Is living with cloth seats worth the 361 miles of range you get in the Hyundai Ioniq 6?

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 you're looking at here is the SE, the lowest rung on the trim level with the bigger 77.4 kilowatt-hour battery pack (there is an SE Standard Range). This is the first time Autoblog is testing this version, although it's unusual for us or any automotive publication to test base models like this. First, carmakers want the nicest-possible versions to be reviewed in order to increase the chances of a positive outcome, which means upper trims. Second, and less cynically, they want as many of the car's features to be reviewed, which again, means upper trims.

Exceptions happen when lower trim levels are tied to some other fundamental element. For instance, the highest 2023 Honda Accord trim level available with a gas-only engine is the second-from-the-bottom EX. The Ioniq 6 is another example: The SE is the most-efficient version with the long-range battery, good for 361 miles versus 305. That's an enormous difference, and it comes down to efficiency, seemingly related to the SE's smaller 18-inch wheels (versus 20). The single-motor, rear-wheel-drive setup is another key factor; a dual-motor SE long-range is only good for 316 miles.

OK, but we're here to talk about the interior, and if you want the most-efficient, longest-range Ioniq 6, that interior is going to look like this. The seats will be cloth, and every interior surface will be black apart from the silver trim bits.

Above, you can see the difference between the SE and a Limited. Note the two-tone gray surfaces in place of all that black, although there is an all-black version available. Certain exterior colors, including our tester's beautiful Digital Green, can be paired with a combo of gray and Dark Green, the latter of which appears on the dash top and steering wheel. It's pretty cool.

OK, but you can't have that in the SE.

Here's the most obvious difference: the upholstery. Instead of the "bio-based" H-Tex simulated leather upholstery found on the upper trim levels, the SE gets cloth. It's pretty unremarkable stuff. Considering the fundamental difference between the SE and other trim levels, I think this thing should have H-Tex, too, and cut back in other areas. Or, I don't know, offer better-equipped versions with the 18-inch wheels? I'm just spitballing here.

The driver seat is eight-way power adjustable and heated. The Limited adds ventilation and memory settings, plus a power passenger seat.

Here is another key difference: The SE doesn't not have a wireless charger. Instead, it has this bin, which is fine in concept, but it's a hard plastic surface. Your phone or whatever just slides around on it and it's annoying.

On the upside, the USB data port needed for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (wireless not available) is right here. It's annoyingly down by the floor in the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 (the Ioniq 6's mechanically related cousins that share the same E-GMP platform).

The Ioniq 6 also differs from its E-GMP siblings, as well as most cars on the road, by locating its window switches and door lock buttons on the center console. As the owner of an old BMW, this is pretty easy to wrap my head around, but for everyone else besides Jeep Wrangler owners, this is going to be strange. Hyundai says it's to make the doors look uncluttered. I say it's also so they don't have to put controls on both the driver and passenger doors, or switch things around for right-hand-drive markets. In any event, it's better than putting them in a touchscreen.

The back doors still have window switches.

Here is that nice, uncluttered door panel. It is definitely a nice-looking door panel, I'll give 'em that.

The mirror controls aren't on the doors, either, nor is the parking brake on the center console as in other Hyundai/Kias. They join this other stuff to the left of the steering wheel.

The door's bottle holder is not particularly useful, though, which is a common issue in Hyundais and Kias.

Center console cupholders are pretty standard. Average depth and diameter, decent grippage.

Like most EVs, there is abundant floor-level storage, in this case, underneath the floating center console. It is big enough to fit my camera bag, which I'd say is comparable to an average purse.

Thankfully, this bin does have a rubber surface to prevent things from sliding around.

This smaller bin, however, is still hard plastic. Located aft of the window switches and partially covered by the armrest bin cover, it would be a decent place to put a phone if it didn't allow it to slide all over the place.

Beyond this sliding issue, this grade of plastic doesn't seem appropriate for a car of this size and price.