Hyundai’s lineup of electric cars continues to grow. Earlier this month, the automaker debuted the Ioniq 6, a slick new sedan in an era of endless crossovers. It’s a nice change. A few days later, Hyundai revealed the RN22e, a high-performance concept based on the new Ioniq 6. A new video from the CarSceneKorea YouTube channel gets up close to the car Hyundai said provides a glimpse at an upcoming electric N model.
The video covers the car’s finer design details, like the eyelids over the headlights. The car features a more aggressive front-end design, bulky side skirts, bulging fender flares, and a massive rear wing that sits above a spoiler.
Gallery: Hyundai RN22e
The Ioniq 6’s active front aero is gone, and the concept wears 21-inch wheels along with the N’s iconic red accents. The RN22e’s body is more porous, with vents and openings front and aft.
Inside, Hyundai removed the rear seat and added a roll cage. Hyundai engineers are also exploring different artificial sounds they can use inside the cabin to create a more engaging driving experience.
The RN22e produces the same 577 horsepower (430 kilowatts) as the Kia EV6 GT. The concept will serve as a rolling lab designed to explore high-performance electric cars, and it’s a sibling to the Hyundai N Vision 74, a hydrogen fuel-cell EV concept. The RN will also be the testbed for future high-performance models built on Hyundai’s Electric Global Modular Platform.
The Ioniq 6 also rides on the E-GMP architecture, and we know the RN22e provides a glimpse at a future all-electric N model. The concept is making an excellent case for Hyundai to turn the concept into the Ioniq 6 N. Hyundai is already prepping the Ioniq 5 N, and a sedan equivalent in the lineup would grab people’s attention.
For now, the Hyundai RN22e is just a concept, a testbed for future high-performance N models, but it’s a good one. It looks ready for the road and the race track, and we hope this won’t be the last we see of the car.
Gallery: 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6
