Yahoo Autos 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 First Drive Review: Slippery sedan adds big range
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — What do you see when you look at the Hyundai Ioniq 6? Even if you know what’s under the skin, it doesn’t visually evoke just another iteration of the Ioniq 5, with which it shares the same Hyundai group E-GMP electric platform. Ditto the Kia EV6 or Genesis GV60. If you’re particularly susceptible to the powers of suggestion, Hyundai would have you associate it with airplanes, and its “electric streamliner” description might push you further in that direction. On the other hand, your keen marketing BS detector might have you rejecting those convenient associations. The Ioniq 6 is, after all, just a reskinned 5, right? And that’s probably enough reason to like it, despite its sedan form factor presumably offering less utility than its crossover-disguised-as-a-hatchback sibling.
But with little to distinguish the Ioniq 5 and 6 on paper at first glance, it’s almost unsettling to see how closely they align in price. Are we really just choosing between body style and design?
Pricing and configurations for the Ioniq 6 for the most part mirror those of the Ioniq 5. The starting point for the 6 is $42,715 (including $1,115 in destination) for the SE trim with the standard range battery and rear-wheel drive. Its 53-kilowatt-hour battery is good for an EPA-estimated 240 miles on a full charge, with its single motor producing 149 horsepower — slightly less than the base Ioniq 5’s 168 horsepower — and 258 pound-feet of torque.
Moving up from there, everything else gets the longer-range battery with a capacity of 77.4 kWh. Regardless of trim, the RWD version’s single motor provides 225 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The dual-motor and therefore all-wheel-drive versions get a healthy 320 total horsepower and an impressive 446 pound-feet of torque.
Where it starts to get really interesting is in the estimated range figures. The SE trim, with its 18-inch wheels and $46,615 starting price, will go a bladder-bursting 361 miles on a single charge in RWD guise, while the $50,115 AWD version will do a still impressive 316 miles. Moving up to the rear-drive SEL ($48,815) and Limited ($53,715) results in a lower estimated 305 miles due to their 20-inch wheels, which is almost identical to the range of the Ioniq 5 (303 miles) with its 19-inch shoes. The AWD versions of the SEL ($52,315) and line-topping Limited ($57,215) get a still respectable 270 miles of range, 3 miles more than the Ioniq 5. Regardless of the battery or drivetrain, the Ioniq 6 will still charge from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes using a 350-kW DC fast charger — peak charging for the long-range battery is about 235 kW.
Wheel size accounts for part of the Ioniq 6’s impressive range, as does the increased efficiency of a new generation of silicon-carbide chips. But just looking at the car, it’s impossible to ignore the aerodynamics at play. Obviously, the Ioniq 6’s shape is far sleeker than that of the 5. In addition to its streamlined silhouette, beginning with a deeply bowing nose and terminating in a rear spoiler with winglet, the Ioniq 6 uses other aerodynamic tricks to keep it slippery. On the lower front fascia are active air flaps, with air curtains toward the bumper edges. A little lip ahead of the front wheels reduces the air gap, and aerodynamic wheel covers help the air slide on by. On the sides just ahead of the rear bumper are “flow separation traps” that help manage the flow of the air around the rear. In all, the Ioniq 6 achieves an impressive drag coefficient of 0.22, on par with the Porsche Taycan and slightly behind the Tesla Model S, Mercedes-Benz EQS and Lucid air.
It’s not what we were thinking, but apparently enough people have commented that the Ioniq 6 evokes the Porsche 911 that Hyundai VP and head of the Hyundai Design Center, Hak Soo Ha, addressed what he called the “elephant in the room” in front of the media gathered in Scottsdale. “When you … get on the Boeing airplane or Airbus airplane, you’re never asking, ‘Who copied who?’ Because air is air.” And that is what led to the Ioniq 6’s shape. In this vein, he said the 6 was inspired by planes, a football and, in the automotive realm, the Stout Scarab. Nevertheless, the wonderful attendants who would grant us entry into McDowell Mountain Park even noted the similarities to the Porsche.
When Ioniq 6 photos were released, it was hard not to wonder how its teardrop form would affect its livability. Even seeing it in person, the question of interior space lingered until opening the rear door. “Holy s***,” was the first utterance at the sight of the sheer amount of space between the rear seat cushions and the front seatbacks. And that was with the front seats pushed pretty far rearward. Indeed, a tall person could more than comfortably sit behind another equally long-legged person. Well, as long as they aren’t long in the torso or fond of wearing big hats. Headroom is in short supply, especially the closer one sits to the dashboard.
