• Kia’s EV6 GT will adopt the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N’s simulated seven-speed transmission later this year.
  • Top EV6 “won’t get all” of the 5 N’s goodies because it’s intended as a GT car, a source told us.
  • A facelifted EV6 has already been shown in Korea and will soon make its debut in other markets.

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 N EV is one of the hottest performance cars on the planet right now, irrespective of power source, and one of of the reasons it’s proved such a hit is the option to switch to a simulated seven-speed paddle-shift transmission with a press of a button on the fat steering wheel.

The N’s Kia EV6 GT cousin was launched more than a year earlier and doesn’t have the N-eShift fake transmission feature. But it will get it later this year, a source close to the Korean automaker told Carscoops.

Related: Kia EV Sales Double, But Carnival Outsells EV6 And EV9 Combined

Kia has already shown images of a facelifted EV6 lineup – minus the GT – in its home country, and it’s believed that the GT upgrade will be part of the mid-life refresh when the new-look EV6 is released to the rest of the world within the next few months. The images below show new headlights with C-shaped DRLs and Kia also mentions a battery upgrade from 77 to 84kWh.

But the GT “won’t get all” of the Ioniq 5 N’s features when it’s facelifted, our source told us, because it’s “intended as more of a GT car” whereas the N is like an overgrown hot hatch and can get away with being a little crazier.

Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year
Kia EV6 GT Gets The Ioniq 5 N’s Fake Gears Later This Year

So what does the Ioniq 5 N currently have that the GT doesn’t apart from the fun-times transmission? Most obviously, it makes up to 641 hp (650 PS) to the EV6 GT’s 576 hp (585 PS), though that’s an over simplification.

The N really only delivers a constant 601 hp (609 PS), but can throw in an extra 40 ponies for 10-second bursts if you press the red N-Grin Boost button on the steering wheel. We’re just speculating here, but it’s possible that the GT might get the 601 hp upgrade but not the 40 hp N-Grin top-up.

The Hyundai also has manually selectable front:rear torque distribution and an N Drift Optimizer function, which is more sophisticated than the GT’s basic Drift Mode. It includes a Torque-Drift-Kick feature that simulates the clutch kick action traditional ICE-powered pro drifters use to initiate sideways action. Our guess is that Kia might leave some of that stuff out.

One thing we hope it does improve on is the Ioniq 5 N’s simulated engine sounds. There are three to choose from (or you can switch them off altogether) and they’re not great, though that doesn’t stop you having fun bouncing the fake engine off its fake limiter.