Mustang SVO, Porsche 996 GT3, 10th gen Civic Type R and Sport Hatchback, Ionic 6…
Fascinating styling? It looks like it’s melting at both ends. It looks like, if you made a silly putty snake, then placed it across your finger and let the ends get pulled down by gravity. It’s so ashamed of its own looks that it’s trying to return to the ground from whence it came. It looks like it has a tape worm and is about to drag its rear end across the road for some relief.
It lacked the performative obesity to sell in US markets I guess.
Or tariffs.
Or, as others have observed, it could’ve done with a liftback and been “just right” instead of “not enough”. But I imagine the bulkier Ioniq 5 was meant to be the “just right” option, and automakers just keep making that target bigger.
“The
ThinkingSAGGY-BUTT LOVING Person’s Used EV”There… fixed it for accuracy.
I always mistake them for some kind of Porsche from the rear.
I wonder how easy it is to remove that ugly H on the nose. I am very sensitive to ugly renditions of the letter H, and that’s worse than the one on a Hino.
“I am very sensitive to ugly renditions of the letter H”
Yes!!! Someone else who gets it! I really think Hyundai needs to rebrand — beginning with their lame a$$ logo. Kia did it years ago and their image is much improved (if you ask me).
You mean, when they changed from “KIA” to something that looks like “K backwards-N”?
There is a bunch of merch with the new KIA logo in the style of Nine Inch Nails’ first album cover with the caption “Pretty Affordable Machine”.
The first two things I check when looking at a typeface is the letter H and the lower case g. Every time Google messes with their logo I need a serious nap.
I don’t love Hyundai’s H logo but it angers me less than the mixed case new Jaguar logo.
Hey, great user name.
I think I have a couple of Ish Kabibble / Doodles Weaver / Spike Jones 78s.
I probably would have bought a 6 instead of the 5 if they’d been available at the time. I like the looks, but I do think it’s a highly subjective thing.
I’d probably drive one if you gave it to me for free, but I can’t see spending my own money on it when the much more attractive Ioniq 5 is literally on the same dealer lot.
I wish it had a liftback rather than a tiny trunk opening. Spoiled by my Volt.
Yep. Once you go hatch, you can’t go back.
Man, I didn’t know so many of you had terrible opinions on what is/isn’t an attractive vehicle.
So tell me folks, what do you think is a good looking car right now?
For starters, one that looks like a car and not an egg.
I’m with you. I have frequently been drawn to the odd-balls of the automotive world. Of course, a lot of these people would shit on the design of the Porsche 356 if it came out today, especially w/o the shield badge.
Cars that have paint on the body panels instead of black plastic. It ain’t the early 90s anymore, poverty-spec cars went extinct a long time ago.
Paint the damn body panels.
There aren’t any. The ones with decent shapes have terrible surfacing and idiotic head and taillights and whatnot and beltlines up around your ears. And the rest are just horrible overall. And then there is the modern idea of what an interior is supposed to be – screens, screens, screens, screens, screens, screens, screens – and maybe another screen just for good measure.
This is a fair answer. But there is a case to be made to decide which is the least bad.
Bad is bad.
Which side are you on with this car?
Beautiful cars currently in production (admittedly for each example below very small ‘production’)
Gordon Murry T50
https://www.gordonmurrayautomotive.com/automotive/t50
Radical (all of them)
https://radicalmotorsport.com/cars
Runge (all of them) – each example is hand made in a barn outside Alexandria MN
https://rungecars.com/products/runge-rs
I do not think the ioniq6 is necessarily good looking, that said I do still like it bc it can be a 360.range ev (SE long range) that is not a Tesla and 800 volt.arch amd it charges quickly. And in general I do like oddball cars. This one reminds me of a modern DS or modern Saab. It most definitely Should.have been made as a hatch, just as I think the model 3 should have been made as a hatch…
Bugger the ICCU issues and bc it is a H/K good luck when you have issues. If this were a Toyota the iccu would have been figured out by now if it ever was a problem in the 1st place.
IMO it’s the worst-looking EV in existence. Worse than Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust.
So what’s it like to be wrong?
The Hammerhead Eagle i-Thrust: Objectively, one of the best looking vehicles. However, wasn’t it a hybrid with a diesel generator?
I’m sure it’s a perfectly fine car, but it looks terrible, the front is almost alright, but it really took a dump with that back end.
I’ve always thought these were kind of cool looking in a weird way. I much prefer the 5 though, I love the retro 80’s hatchback vibes. It’s one of the EV’s I could see myself owning.
For people without taste and who don’t care about cars, the best used car buy by far is the Toyota BZ4X. It’s one of the only EVs that I think will almost certainly go 200,000 miles without the rest of the car falling apart around it.
You can find low mileage examples that are three years old for well under $20,000. I found one recently for $14,500 with less than 40,000 miles on it!
Now, it’s not a fun-to-drive car. It doesn’t have a glovebox. It’s not the longest range, but it’s acceptable for 99.9% of commuters… And, best of all, it looks…okay!
Dollar for dollar used BZ4X is better than Hyundai IONIQ 6 or any Hyundai/Kia EVs because, unfortunately, most Hyundai/Kia products start expiring when they get around 100,000 miles. Toyotas don’t.
Counter points – pre-refresh they are very slow chargers on DCFC, and they had a recall for their wheels falling off, so yes, even Toyotas can fall apart (also see UA80E transmission failures, Tundra engine failures, and so on). Toyotas are not a bulletproof proposition
Counter points – pre-refresh they charge very slowly on DCFC and they were always a half-baked effort; and they had a recall for the wheels falling apart. Toyota is not a bulletproof proposition like you’re claiming (see also UA80E transmission failures, Tundra engine failures, and so on).
