Hyundai discontinues the IONIQ 6 from its US lineup

Hyundai has decided to remove the standard versions of the IONIQ 6 from the US market with the 2026 model year lineup update. From now on, the South Korean manufacturer will limit the offering of this model in the United States exclusively to the high-performance version, the IONIQ 6 N. The latter model will also be available in very limited quantities, as we already reported here on HighMotor a few months ago.

The reason behind this decision appears to be linked to the tariffs imposed by the US government on imported vehicles, since all IONIQ 6 units sold come from South Korea. Hyundai does not face this problem with other models in the IONIQ range sold in the United States, such as the IONIQ 5 or IONIQ 9, as these roll off the assembly line at the South Korean manufacturer’s plant in Savannah (Georgia).

The decision to no longer sell the IONIQ 6 in the United States is not the first measure of this kind taken by the South Korean manufacturer. Recently, the brand confirmed that the Kona Electric will not arrive in this market in its 2026 edition, mainly due to lower-than-expected demand and sufficient inventory of 2025 units to cover current needs.

KIA is following the same path as Hyundai in the United States

For its part, KIA, a sister brand within the Hyundai Motor group, has adopted a similar strategy with one of its electric models. The company has indefinitely postponed the commercialization of the 2026 EV6 GT in the United States, citing changes in market conditions. This high-performance version is also imported from South Korea, just like the IONIQ 6. The rest of the EV6 versions will continue to be sold, however, as they are produced at KIA’s plant in West Point (Georgia).

Additionally, KIA has also delayed the arrival in the US market of two other electric models that should have already joined the manufacturer’s lineup or be about to, the EV4 sedan and the EV3 compact SUV. Neither of these two models will arrive in the United States for the time being, considerably limiting the brand’s vehicle imports.

Thus, it is clear that both Hyundai and KIA have decided to limit to the greatest extent possible the import of electric models from their range, focusing on offering vehicles Made in America.