Hyundai IONIQ 5 N Named Best Performance EV by Car Talk

Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 N has been named Best Performance EV in Car Talk’s Best EVs of 2026 list. The IONIQ 5 is recommended as a Best Battery-Electric Hatchback and was the Best EV overall pick in 2025. The annual honors are given out to the best electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles that are new or significantly updated for the model year. This year’s awards were given out in ten categories following evaluations by Car Talk’s expert editorial team.

“Hyundai’s award-winning E-GMP platform provides the perfect basis for its IONIQ 5 N high-performance EV,” said Ricky Lao, director, product planning, Hyundai Motor North America. “The IONIQ 5 N combines pin-sharp high-speed dynamics and track-ready endurance with a visceral driving character that’s unprecedented among electric vehicles. We are pleased to have IONIQ 5 N on the list of Car Talk’s Best EVs of 2026.”

Hyundai continues to give customers more of what they want by expanding its award-winning IONIQ 5 electric vehicle lineup with a dedicated N model. IONIQ 5 N combines the standard IONIQ 5 model’s Electrified-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) with N motorsport technologies while leveraging N expertise accrued from the company’s series of electrified ‘Rolling Labs’ (e.g., RM20e, RN22e and N Vision 74) vehicles. These allow Hyundai to maximize IONIQ 5 N’s performance capabilities and ensure it meets N’s three pillars of performance: Corner Rascal’ Racetrack Capability, and Everyday Sportscar. Its electric motors provide up to 641 horsepower (478 kW) with N Grin Boost[i] engaged. Far beyond rapid all-electric performance, IONIQ 5 N offers novel driver-focused technologies like N e-Shift and N Active Sound+ to replicate the natural, familiar gear-change sensation and audible characteristics of an ICE performance vehicle with a dual-clutch paddle-shift transmission.  

“Hyundai made all the right moves with this battery-electric performance vehicle,” said John Goreham, vehicle and tire tester, Car Talk and vice president, New England Motor Press Association, NEMPA. “Hyundai went to great lengths to differentiate its IONIQ 5 N from the rest of the great IONIQ 5 trims. This trim features special drive modes that let you drift the vehicle and launch it like a cannonball. It has a racecar suspension, racecar brakes, racecar tires, and even a seat that looks perfect for track days. Zane Merva, president, NEMPA also commented on this segment win, saying, There are a surprising number of performance EVs in 2026, but it’s hard to top the Ioniq 5 N.”

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