For many reasons, Hyundai has remained a solid player in the electric car scene since 2016. The company has built a reputation for producing high-quality vehicles and offers various services and support for its customers. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, its flagship electric midsize SUV, has been named the best electric car of 2022, bagging several awards. In 2023, the Ioniq 5 will still be a highly sought-after model. But car enthusiasts will likely be more interested in the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 6. Despite sharing various similarities with the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 has elements that separate it from its sibling. Continue reading to find out more about the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the second model to be produced under the company’s Ioniq lineup. It has a lot in common with the acclaimed Ioniq 5, but the main difference is that the former is a sedan, not an SUV—giving more choices to consumers interested in buying a new car. Both models are built on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), but the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is geared towards “young single professionals looking for exceptional exterior styling.”
The first cool thing you’ll notice with the Ioniq 6 is the design of the key. Looking at it from a certain angle, you’ll see that it resembles the company’s logo. The car is shaped almost like a teardrop but not too blatant. Like the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6 is also pixel-themed. You get 700 led lights throughout the car as part of the “Parametric Pixels” design. These are found on the center console, around the air vents, on the turn signals, in the headlights, and on the taillights. Some of these little squares are more than just lights. The four squares in the charging port indicate your car’s charging status, which is also shown by the pixels on your front bumper, meaning you wouldn’t have to enter your car to see how far it has left. The top rear wing on the Hyundai Ioniq 6 reminds drivers of the Porsche 911. It also lights up whenever you hit the brakes. Thanks to the two rear spoilers, the Ioniq 6 has achieved a low drag coefficient of just 0.21. Also, on the bottom part of the front are panels that open up if you need more air when using the AC. You’d also find it interesting that the antenna on this car is translucent for some reason.
To get inside, you need to unlock the car using the key to pop out the door handles. All the doors contain a small translucent pocket for storing smaller items. You get the same see-through dividers on the center console storage. Unlike recent trends in car design, the Ioniq 6 doesn’t have curvy designs. The dashboard is super flat, as well as the center console. If you look at the steering wheel, it doesn’t have the Hyundai logo but instead has four LED squares that change colors depending on what’s happening. For example, when you’re giving voice commands, the pixels change to a different color. You can use this feature as a good indicator if you need to know what’s going on.
The front seats provide sufficient lateral support and offer more space compared to rival models because they are also 30 percent thinner. A person who stands at 6 feet tall gets a couple of inches of headroom. When seated in the back, you’ll see that the Ioniq 6 has more room than other mid-sized sedans. The back would have been roomier if it weren’t for the teardrop design, but it still offers a lot of space. Thanks to the flat floor, the legroom is big enough for three full-sized adults to stretch out their limbs. Backseat passengers can also ask the people sitting in front to lift their chairs a little bit so they can tuck their toes under to feel more relaxed. At the back of the center console, you get two USB-C ports and two climate vents. The doors also have extra pockets where you place your phone and other small items.
The 12.3-inch center touchscreen is where all the fun begins. It allows you to pick the ambient colors of your choice. It might take a while to memorize what colors such as “Beautiful day” are, but it’s an interesting feature nonetheless. You can add custom colors if you don’t feel like doing so. In addition, you can also make the colors fade when you’re slowing down and illuminate when accelerating—something other models can’t do. Also, in the infotainment system is the option to acquire a key card. If you lose your keys, you can open your wallet, take out the key card, and unlock your Hyundai Ioniq 6. If you don’t fancy this feature, you can always designate your phone as a backup key. Within a certain distance, your car will unlock once it detects your phone approaching. Another thing to look out for is the Hyundai’s quiet mode, which turns off the rear speakers but allows you to continue listening to audio through the front speakers.
This will be helpful when there’s a sleeping passenger in the backseat. The infotainment system also contains various pre-installed nature music, such as “Sailing Ship,” which sounds like water splashing with a couple of instruments playing in the background. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 will also be the first Hyundai model to receive over-the-air updates on several apps. Meanwhile, the gauge cluster screen is as simple as the center screen. It is of high quality and shows you basic information. However, your actions with it are limited compared to its competitors.
The front trunk is huge and deep on the Hyundai Ioniq 6. If you want more space, you can activate both the pull tabs, which will bend the backseats. Because of its vehicle-to-load charging capability, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 can be used to power or charge appliances like a toaster or a coffee machine. You do this by using the extension accessory that comes with the purchase of the car. The front trunk also offers a disappointing 14 liters of space. There isn’t much you can store, but at least it’s there. Like other cars, you pull on the latch near the pedals to open the hood.
Now, moving on to the technical specifications. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is equipped with a 77-kilowatt-hour battery and an estimated driving range of 340 miles, which is more than the 303 miles you get from the Ioniq 5 for anyone needing the extra range.
The battery can be boosted from 10 to 80 percent in under 20 minutes using a 350-kilowatt-hour fast charger. A cheaper model with a smaller 53-kilowatt-hour battery will be released later. Rear-wheel drive versions of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 offer 225 horsepower and 260 pound-foot of torque, as well as a 7.4-second acceleration from 0 to 60 miles per hour.
On the other hand, all-wheel drive variants can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 5 seconds and deliver 320 horsepower and 450 pound-foot of torque, but with a reduced driving range of 310 miles. These estimates come from Hyundai and have yet to be EPA-certified. Hyundai hasn’t announced prices, but the entry-level model is expected to have a starting price of $40,925.
So, do you think the Hyundai Ioniq 6 will prove to be as impressive as the Hyundai Ioniq 5?