Recalls get fixed. I would still stack a pile of money that a Toyota, on average, will outlast virtually any car out there. Everyone knows that Toyota, like all companies, doesn’t have a completely perfect track record—that’s impossible. It’s a well earned reputation, however, and haters like to point at recalls that are being fixed at zero cost to owners as the evidence Toyota is imperfect. No one is claiming it is…but they also undergo all of the same quality testing that all the legendary Toyotas went through as well as new ones, so I think they’re more trustworthy than, say, a Rivian or a Tesla. Also most people drive 36 miles a day or less and aren’t fast charging regularly—they’ll charge at home.
Only the N version will continue here? As a Veloster N owner I’ve seen this film before and it doesn’t have a happy ending.
I’ll be honest, the looks combined with the form factor certainly didn’t help. I quickly went from “ooh” when seeing initial photos to “eww” when I finally saw it in person.
The 2025 IONIQ 5 N arrived on dealer lots about half a year before the 2025 IONIQ 5. Probably something similar here, where the N was planned to hit earlier, and is already underway; they just pulled the cord on the regular IONIQ 6 early enough to not have to deliver any ’26s States-side, and I heavily doubt we’ll see any 6 Ns for 2027.
I wouldn’t say “ew”, exactly, but I definitely feel like what was sold was a step back from what was sold.
And I don’t mean “worse” as a general statement, I mean that the final product literally felt like an earlier draft. More disjointed, certain features toned down to the detriment of the overall design
Obviously the design is a little controversial. But I love it. Hyundai took a real risk and came up with something novel and fun.
This is actually the only EV on sale today that I would actually be excited to own (that I could potentially afford) so that’s a real bummer. Basically everything is a midsized crossover, which is a segment I can’t stand in the least.
It’s always reminded me of its ill-fated forebearers: Saab and Infiniti J30.
And that’s probably why I like it so much, lol.
I also like it, but it reminded me instead of a Citroen DS (at least from the side)
And the Chrysler Crossfire!
Saggy Diaper lookin’ ahh car
Headline is missing the word “No”. It’s ugly.
I’m sure it’s a perfectly wonderful EV – I just can’t get past how much I dislike the shape of it. It’s like a cross between the worst aspects of a New Beetle and a 2nd gen Buick Regal.
Just like many of their ICE offerings since the 2010’s, these are something you’d get only for a flaming price, exclusive use in-town and as a secondary vehicle. Those conditions reduce the likelihood that when the critical component fails, you’re not stranded in the middle of nowhere and left scrambling.
Downtime is a big dice roll ranging from surprisingly fast to several months and being covered by a warranty isn’t much help when it’s on backorder, there’s no ETA, no loaner and rental reimbursement is capped at $40/day in the case of the lawsuit warranties.
So not for thinking folks, but consideration does require thinking if you’re willing to roll that dice for a deal.
“Downtime is a big dice roll ranging from surprisingly fast to several months and being covered by a warranty isn’t much help when it’s on backorder, there’s no ETA, no loaner and rental reimbursement is capped at $40/day in the case of the lawsuit warranties.”
BC it is H/K above is exactly what sadly ruled it out for us
Rear styling evokes a constipated dog trying to grind one out.
Kinda appropos, since I always thought it looked like a suppository…
Oh, have they figured out the ICCU? This is the only thing stopping me from purchasing a used Ioniq 5.
Not yet, or not that H/K is willing to admit in public…
I really like these and after a quick search, wow, you’re right. Really good prices on low mileage used examples out there. Hmmm…
I just can’t get over that base model. MSRP of $40k and you get 149 hp. I know they don’t go for that price and I know its not historically slow, but damn.
The 2-motor AWD models have a 0-60 time of about 4.6 seconds.
Believe me, they’re FUN 🙂 Especially in the SPORT mode. Gotta love INSTANT torque!
No doubt. I have an AWD EV myself. I just can’t wrap my head around 149 hp for 40 grand.
It’s still a several second 0-60 which is solid, I assume it’s ~149 hp across the board which handily beats out my previous 10-second 186 hp Kia with a similar curb weight and still would be ahead of my ~8 second 270 hp Toyota but that’s a few hundred pounds heavier than the base Ioniq 6.
Electric horsepower and ICE horsepower are similar the way tube and solid state guitar amps can have the same watt rating tube amps are vastly louder than the solid state amps.
Horsepower is what the top speed is, torque is how soon you reach it. Also, most mass market ICE engines don’t like running at full power for a very long time. Electric motors generally are fine running at their rated power.
“…torque is how soon you reach it”
I get what you’re trying to say but HP is the time-based parameter, not torque. Horsepower = pound feet per unit of time (second, minute etc.).
Also, tube amps “sound” louder at the same SPL (decibel level) because of the harmonic distortion inherent to them – often referred to as “apparent loudness” – they’re not actually louder in absolute terms (assuming same RMS wattage ratings).
All true. Btw, did you know that Watt allowed for horses resting and eating during a 24 hour period compared to a steam engine running continuously? That’s why horses have more than one horsepower.
Also many tube amps have a natural compression that makes them feel louder.
Not unlike a big long stroke v8 with a two barrel carb. Great low and mid speed response and throttle tip in, then it just sort of gives up at high speed.
“The Hyundai Ioniq 6 Is About To Become The Best Used Car For People With Bad Taste”
There. Fixed it for you.
Sorry, I cannot get over that sloping rear. You wrote about the catfish-style front, but the whole car looks like a catfish on wheels to me.
CP.
Agreed. But I hate the interior…
I think it looks fine in light grey. Mine has ambient lighting that you can set to any color you want and with restraint, looks pretty cool. The main dashboard display for speed and power/regen is a bit funky though you get used to the animated tunnels