On my Instagram (which is awesome, and you should follow @driversside), I did a video of my tester recently to the Alanis Morissette tune “Ironic.” Why that song? Well other than “Jagged Little Pill” being an all-time great album, I was trying to be cute as my tester this week is the Hyundai Ioniq 6 (rhymes with ironic). OK, fine that was a stretch, but still, that Reels got lots of views, probably more out of curiosity surrounding this much-talked-about EV than the song.
This all-new electric car from Hyundai has garnered a lot of awards and accolades and rightfully so. From a styling standpoint, it’s eye-catching. The front end is somewhat plain but that works for this EV. Too often EVs get crazy, garish styling and Hyundai’s design team keeps it simple and clean and it works for the Ioniq 6.
Where the styling starts the wow factor is at the back. Where I thought it had a bit of a Porsche-like look. Others said I needed my eyes tested. But a spoiler juts out and the back end is kind of bulbous and it has a sporty look. Maybe not Porschey, but certainly sharp and attractive. And I just had my eyes checked too, for the record.
I read one car review of the Ioniq 6 that described the interior as spiffy and I liked that so much, I’m dropping here too. Like other EVs, the interior is dominated by tablet layouts on the dashboard and the instrument cluster. These might take some adjusting for those old schoolers out there, but it doesn’t distract or pull away from the well-built interior and clean, neat layout. It just works.
The unique shape of the steering stands out but feels ergonomically great in my hands. Otherwise, the interior doesn’t have too many quirks and looks like many other high-end sedans. The back seat is pretty standard and comfortable. It’s rated as a five-passenger sedan and that’s fair, but two adults only would be the ideal comfort situation for both shoulder and legroom.
There is only 11.2 cubic feet of cargo room in the trunk. This is on the small side for the segment. There is also a “frunk” (front trunk) but that only has a paltry .5 cubic feet. Why bother?
Hyundai’s infotainment system is intuitive and presented beautifully. It has all the technology integration you could want but offers responsive touch commands and also enough knobs to feel comfortable. It’s thoroughly modern, but not over engineered.
When it comes to EVs it’s all about the number of motors. The Ioniq is offered as both a single motor and dual motor. My tester was the more powerful dual motor which has a combined horsepower of 320 and 446 pound-feet of torque. This is a spunky, quick-off-the-line car. Driving EVs is always fun and the Ioniq 6 fits that classification well.
The downside to the dual motor (and more powerful option) is that the range is less. As a dual motor, the Ioniq 6 has an EPA estimated range of 270 miles. That’s a little low and can lead to some range anxiety for electric vehicle newbies. I found a Level 2 public charging station that got me back to 80 percent capacity in around 20 minutes. Charge it overnight at your house (assuming you have a Level 2) and range anxiety would never be a worry as a daily driver.
That’s the sweet spot for the Ioniq. This brand-new EV would make an excellent executive vehicle. It has all the looks and all the power and amenities you could want in that regard.
The price is $57,425 which might be hard to stomach for a Hyundai. The Ioniq looks and feels more like a Genesis and would be wise to be rebadged as that. It has all the niceties and touch points of Hyundai’s luxury brand’s vehicles.
As far as EVs goes, the Ioniq 6 is making a name for itself for Hyundai. There are other Ioniqs coming out and this will be Hyundai’s EV nameplate. Isn’t that Ioniq? Don’t ya think?
Jimmy Dinsmore is a freelance automotive journalist. Email him at jimmydinsmore73@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @driversside
2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Limited
Price/As tested price................................................ $57,425/$57,425
Mileage.......................................... 270 miles of range
Engine............................................. Dual motor 77.4 kWh lithium-ion battery motor
Horsepower................................. 320 hp/446 lbs./ft.
Transmission................................. Single speed
Drive Wheels................ Front-wheel drive
Final Assembly Point................ Asan, Korea
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