A lot has been written about the Hyundai EV lineup (read our IONIQ 5 review here). They’ve made some hefty investments into both technology and production and their E-GMP platform underpins some of the more impressive EVs on the market today, at nearly any price point with efficient motors and fast charging battieries. This IONIQ 6 is no exception.
Hyundai puts forth an interesting dual-pronged attack on the ~$40,000 to $60,000 EV segment. They have their digitally boxy and pixelated IONIQ 5 hatchback/SUV and then chose to bring this low slung swoopy sedan. Now, the initial concept, the Prophecy, was a stunning and voluptuous project that got hearts racing with rear haunches for days with deeply drawn fenders and taut lines.
What we got in reality was… not quite that. While some of that arcing lower window line is present, that blistered rear fender is decidedly not. Also gone is the long hood proportion, replaced with something far stubbier and flatter across. While sales are up slightly in 2024, the 6 can barely reach a third of the 5’s sales.
Why is that? As far as EV-ness the 5 and 6 basically share everything. Yes the 6 is a sedan, which have obviously been struggling in the market against anything SUV/Crossover, but the Tesla Model 3 still finds several hundreds of thousands of sales a year. But the Model 3 does trail its own crossover counterpart Model Y by a similar proportion I suppose.
Is the IONIQ 6 a working man’s Porsche Taycan? There’s definitely some hint of Porsche in the rear design I think. But while the IONIQ 6 is smooth on power, there isn’t a ton of punch, even in the dual motor variant we tested. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still plenty quick, but to get the feel of oomph you have to put it in Sport mode. However it’s still tuned overall more for comfort than for performance. You feel body roll and less immediacy in steering input and feedback than in say, a Polestar 2. However, the extra comfort here is probably appreciated by more people overall. I have high hopes that an IONIQ 6 N could help scratch that enthusiast itch like the one we sampled at the MAMA Spring Rally. The IONIQ 6 as it is, is a decently “sporty” sedan where the Polestar 2 is a true sport sedan.
Drive wise the IONIQ 6 employs the same use of paddle shifters in other Hyundai/Kia/Genesis vehicles to select that regenerative braking mode for regular driving, including a nice “auto” mode that allows for more coasting type driving for added efficiency. Their one-pedal system, called i-Pedal, has to be selected each time you drive though. For some EV owners, that’s a bit of a hassle, but again, at least it’s a quick paddle setting away, you don’t need to dig through any menus to get to it.
Inside, there is plenty of space up front and tons of legroom in back, but headroom is limited for adults with that dipping roofline. I also think a lift back would always be more versatile than the extra short height of the trunk from the wedged rear design. At least Hyundai designers are having fun though! There are waved (ribbed?) ridges along the door panels along with a massive ornamented area for what is obviously a standard sized speaker on the front door panels. The window switches are mounted on the bridge-like center console, unfortunately the door lock/unlock switch is there too, so hopefully you have the proximity unlock function on for when you approach the car.
Tech wise, things are a little dated for the IONIQ 6, CarPlay is still wired, and wired using USB-A at that, not C. I bet we’ll see Hyundai’s latest infotainment system in the next model year with wireless phone mirroring. But most of the controls are straight forward and easily accessible at least; although the door lock control should move to the door itself in my opinion. The driver assistance technology is well-sorted and quite smooth overall. I typically find that EVs are smoother with adaptive cruise control as they can engage regenerative braking to slow down initially rather than using the physical brakes.
With the continued lack of sedan interest, even in one as good all around as this one, I wonder if the IONIQ 6 will live to see another generation. I also wonder if something more unique and heart-tugging design-wise like the concept might have made a difference…
