Hyundai unveiled the first images of its Ioniq 6 EV a couple weeks ago, and on Wednesday the brand gave us more details and specs for its fantastic streamliner sedan as the car makes its world debut at the Busan International Motor Show in South Korea. While this info is specifically for the Korean-market Ioniq 6, it all should easily translate to the US model that will be detailed in November.
Like the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6 uses Hyundai Motor Group’s modular E-GMP platform. In the US, every Ioniq 6 will have a 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack with the option of rear-wheel drive or dual-motor all-wheel drive. The AWD model puts out 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque and can hit 62 mph in 5.1 seconds, all of which perfectly matches the dual-motor Ioniq 5.
There’s an EV Performance Tune-Up function that basically works like a configurable drive mode, letting you adjust things like accelerator sensitivity, motor power and steering weight, and the Ioniq 6 has spaceship-like noises that can be pumped into the cabin.
I love the wacky styling.
Hyundai
With a drag coefficient of 0.21, the Ioniq 6 is one of the most aerodynamic production cars of all time, and that leads to a high level of energy efficiency. Hyundai quotes a range of more than 380 miles on the European WLTP cycle, nearly 70 more than the Ioniq 5, which should translate to well over 300 miles on our stricter EPA cycle.
With rear-wheel drive and 18-inch wheels (and the smaller 53-kWh battery pack that will be offered outside the US) Hyundai says the Ioniq 6’s energy consumption is under 14 kWh per 100 kilometers, one of the best figures of any EV today. Its 800-volt architecture means the Ioniq 6 can be charged from 10% to 80% in under 18 minutes on a 350-kW charger, and like other E-GMP models it has V2L functionality that can power devices or even your house.
The Ioniq 6 has the same pair of 12-inch screens sitting atop the dashboard as the Ioniq 5, which have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto functionality. Two Bluetooth devices can be paired at once, and the infotainment system has real-time mapping based on the car’s state of charge to help plan routes and find charging stations. There are four USB-C ports and one USB-A port, and a folding Smart Table accessory snaps into the center console and provides three more USB-C ports. It’s also Hyundai’s first car to get over-the-air updates, which will cover things like infotainment functions, the powertrain and battery, safety features and more.
The interior is fabulous.
Hyundai
Hyundai will offer a range of active safety features on the Ioniq 6, with the slim black bar in the nose containing most of the sensors and cameras. It’ll have Highway Driving Assist 2, an adaptive cruise control system with steering assist and automatic lane changes that can learn your driving style and mimic how you drive. Other features include forward-collision warning with pedestrian and cyclist detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with camera views, rear cross-traffic assist and automatic high beams. The Ioniq 6 also is available with a 360-degree camera setup and a new version of Remote Smart Park that can park diagonally, parallel or perpendicular without anyone in the car. Sadly, the digital cameras that replace traditional side mirrors won’t be available in the US.
I’m a sucker for good ambient interior lighting, and the Ioniq 6 has that on lock. Sixty-four different colors are available, with the ability to set two different colors at once in different parts of the interior, and the light is nicely diffused against the door panels and other surfaces. There are six preselected themes with fantastic names like creative moment, mind care and wonderful day, and a Speed Sync mode changes the brightness of the lights the faster you go.
The US won’t get the digital camera mirrors.
Hyundai
Twelve exterior colors will be offered including a bright baby blue, the fantastic army-like Digital Green Pearl, multiple matte paint finishes, and my personal favorite, Biophilic Blue Pearl, which is a deep plum purple with an incredible bright teal pearlescent shimmer effect. There will be four interior schemes too, one of which pairs a Dark Olive Green with Light Gray that should look awesome. Wheel sizes range from 18 to 20 inches, though I wish the 20s you see in these images had a more interesting design.
Hyundai says the 2024 Ioniq 6 will enter production this fall, with US sales set to start in the first quarter of 2023. Expect a starting price of around $40,000, with fully loaded examples cresting the $50,000 mark.
