 | Positives: Futuristic EV sedan style, excellent driving manners, bold interior takes risks and wins, roomy, great storage options. |
 | Negatives: Touchscreen response is slow, polarizing style, range estimates are generous. |
 | Bottom Line: The Ioniq 6 is one of the best EVs in the industry in terms of style, technology, driving dynamics, and range. It's one of the freshest vehicles to come around in a long time. |
Driving Experience
The Ioniq 6 we drove was decked out with AWD and the 320-hp dual-motor setup. This configuration is only available with the bigger battery. Some range is lost (270 miles versus the single-motor long range's 361). Overall, the Ioniq 6 is a very enjoyable car to drive, which we can't say about many EVs. It feels solid, tractable, and there's actually some driver engagement.
Ride Quality: The Ioniq 6 has a pleasant on-road ride that's compliant without being mushy. You can still feel to road, too.
Acceleration: The dual motor version can rocket to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds, and it feels very torquey and responsive. We love the pull that's almost immediate and sports car worthy.
Braking: The regen braking system is very good and has four levels that are selectable via the paddle shifters. The i-Pedal one-pedal driving makes it possible to use only the accelerator in most driving situations. While there's not much feel, it's a very good system.
Steering: There's some heft to the steering, and it's pretty precise for an EV. There's no feedback, but at least it's responsive and on-center.
Handling: Handling is taut with minimal body roll. The Ioniq 6 corners pretty flat thanks to the low center of gravity and sporty sedan body.
Technology
The setup in the Ioniq 6 is the same as the one in its 5 sibling, which consists of both a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and a 12.3-inch infotainment screen. It also comes standard with BlueLink connectivity and Apple CarPlay or Android Auto compatibility. The presence of great physical controls in an futuristic EV makes operating the Ioniq 6 that much better.
Infotainment System: The twin-screen setup in the Ioniq 6 is excellent, and it looks better here, too, because it looks like a single screen thanks to the black frame, unlike the white one in the Ioniq 5. The graphics and icons make things very easy to read, but the response time is a bit slow for our liking.
Controls: We especially like the intuitive stalk shifter that uses a twist function rather than Mercedes' up-down motion that can result in accidental shifts into neutral. The climate control system's touch controls are some of the best we've found in an EV, and the physical audio knobs are excellent.
Styling
Although some of our neighbors have remarked that the Ioniq 6 looks weird, most folks love the fresh styling, as do we. It borrows a lot from the fetching Prophecy concept, especially the sloping greenhouse and prominent ducktail spoiler. The cabin matches the exterior wonderfully with modern styling and a very airy cabin.
Front: The front end is almost Porsche-like with its hood creasing and sculpting, as well as its headlights. We love the Matrix LED clusters underneath the projector beams. They adjust based on oncoming traffic, a great feature. The lower fascia is a little busy for our liking.
Rear: The back end is our favorite. Wide LED taillights, the swoopy C-pillars, and the twin spoilers give it exotic car levels of drama.
Profile: We love that Hyundai designers did more with the shape than they did with the actual body. It looks curvaceous and very well-proportioned. The multi-spoke wheels are stunning, too.
Cabin: The interior of the Ioniq 6 is beautifully executed. The simple steering wheel with embedded LEDs change colors and illumination depending on drive mode, as well as with other vehicle functions. Everything looks modern with the right amount of minimalism.
Comfort
The loungy interior provides gobs of space for front and rear occupants, and the seats in both rows are also excellent. It's also a very quiet interior, and for the most part materials quality is top-notch. It's the kind of interior that you get into and feel immediately relaxed and comfortable. Five occupants can sit here for hours without a problem.
Front Seats: The front seats have great cushioning and good bolstering. The leather is soft and supple, too. Adjustability is excellent, so there's no problem getting into the right seating position.
Rear Seats: There's plenty of room for three full-sized adults to sit across, and the flat floor provides wide open space for legs. 39.2 inches of rear legroom beats the Tesla Model 3 by almost five inches, and it's more than the BMW 5-Series and the Audi A6.
NVH (noise/vibration/harshness): Sound deadening is at premium levels, providing a seriously hushed interior even at high speeds.
Visibility: Despite the extreme slope of the C-pillar, sightlines overall are very good with some obscuring out the rear sides. The sloping nose provides good views out the front.
Climate: The climate system provides great HVAC, and the heated/ventilated seats work quickly and effectively.
Safety
Despite the fact that the Ioniq 6 has not been crash tested by either the NHTSA or the IIHS, it is a very safe car since the Ioniq 6 uses the same E-GMP platform, the same one that's also used by the Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60. All of those cars have earned top scores in safety crashes.
IIHS Rating: Not tested.
NHTSA Rating: Not tested.
Standard Tech: The IONIQ 6 Limited AWD comes with Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist w/ Pedestrian Detection, Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, Parking Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Keeping Assist & Lane Following Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Park Distance Warning Forward/Reverse, Remote Smart Parking Assist, Blind Spot View Monitor, Surround View Monitor, Rear Occupant Alert, and Smart Cruise Control.
Optional Tech: None.
Storage/Cargo
The interior is pretty practical for daily driving because it has accessible storage in both rows. The trunk and frunk on the small side, but the spaces are very usable and well laid out.
Storage Space: The center console has a wireless charging deck that's a little bit hard to use due to its location and raised position, but the console does have a huge compartment on the floor and good-sized twin cupholders. The door pockets are also long and fairly deep.
Cargo Room: The Ioniq 6's trunk has 11.2 cubes of space, and you can fold the rear seat down for more room. The frunk can hold a medium-sized bag if you lay it flat. It's convenient but not huge.
Fuel Economy
The all-wheel-drive Ioniq 6 Limited is rated for a range of 270 miles on a full charge. That's not as much as the long range version at 361, but it's still very good. We drove it in Sport mode, so our numbers were a bit lower. Some media outlets have said that they have not been able to match the estimates in terms of range, which isn't a surprise.
Distance Driven: 136 miles.
Audio
The standard audio system in the Limited is a premium 8-speaker Bose system that churns out amazing sound that's a pleasure to listen to. It could use a little more bass, but the overall quality is superb. It costs nothing extra.
Final Thoughts
The Ioniq 6 is really an amazing electric sedan. While it might not be the EV with the most range, it's very practical for daily driving and enough to make it on the average commute for a few days without charging. The styling inside and out is original and stunning, and it drives tremendously well and provides a high level of comfort. It could use more responsiveness in the touchscreen, but that's a small price to pay for an EV that's this impressive.
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