Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 EV must be one of the most strikingly designed saloons to hit the market for some time. Its looks tend to polarise opinions but I have to say I like the sleek lines that mark it out as something different from the norm.
I get distinct Porsche 911 vibes, particularly at the rear, and the whole design comes together to achieve a Cd figure of just 0.21, which is a huge help in ekeing out the maximum range from the battery.
Charging
My test car came with the larger 77kWh battery, but there’s a smaller 53kWh version too. The range claimed from the bigger battery is up to 614km, but you’d have to drive like a saint to see that. Even allowing for some motorway running, I comfortably saw almost 500km between charges and that’s pretty impressive I thought.
With an 800 volt architecture, charging can be as quick as 10 to 80 percent in around 18 minutes, although that depends on the fast charger you’re using. For AC charging, an 11kW onboard charger is fitted.
V2L is also available, which allows the battery to power mains devices and even your home in the event of a power cut.
As standard, the Ioniq 6 comes with rear wheel drive with a single motor, either 151PS or 229PS, depending on the size of the battery. There’s a four wheel drive version too, topping out the range with even more performance. As it stands, the larger battery car does 0-100km/h in around 7 seconds, which is plenty fast enough. The Ioniq isn’t really a sports car, more a comfortable cruiser.
It’s very good in that role too, with a comfortable ride and soothing road manners the kilometres just fly by. Although you can adjust the driving experience with various driving modes that tighten up the steering and throttle, but there’s really no need. This is a car for long days behind the wheel.
There’s ample lounging space both front and rear and, given the sloping roof, surprisingly generous headroom, even in the back. The front seats are a little higher than you’d expect, perhaps, given the coupé like profile, but they’re sitting on the battery, so there’s no way for them to go any lower. I’d have preferred a lower stance but what can you do?
The only real compromise on account of the sleek styling is a small boot, of around 400 litres and it’s a conventional boot, rather than a hatch, so the opening might be bigger. It’s adequate but no more, although there’s a compartment underneath for charging cables and a further 50 litres of frunk space under the bonnet.
The cabin itself is reminiscent of the Ioniq 5, dominated by two 12” screens, one for the driver and the middle one for infotainment, augmented by some physical buttons below the screen for the cameras and audio systems so you don’t need to crawl through menus for every function. Below that, there are also climate controls permanently on display. There are plenty of storage binnacles and USB chargers dotted around the cabin too. While wireless phone charging is also fitted, the one thing I missed was wireless connection to Apple Carplay. Plugging my phone in with a wire felt so last century and a wireless connection should really be standard on this class of car.
Tech
There are plenty of high tech features on offer, including Level 2 driving assistance, so the car will adjust its speed and keep in lane on motorways. The Ioniq 6 also has the clever feature now found on most Hyundais of a camera on the door mirror which projects a behind the shoulder image onto the dashboard when the indicator is switched on. It’s really something every car should have.
Self-parking is also on offer and you can even control it from outside the car, which is a real party trick.
Range and Pricing
Pricing starts at €45,395 for the Signature trim with the smaller battery, rising to €50,245 for the larger battery in the same spec. This offers 18” alloys, heated front seats, dual zone climate control, satellite navigation, LED headlights, battery heating system, heated and folding door mirrors, electric tailgate, heat pump, heated steering wheel, front and rear parking sensors and rear parking camera, keyless entry and start, which is pretty much all you’d need.
Moving up to Elegance trim for €55,815 adds items including a Bose speaker system with active sound, electrically adjustable leather seats, rear seat heating, front ventilated seats, ambient lighting, privacy glass, blind spot monitor, head up display, remote parking assist, surround view monitor, enhanced collision avoidance, Level 2 driving assistance and rear cross traffic alert.
Finally, the top spec Finesse spec with four wheel drive comes in at €69,250 with 20” alloys and a sunroof.
