Sell it to me in a sentence…
The new Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a swooping and sleek four-door coupé that’s set to take on the likes of the Tesla Model 3, BMW i4 and Polestar 2.
Sounds intriguing – and ambitious…
Well, when it comes to electric cars, Hyundai is ambitious – but it has good form for delivery on that ambition.
As the name suggests, this is the second car from Hyundai’s bespoke electric Ioniq sub-brand, and you may recall we rather like the first. That would be the Hyundai Ioniq 5 SUV, which won this year’s Move Electric Best Electric Car Award.
It helps that the Ioniq 5 is built from a very good base: the Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, which also underpins vehicles such as the Kia EV6 – that would be our sister brand's What Car?’s reigning Car of the Year – and the Genesis GV60.
But the platform and Hyundai badge is about the only thing the Ioniq 6 has in common with the Ioniq 5. While that was an angular, retro-styled SUV (which somehow looked like an ’80s hot hatch), the Ioniq 6 is all streamlined lines and swooping shapes.
So why the new design focus?
Well, the key focus of the design has been on making it aerodynamically efficient, so it slips through the air. Hyundai has claimed a drag coefficient of 0.21, which is really very good.
With the biggest 77.4kWh battery option fitted, Hyundai estimates a range of more than 379 miles. If that turns out to be accurate it will exceed the range of the BMW i4 (365 miles), Polestar 2 (336 miles) and even the Tesla Model 3 Long Range (364 miles). Whether your bladder has a 379-mile range is another question entirely.
Even when you do finally stop for that toilet break, you’ll need to be quick: as with the Ioniq 5, the E-GMP platform’s 800V architecture means it can charge at a rate of up to 350kW. That means you can charge the Ioniq 6 from 10-80% in around 18 minutes. If you can find one of the few 350kW chargers in the UK, of course.
The 77kWh battery won’t be the only option: the Ioniq 6 will also be offered with a smaller 53kWh battery. The bigger battery will be offered with a choice of single-motor rear-drive and twin-motor all-wheel-drive powertrains.
The twin-motor model will produce a total of 239kW, while outputs for the single motor have yet to be confirmed. It’s also uncertain if that AWD version will be offered with the smaller battery.
Eventually, there's be a high-performance Ioniq 6 N from Hyundai's performance division.
So does it drive like a sporting streamliner?
We’ve only had a short tune in a prototype version of the Ioniq 6 at limited speed. Hyundai kept details tight: it wouldn’t even tell us which version we were driving. What was apparent is that it felt similar to the Ioniq 5 in the way it built up speed – which is a good thing.
There’s a pleasing hit of power when you touch the accelerator, although we weren’t able to really explore its performance on our test. Still, our running certainly suggested the impressive claimed 0-62mph time of 5.1s for the AWD version was easily achievable.
As with the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, the Ioniq 6 offers regenerative braking that can be controlled with paddles behind the steering wheel. It’s offered at various levels, including a full single-pedal driving mode.
While the power delivery feels similar to the Ioniq 5, it’s clear there are big differences in terms of the suspension. The Ioniq 6 is notably firmer than its sister model, feeling more like a Tesla Model 3 than the software, waftier Ioniq 5. That said, it seemed to cope better with the Model 3 on imperfections in the road – although it’s important to remember that production versions could differ.
While our running was limited, we’d expect the firmer suspension setting of the Ioniq 6 to help control some of the body lean the Ioniq 5 could suffer from on more flowing roads, which could help the car achieve from decent handling. That said, the lack of adaptive suspension means it might struggle to match the Model 3 or BMW i4 in terms of engagement.
Intriguing. So what’s the Ioniq 6 like to sit it?
While the pre-production version we drove wasn’t representative of the likely finish of production models, it’s clear that the Ioniq 6 cabin will be full of recycled materials and other modern premium design touches.
As with the Ioniq 5, the dashboard features two 12.0in screens – one for the drive display, the other for the infotainment touchscreen – with a number of physical shortcut buttons placed beneath it. There promises to be plenty of standard kit, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.
Our test car has digital wing mirrors instead of physical units – likely because they help to maximise the aerodynamic efficiency of the car. As with other cars we’ve tried similar systems in, they are an acquired taste, and it’s not confirmed if they will be standard or optional kit on the Ioniq 6.
There’s plenty of room in the front, and rear passengers have vast amounts of leg room. However, the sloping roof of the Ioniq 6 does make head room in the back particularly tight, and anyone over six foot tall might struggle to get comfortable without bumping their head.
The boot is sizeable and looks to have plenty of capacity, although the opening is rather small so it might be a struggle to fit everything in neatly.
Verdict
While a short run in a prototype Ioniq 6 clearly isn’t enough to us to render a definitive verdict, it certainly has hinted at the potential that the machine offers. It’s certainly shaping up to be a compelling proposition in the premium electric saloon market, and could give potential Tesla Model 3 and BMW i4 buyers something to think about.
If the Ioniq 6 can deliver on Hyundai’s range figures and charging speed, it could really stir up the market.
DAN JONES
Hyundai Ioniq 6 Prototype specifications
Price: from £45,000 (est)
Power: 239kW (all-wheel-drive version)
Torque: 446lb ft
Electric motors: single-motor and twin-motor
Gearbox: single-speed automatic
0-62mph: 5.1sec (claimed)
Top speed: TBC
Range: Up to 379 miles (claimed)
Battery size: 53kWh and 77.4kWh
RIVALS