Hyundai Ioniq 6 N wins GCOTY Performance category

MANILA: The Hyundai Ioniq 6 N was named the overall winner in the Performance category of the German Car of the Year Awards (GCOTY) 2027.

According to the Germany-based automotive awards organization, the Ioniq 6 N was praised by its jurors for its driver-centric design, its sharp handling, and its performance. Hyundai, meanwhile, has shared that this accolade signifies the brand’s equal focus on innovation in all-electric mobility and performance. 

Particular praise was also given to the said model’s N e-Shift and N Active Sound+, which are both touted to enhance a driver’s connection to the high-performance electric vehicle (EV). 

“This award is a testament to our commitment to delivering the driving exhilaration that performance drivers crave without compromise. N stands for ‘Born in Namyang, honed at Nürburgring,' as demonstrated by the i30 N's successful debut in Germany nearly a decade ago, and this award recognizes our progress in next-generation electric performance and holds great significance for N,” Hyundai N Management Group Head and Vice President Joon Park said. 

“We will continue to push the boundaries of performance through emerging technologies and motorsports such as the Nürburgring 24 Hours as a development platform for future N models,” Park added. 

Notably, this is Hyundai’s fourth award from GCOTY. Its previous accolades from this awarding body include:

• 2026: Hyundai IONIQ 9 wins the Premium category
• 2024: Hyundai IONIQ 6 wins the New Energy category
• 2022: Hyundai IONIQ 5 is named overall German Car of the Year and wins the New Energy category

For those curious, the other finalists in the GCOTY 2027 Performance category were the Renault 5 Turbo 3E, which was awarded second place, and the Polestar 5, which was awarded third place. 

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Hyundai Ioniq 6 in PH

The only Hyundai N models available locally in the Philippines are the Elantra N and the Ioniq 5 N. The standard Ioniq 6 was sold locally until it was quietly phased out by the South Korean marque’s local arm. 

In other markets, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N uses a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive layout that can produce up to 600 horsepower (hp) and 740 Newton-meters of torque. With the N Grin Boost, the model can temporarily increase its output to 641 hp. 

The model’s 84 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery provides a range of up to 487 kilometers, according to the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP). It likewise boasts a direct current (DC) fast-charging port that can charge its battery from 10-80 percent in just 18 minutes. 

Size-wise, the model is 4,935 millimeters (mm) long, 1,940 mm wide, and 1,495 mm in height. It also has a wheelbase length of 2,965 mm. 

Stopping power for the model is provided by front 400 mm and rear 360 mm disc brakes. It also uses 20-inch forged alloy wheels. 

For its suspension, the high-performance EV gets a MacPherson strut setup up front and a five-link independent setup at the rear. These are supported by Stroke-Sensing Electronically Controlled Suspension dampers, which make it fully configurable in terms of height and rigidity. 

As mentioned, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 N comes with the N e-shift and the N Drift optimizer. The N e-shift, which is a virtual transmission that mimics the feel of a dual-clutch gearbox. The N Drift optimizer provides a rear-wheel power bias to make drifting (controlled oversteer) easier. 

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