MotorwayAmerica.com

By Jim Meachen

(April 30, 2023) The all-new Hyundai Ioniq 6 is the  stylish twin of the Ioniq 5 crossover, but in sedan clothing. While most people — it would seem based on sales of crossover SUVs — would prefer a hatchback and a slightly higher stance, we have not fallen out of love with the once-ubiquitous sedan. And if driving electric was as simple as picking out a product we could afford, we would right now be quietly slinking around town in our 2023 Ioniq 6.

Both of these Hyundai EVs are trend setters proving that the South Korean automaker has tapped into the secret sauce of building a mainstream electric car. One of the things that puts the Ioniq 6 ahead of many of the new EVs selling for south of 50 grand is range. Another is the sedan design — there just aren't many to choose from. We think the Ioniq 6 is a worthy replacement for the aging Tesla Model 3.

It was a grand feeling to step into the fully charged Ioniq 6 in the morning and the dashboard display read 360 miles range. Egad. We could drive from Atlanta, Ga., to Charlotte, N.C., or Los Angeles to Las Vegas without stopping to pump in more kilowatts — and without that nasty range anxiety rearing its ugly head.


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It's easy to purchase this kind of range in the Ioniq 6, but you must be willing to give up a couple of attractive features. The secret is to buy the SE RWD Long Range with a base price of $45,500 — with destination charge our test vehicle carried a bottom line of $46,825. What you get is a rear motor with 225 horsepower, and you must opt for the 18-inch wheels (20-inchers are available), which, by the way, looked very fetching in our test car.

We found the 225 horsepower vey adequate and this is pointed up by the 6.2-second 0-to-60 tests done by Car and Driver magazine. We found it satisfying to drive in ECO mode, which gives you the best use of your 360 miles. The Normal setting performance, and the Sport mode gives the sleek sedan an obvious kick in the butt. We tried all three settings, and to show off just how quick the RWD setup can be, the Sport mode is the obvious choice. But range drops off and we found the ECO mode quite satisfactory.

If your need for speed is overwhelming, then opt for the two-motor, all-wheel drive setup yielding 320 horsepower and a 0-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds.

There are seven configurations for the Ioniq 6:

1. SE RWD with 149 horsepower motor with 240 miles range. It is the cheapest starting at $41,600. The base car had not been released as of this writing.

2. SE RWD with 18-inch wheels and 225 hp with a range of 361 miles starting at $45,000. (Same as our test vehicle.)

3. SE AWD (all-wheel drive) with motors front and back with 320 horsepower, 18-inch wheels, and a range of 316 miles. It starts at $49,000.

4. SEL RWD with 20-inch wheels, 225 horsepower and 305 miles of range starting at $47,700.

5. SEL AWD with 20-inch wheels, 320 horsepower and 270 miles of range starting at $51,200.

6. Limited RWD with 20-inch wheels, 225 HP, and a range of 305 miles starting at $52,600

7. Limited AWD with 320 horsepower and a range of 270 miles starting at $56,100.

A quick reading of the above setups shows that the slightly smaller wheels make a big difference in range. We don't think opting for the bigger wheels yields enough of an advantage in attractiveness to warrant the increased price and loss of considerable range.

Obviously, the SEL and Limited trim levels bring more features, but we found the SE's content to be everything we need in a daily driver. The list of standard equipment is quite impressive including a full range of safety technology. One of the outstanding features is  a best-in-class ultra-fast 800-volt/350kW charging that can charge the battery from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 18 minutes.

Inside, you will find supportive and comfortable seats — cloth trimmed in our SE and leather covered in higher trims — and excellent legroom for both rows of passengers. Our Ioniq 6 test car offered good ride quality and balance. Handling on our favorite rural road "test track" was surprisingly good. Road imperfections are soaked up well and the sedan keeps exterior noise to a minimum. Even at highway speeds, the Ioniq 6 slips through the air with very little outside disturbances. Conversations between passengers can be enjoyed across the cabin at any speed.

The Ioniq 6 are very familiar if you have driven the Ioniq 5, or any new Hyundai model, for that matter. That means twin 12-inch displays, surrounded by a neat metal housing. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration are available, though you'll have to plug in to use them. The car has both USB and USB-C ports to accommodate all phone cord needs. As in the Ioniq 5, the user interface is a mixture of physical buttons and intuitive touchscreen menus.

A nitpick — we wish Hyundai and other manufacturers wouldn't bury some features that are frequently, used such as heated seats, in the information screen. It's very inconvenient.

Hyundai has made improvements to the Ioniq 6's tech suite — this is the first car in the brand's lineup to get over-the-air (OTA) updates. Enhancements can be made to not only the software but also to the car's hardware including the battery.

The biggest difference we found between the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 is cargo capacity. The hatchback-style 5 has 27 cubic feet of storage behind the seats while the 6 has only 11 cubic feet in its trunk. But as a sedan lover, we would opt for the Ioniq 6.

We found the Ioniq 6 an exciting mix of unique styling and impressive technology with one of the longest ranges among mainstream electrics. And with pricing in the mid-40s this could well be our next purchase — if we were ready to dip our toes in the EV market.

— Ted Biederman contributed to this review

2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6

Essentials
Base price: $41,600; as driven, $46,825
Motor: one electric
Horsepower: 225
Torque: 258 pound-feet
Transmission: 1-speed direct drive
Drive: rear wheel
Wheelbase: 116.1 inches
Length: 191.1 inches
Curb weight: 4,222 pounds
Turning circle: 38.8 feet
Luggage capacity: 11.2 cubic feet
EPA electric range: 361 miles
EPA rating: (MPGe) 153 city, 127 highway, 140 combined
0-60: 6.2 seconds (Car and Driver)
Also consider: Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.7

The Good
• Exceptional driving range
• Quiet, comfortable interior
• Stylish exterior
• Abounds in standard features

The Bad
• Some oft-used controls embedded in screen

The Ugly
• Not as cargo friendly as Ioniq 5