Following the big success of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 – the winner of the 2022 DrivingOnRoad award for People’s Car – Hyundai launched the model new Ioniq 6. Constructed on the equivalent Hyundai E-GMP platform that underpins the Ioniq 5 (and the Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60), the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the first sedan model to expertise on the devoted electrical construction.
Sedans may be a dying breed, nevertheless Tesla has proved there’s nonetheless a strong market for these cars – so long as the worth is true and the fluctuate is prolonged. Hyundai steps as a lot because the plate swinging with a sub-$42k starting value, the quickest value speeds inside the section, as a lot as 320 horsepower, and a max fluctuate of 361 miles (which is larger than a Model 3).
Based mostly totally on our love affair with the Ioniq 5, we had extreme hopes for Ioniq 6. All through a main drive event in Arizona, we found that the Ioniq 6 principally lives as a lot because the hype, with just some minor exceptions.
Exterior Design: Styled By Aero
Hyundai’s designers highlight the Ioniq 6’s extraordinarily slippery drag coefficient of merely 0.21. Few manufacturing cars boast a lower amount, and Hyundai has executed an outstanding job not letting the aerodynamic goals break the styling. Positive, the Ioniq 6 nonetheless has a shiny entrance end, however it certainly appears to be additional egg-like than the Mercedes-Benz EQS.
The Ioniq 6 will get its inspiration from the enticing Prophecy Thought, which we admit is a way more partaking car. Most concepts lose just a few of their magnificence as soon as they attain manufacturing, nevertheless we nonetheless suppose there are many angles on the Ioniq 6 that work, considerably on the rear. The auto has two spoilers, along with a miniaturized Whale Tail that’s paying homage to a Porsche 911 or a Saab. That significantly gives to the auto’s cool subject.
Hyundai launched alongside cars in a big selection of colors (the Ioniq 6 presents seven paint decisions in full), and we instantly gravitated in route of the lighter hues identical to the Restricted-only matte Gravity Gold. The lighter colors allow the shiny traces to be seen additional merely, whereas the darkish colors, resembling Digital Inexperienced, are prone to obscure them.
Base SE fashions expertise on smaller 18-inch aero wheels that massively improve fluctuate (additional on that later), whereas the SEL and Restricted grades get additional partaking 20-inch wheels with wider tires that commerce effectivity for curb attraction. If you happen to occur to don’t care about wheel design as lots, we would observe the 18s. Sadly, Hyundai wouldn’t present them on the upper trims, which means you could potential have to hunt out one different Ioniq 6 proprietor on a dialogue board who’s eager to swap wheels. Perhaps Hyundai will make the smaller wheels obtainable on larger trims in subsequent model years.
Powertrain: Class-Predominant Electrification
Patrons can have a different between two completely totally different battery and motor setups. A 53 kWh Customary Fluctuate model is accessible with rear-wheel-drive solely, producing merely 149 horsepower. This mannequin is not going to be obtainable until later this summer season season with an sincere 240-mile fluctuate nevertheless a sluggish nine-second 0-62 mph time. Most patrons will go for the Prolonged Fluctuate model with the 77.4 kWh battery. In RWD configuration, the larger battery brings the output to 225 hp, will enhance the fluctuate to 361 miles (305 miles on the 20-inch wheels), and drops the 0-62 to 7.4 seconds.
A twin motor all-wheel-drive risk is accessible on all Prolonged Fluctuate fashions, rising the output to 320 hp. This improves the acceleration time from 0-62 down to 5.1 seconds, nevertheless lowers the fluctuate to 316 miles on the 18-inch wheels and 270 miles on the 20s.
By means of value speeds, the Ioniq 6 blitzes the rivals with an 800-volt charging construction that allows speeds of as a lot as 235 kW. On a 350 kW plug, it will attain an 80% value in merely 18 minutes. Larger however, each Ioniq 6 accommodates two years of complementary 30minute charging lessons at Electrify America. Hyundai has moreover improved the at-home charging speeds with a ten.2 kW peak on a Diploma 2 plug.
Driving Impressions: Sharper Ioniq
Our love for the Ioniq 5 is highly effective, however it certainly’s additional of a cruiser with respectable coping with than an outright driver’s car. Though the Ioniq 6 wouldn’t stray too far into ‘sporty’ territory, it’s nonetheless a sharper experience than its crossover sibling. The lower coronary heart of gravity offers additional associated driving manners with sooner steering and fewer physique roll. We would like the driving force’s seat went a bit lower, though, as a result of it felt like we now have been sitting on it reasonably than in it. As with totally different E-GMP cars, the single-motor mannequin felt additional agile with additional appropriate steering response and additional speedy turn-in. You could chuck the auto proper right into a flip and use the second power from {the electrical} motor to tug your self out and step the rear out a bit.
The dual-motor car feels heavier and fewer pure to manage, nevertheless any deficit in strategies is larger than made up for in raw power. Whereas the single-motor car simply leaves the highway by itself phrases, the dual-motor car jolts forward, squeezing occupants into their seats. Every variants can merely overtake slower web site guests, nevertheless the AWD model is, clearly, significantly sooner from a stop.
