Yahoo Autos 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6: The winner that could have been
When we performed our recent affordable EV comparison test pitting the Hyundai Kona Electric, Kia Niro EV, Tesla Model Y and Volkswagen ID.4 against one another, we also had a Hyundai Ioniq 6 on hand during testing and throughout the week. We didn’t include it in this comparison, as our Ioniq 6 tester came in at a total of $54,975, which was beyond our budget for this review considering a lack of an available tax credit. That’s $9,845 more than the Tesla Model Y (after the federal tax credit), and $8,215 more than the Kia Niro EV (which is not eligible for the credit). It’s a shame we couldn’t get our hands on a lower trim of the Ioniq 6 — or even an Ioniq 5 — because there’s a strong chance it could have come away as the winner.
Specifically, we had the 2024 Ioniq 6 Limited AWD, which is the priciest version you can buy. The Limited comes with the long-range battery, good for 305 miles on a charge in rear-wheel drive, or 270 miles with the dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain. The same RWD and AWD powertrains are available in the lesser SE trim, at $43,600 or $47,100. Thanks in part to its smaller wheels, the SE is rated at 361 miles (RWD) or 316 miles (AWD). That bests the Tesla Model Y Long Range’s 320 miles with RWD (at $46,380) and 310 miles with AWD (at $49,380).
That’s an excellent mileage value for the SE. And we’ve found in both previous drives of the Ioniq 6, as well as our recent week with the car, that it’s no challenge to meet or beat the car’s range estimates. The elephant in the room, of course, is the available federal tax credit. The Model Y is eligible for the $7,500 point-of-purchase rebate. The Ioniq 6 is not. Nor were the Hyundai Kona Electric and Kia Niro EV we tested. The Volkswagen ID.4 is, though.
