Hyundai Ioniq 6 officially unveiled with 320hp
Intrigued by an Ioniq 5, but want it swoopier? Step forward the Ioniq 6...
It’s easy to tell when a manufacturer is brimming with confidence, because its press releases get sassier. Take Hyundai’s for the new Ioniq 6, a car now fully revealed ahead of a launch later this year. It follows the Ioniq 5, aka 2022 World Car of the Year, and Hyundai is keen to point out just what’s being offered: “With an impressive overall length of 4,855 mm, IONIQ 6’s 1,880-mm width and 1,495-mm height give it a distinctively sleek and stylish appearance amidst a sea of lookalike EVs.” Shots fired, as the kids might say.
Just like the Ioniq 5, the 6 isn’t really like anything else out there. The longer you look, the more you see. Those dimensions make it longer, wider and a tad taller than a BMW i4, for example, with a huge wheelbase like the Ioniq 5 (2,950mm) that’s more akin to a luxury saloon. The interior takes inspiration from the 5 also, with a pair of 12-inch displays, 64 colour ambient lighting, spaceship sounds and optional Relaxation Comfort Seats.
What’s really important with this full reveal, however, are the cold, hard stats. The styling and interior can (and will) be debated for a long time yet - the numbers are the numbers. Though exact UK specs are to be confirmed, Hyundai has announced the Ioniq 6 with have both rear- and all-wheel drive powertrains, with a standard 53kWh battery and a long range 77.4kWh alternative. That the rear-drive, 53kWh model is only talked about in terms of efficiency rather than performance probably says a lot; apparently its estimated 14kWh/100km consumption by WLTP - or 4.4 miles per kWh - would make it one of the most efficient EVs out there. The best range return for an Ioniq 6 is claimed to be more than 610km, or 379 miles.
The flagship 6 (at least until an Ioniq N arrives) has similar performance to the equivalent 5. With all-wheel drive and the bigger battery, it produces 320hp and 446lb ft - enough for 0-62mph in 5.1 seconds. There will be more than just straight-line speed to the Ioniq 6’s repertoire, too, with an EV Performance Tune-up system to adjust steering effort, power, throttle response and so on. Hardly groundbreaking, you might say, but at least on cars like the i30 N these tweaks make a real difference to the feel of the car, so we can hope for similar. The aforementioned ambient lighting can be synced to speed, too, which will be a fun accident to explain.
Plenty more is shared between Ioniq 5 and 6, with 18- or 20-inch wheels available, 800v charging infrastructure, vehicle-to-load functionality, and a baffling array of active safety technology. New for this car will be over-the-air software updates for a lot of them; the Ioniq 6 is Hyundai’s first model that can be upgraded OTA, with Hyundai stating that upgrades for “the vehicle’s controllers for electric devices, autonomous driving, battery and more” will be possible, to “provide a safer and more convenient driving experience.”
Hyundai says production of the Ioniq 6 will begin in Q3 2022, by which point we’ll know more about exactly which specs will be offered in the UK. And just in case the confidence wasn’t clear, Hyundai President and CEO Jaehoon Chang has promised this of the new EV: “The Ioniq 6 Electrified Streamliner will provide a unique and distinctive experience for drivers and passengers, optimized in every way to redefine electric mobility.” Quite the claim - we look forward to testing it later in the year.
Um, Hyundai Coupe Mk2 at the front, Porsche 911 at the rear, Merc CLA coupe in side profile
Also, the term I see regularly on here about Asian cars being a "cheap rip-off" of European models makes me laugh - who do you think actually designs these cars for Hyundai? Why, the exact same people who've be designing European cars for the last 20 years! Guys like Luc Donckerwolke (Hyundai Motor Group Chief Design Officer) and Simon Loasby (Head of Hyundai Style Group), who both worked for VAG before working for Hyundai.
If you don't know who they are or what they've done, google their names and you'll see how ridiculous the rip-off idea is.
Um, Hyundai Coupe Mk2 at the front, Porsche 911 at the rear, Merc CLA coupe in side profile
Um, Hyundai Coupe Mk2 at the front, Porsche 911 at the rear, Merc CLA coupe in side profile
. MAYBE the Merc roofline leading into the tail light but even then the differences are clear.I would need to see this in the flesh to decide on the looks, in some pictures it looks great, in some it looks awkward at best.
Thus is not bad the front end annoys me slightly.
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