Streamliner-inspired Hyundai Ioniq 6 breaks cover - EV sedan to launch in 2023
Hyundai has revealed the design brief and presented the first images of its Ioniq 6 electric sedan overnight. This new battery electric vehicle carries a striking and unique design philosophy in the same vein as its sister Ioniq 5, but the two vehicles couldn’t be more different (on the outside).
Is it a Porsche 911 or a Mercedes-Benz CLS? Hyundai’s swoopy new electric sedan harks back to the age of the streamliner train with its cab-backward profile, prominent design lines running the length of the vehicle, and retro-futuristic aesthetic.
The front design is a little Porsche-esque; large headlight apertures with prominent ridges running through the hood. It’s quite different though to the concept Hyundai Prophecy below, on which the Ioniq 6 is based. There’s a lot more “design” everywhere; while the Prophecy was all pared-back minimalism, the Ioniq 6 has lots of different cuts and angles in the front lower diffuser.
Hyundai’s Prophecy concept, on which the Ioniq 6 design is based.
We prefer not to assert our opinion on the exterior styling of this car until seeing it in the metal. Hyundai’s design team are good at playing tricks on our eyes — as we saw with the Ioniq 5 — and the Ioniq 6 looks the way it does for a reason: it boasts a drag coefficient of 0.21Cd which compares well to the Mercedes-Benz’s EQS (0.20Cd) and the Lucid Air (0.21Cd).
Hyundai Ioniq 6 Image Gallery
While the Ioniq 5 debuted a “living room” cabin-feel, the Ioniq 6 sports a “human-centric” design. According to the automaker, the interior space was developed simultaneously with the exterior form. Efforts were made to maximize and optimise the interior space, stretching it at the front and rear. It’s obviously more compact and cocoon-like than the Ioniq 5, but this should suit a vehicle that is certain to be more of a drivers’ car.
The eye-catching interior ambient lighting wouldn’t be out of place in Seoul’s Myeong-dong district, but it’s the interior architecture that we’re most interested in. Retaining familiar elements from sister E-GMP-based vehicles like the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, the Ioniq 6 features twin twelve-inch screens, a touch display for HVAC controls, and “parametric pixel” detailing everywhere. The four pixels on the steering wheel are functional too, communicating in-car information to the driver such as vehicle state of charge.
Controls have been removed from the doors, to free up storage space. There’s also ample storage in the floating centre console, which is fixed in place, unlike in the Ioniq 5. The centre console is also flat to facilitate placement of a laptop computer. This may sound gimmicky, but we’ve wished many a car from BMW’s iX3 to the Polestar 2 had somewhere to rest a computer while charging up.
The Ioniq 6 interior borrows heavily from other E-GMP-based cars.
Hyundai claims sustainability front of mind
OEMs are increasingly looking to outdo one another when it comes to eco-credentials; the industry is now way beyond the cursory nod to the environment with “vegan leather”; Hyundai states the Ioniq 6 uses recycled pigment paint from end-of-life tires for plastic cladding, and bamboo charcoal pigment paint is applied to the body of the vehicle.
The interior of the Ioniq 6 is also trimmed in sustainable materials and colours. Depending on the trim level, these include recycled PET fabric (seats), bio TPO skin (dashboard), bio PET fabric (headliner), bio paint derived from vegetable oils (doors), and recycled fishing net carpet.
While Hyundai claims eco-process environmentally friendly leather, the material is still not sustainable, and is quite impractical in our view when it comes to maintaining its looks. Other OEMs have now moved on, and we wish Hyundai would follow the lead set by Tesla, BMW and Polestar with stylish non-leather options.
Drivetrain, battery and pricing
While Hyundai is saving the reveal of the Ioniq 6’s technical specifications for later in the year, we do know that it shares the same E-GMP platform and technology as the Ioniq 6. We’re expecting similar 58kWh and 77.4 kWh variants, a 450-500km WLTP range depending on battery capacity and wheel size, and the same 800V electrical architecture and charging speed. The Ioniq 5 can charge from 10 to 80% in around 18 minutes.
We also know Hyundai is planning an Ioniq 5 N performance variant, to rival Kia’s EV6 GT. We fully expect the Ioniq 6 to be a perfect product to receive the N treatment, somewhere down the line.
Pricing has yet to be announced for the Ioniq 6, but we expect it to again be similar to the Ioniq 5, starting at AUD$70,000. United States customers can expect to pay around $40,000—$45,000USD for the Ioniq 6, and UK customers £40,000-£45,000.