Streamliner-inspired Hyundai Ioniq 6 breaks cover - EV sedan to launch in 2023
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 aerodynamic form factor.
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.
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.
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.
Hyundai Teases First Images of IONIQ 5 EV: First Production Vehicle Based on New E-GMP Platform
Hyundai Motor Company has released two teaser images, and a selection of short video clips to highlight design elements and Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capabilities of its upcoming IONIQ 5 SUV, ahead of the vehicle’s worldwide reveal in February.
According to the company, a new era of clean mobility begins with the IONIQ sub-brand, as the IONIQ 5 will debut the use of the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), an architecture developed by Hyundai specifically for electric vehicle drivetrains.
The IONIQ 5 also debuts a new design language for the company, which from what we can see so far is crisp, geometric and unlike Hyundai’s mainstream models. According to Hyundai, these new design elements take inspiration from Parametric Pixels, the smallest unit of digital imaging, and are most clearly observed in the front and rear design details. To our eyes, the IONIQ 5 posesses a delightful hint of Alfa Romeo SZ in its front end (call us crazy), and is unlike anything else on the market today, with other EV manufacturers such as Tesla, Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen opting for a more curved, softer design language.
The IONIQ 5’s front end features arrays of pixel-inspired lights suggestive of the digital technology within, and is capped off with a clamshell hood that spans the entire width of the car, for a clean and high-tech look.
While we don’t have a firm launch date from the company, prototypes have been seen out and about with increasing frequency. One IONIQ 5 was recently spotted fast-charging in Australia, and another was spotted in Korea with the vehicle’s widescreen display revealed.
Hyundai's Ioniq 5 EV Leaked; Possible 2021 Australian Debut
Hyundai’s popular Kona and Ioniq Electric models will soon have a new stablemate in the form of the Ioniq 5. The EV crossover will debut the new stand-alone Ioniq sub brand (similar to Genesis, but electric only), and is expected to be an important vehicle for the Korean automaker.
Hyundai’s popular Kona Electric and Ioniq Electric models will soon have a new stablemate in the form of the Ioniq 5. The EV crossover will herald the launch of the new stand-alone Ioniq sub-brand (similar to Genesis, but electric only). The Ioniq 5 is expected to be an important vehicle for the Korean automaker, competing in the compact crossover market and will share design cues with the above Hyundai 45 concept.
Hyundai Australia played an important role in the development of the Ioniq 5 according to an interview with Hyundai Motor Company Australia (HMCA) general manager product planning Andrew Tuitahi published in Go Auto.
Tuitahi stated “We’ve participated in design reviews for Ioniq 5, (and) we just got our first prototype at the office recently. We’ve been involved in the Ioniq program in terms of the planning process since it first came up as a concept.”
He went on to state about the production car “it’s so very close [to the concept] (the Hyundai 45 EV concept), they changed almost nothing. I think the wheel size dropped from 22s to 20s but other than that…The first prototypes where you’d really start focusing on fine-tuning are only just coming to the different R&D centres now. So we’ll have a look at the car we’ve got, chat with our colleagues in Korea and we’ll work out a plan.”
Hyundai recently teased details about the Ioniq 5 on YouTube, using the phrase “Extra Power for Life” to hint at the vehicle’s bi-directional charging capabilities.
Thanks to the Korean Car Blog we have some specification details about the Ioniq 5:
The Ioniq 5 First Edition:
Dual motor 233kW
58 kWh battery, 450km combined range (WLTP) (73 kWh with 550km range to come later)
0-100km/h time of 5.2 seconds
4.64 metres long, 3 metre wheelbase, 1.89 metres wide, 1.6 metres high
Solar roof
800V charging system
According to Go Auto, the colour range will be revealed on the Hyundai website on February 16, and deliveries are scheduled to begin mid-2021.