Putting the dual-motor car into Eco Mode can deactivate the doorway axle, yielding superior effectivity on the value of speedy acceleration. It’s worth noting that the doorway axle stays activated when one-pedal driving is energetic. Sport Mode tunes the throttle additional spiritedly, so a quick faucet results in speedy power.
By means of comfort, the Ioniq 6 excels, even when outfitted with the 20-inch wheels. We noticed somewhat little bit of vibration on really torn-up pavement, nevertheless the 20-inch wheels behave correctly till the freeway is a large number. Then we switched to the SE model with the 18-inch wheels, and it was even softer; cloud-like, in reality. As prospects demand larger wheels on account of their seen revenue, expertise comfort has been thrown by the wayside. We did uncover barely additional freeway noise from the 18s, though this will likely very nicely be all the way in which right down to the tires, not the wheels themselves, or the variations in routes from the morning to the afternoon.
We don’t sometimes carry up adaptive safety choices in our First Drive evaluations, nevertheless Hyundai’s Freeway Drive Assistance is among the many many best hands-on applications we now have examined at any value, and it comes regular on every Ioniq 6. The steering assist requires little consideration to keep up the auto in its lane, significantly when outfitted with Freeway Driving Assist II on SEL and above. It is not going to be a hands-free system, however it certainly feels additional competent and dependable than comparable applications like Tesla Autopilot.
Inside Design: Airplane Impressed
Even the underside Ioniq 6 is well-equipped with twin 12.3-inch screens for the infotainment and gauge cluster, which are flanked by airplane-style winglets that dwelling the digital mirror screens in numerous markets. Sadly, the same old audio system leaves fairly a bit to be desired, and the eight-speaker Bose system (which is simply mediocre) can solely be accessed by selecting the best Restricted trim. Wi-fi connection to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are moreover missing, so be certain you carry a USB cable.
The Ioniq 6 SE comes with stain-resistant cloth seats, which actually really feel delicate and premium. Larger trims get artificial leather-based with front-seat heating on the SEL and heating/air move on the Restricted. We love how spacious the cabin feels with the floating coronary heart console, significantly when accomplished inside the lighter inside shade. 64-color ambient lighting is accessible on the SEL and Restricted trims, and it appears to be beautiful at night.
Practicality: Sedan Sacrifice
There’s a trigger why prospects gravitate away from sedans and in route of crossovers, and the numbers bear it out in cargo-carrying ability, not passenger space. 39.2 inches of legroom inside the once more seat is extraordinarily generous, besting the Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3 by 5.3 and 4.0 inches, respectively. Headroom is a definite story, the place the Hyundai’s space is somewhat lower than its Polestar and Tesla rivals on account of its sloping roofline.
Transferring once more to the trunk, the Ioniq 6 clearly sacrifices cargo functionality for passenger space. There could also be solely 11.2 cubic toes inside the trunk, merely bested by the Polestar’s 14.3 cubes and the Tesla’s 19.8 cubes. Hyundai crammed a tiny frunk, in case you could even identify it that, with merely 0.5 cubic toes of space. We cannot even take into consideration what an proprietor might put in there. Maybe an umbrella?
Pricing & Verdict: Is The Value There?
Starting at $41,600 for the SE RWD Customary Fluctuate, the 2023 Ioniq 6 is technically cheap than essentially the most reasonably priced Tesla Model 3, which begins at $42,990. Tesla presents superior fluctuate and effectivity on the bottom diploma, though Hyundai has faster charging. However, Hyundai notes that this configuration will solely be obtainable at a later date and in “terribly restricted parts.”
Points get additional aggressive with the ‘Prolonged Fluctuate’ variations, with the RWD SE starting at $45,500. Though it pushes the worth previous the Model 3, the 361-miles fluctuate is larger than the smallest Tesla can muster in any current configuration. Stepping as a lot because the SEL costs $47,700, whereas the Restricted trim is $52,600. Together with the dual-motor AWD setup to any of the Prolonged Fluctuate fashions costs $3,500. These prices do not embrace a $1,115 trip spot value.
On the lower end of the spectrum, we count on the Ioniq 6 is a reasonably stellar value with fairly a bit to produce for patrons in the hunt for prolonged driving fluctuate and a comfortable expertise. However, tacking on AWD and Gravity Gold paint to an already costly Restricted trim pushes the related price to over $58,000. That’s BMW i4 territory!
Tesla’s most modern value decrease makes it sturdy to advocate the Ioniq 6 over the Model 3, nevertheless the opening will slender if Tesla loses its tax credit score rating on account of the battery is made in China. Given that Hyundai is inbuilt South Korea, it could not get the credit score rating. Good tip: you’ll lease the auto and have the $7,500 factored into the funds. If pricing was equal, we count on the Ioniq 6 feels identical to the additional premium product, and it’s the one we would reasonably drive.