TEST: Hyundai Ioniq 6 77.4 kWh RWD: the character’s thirsty sparrow head

Few ‘regular’ saloons from a mass manufacturer are as impressive as the Hyundai Ioniq 6. This electric saloon translates its streamlined design into minimal utility, a high level of comfort and plenty of cool looks.

The ‘Electrified Streamliner’, as Hyundai calls it, sits on the same platform as the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. With a total length of 4,855 mm, it plays in the segment of large travel limousines, such as the Mercedes-Benz EQE, with which the Ioniq 6 shows structural similarities. This is not surprising: in order to achieve the best improvement, you have to use a certain design recipe.

Although the nose of the 6 is quite flat – literally and figuratively – the design becomes more exciting as you walk towards the rear. It’s as if the designers initially tapped a little from the inspiration barrel to keep enough of the banana-shaped profile and fat ass.

The thick spoiler might remind some of the Porsche 911, but we still had a distinct feeling of déjà vu.

After a little reflection, it distinguishes us: the first generation Mercedes-Benz CLS and even a hint of Jaguar XJS. Is everything coming back? Or these cars were ahead of their time… In any case, the Ioniq 6’s reduced form factor limits the trunk’s load capacity and 401 liters isn’t exactly worth writing home about. Form follows form in this case…

Ioniq 6: ideal for the highway

The Ioniq 6 was designed to perform better in the long run. Due to its low Cx value of 0.21 – if you look for optional camera mirrors – and its limited front area, it has less air resistance than most of its competitors. If you maintain a nice 120 km/h, you will easily stay under 20 kWh/100. At 100 km/h you can even see the consumption stabilizing around 15 kWh/100 km and on regional roads you can even calculate 12 to 13 kWh/100. That’s really not visible…

During our multi-day test, we recorded an average of 16.8 kWh. With a battery of 77.4 kWh (74 kWh net) we therefore easily traveled 450 km on a full charge. The Ioniq 6’s competitors need a bigger battery to give you the same range and are thirstier on the highway. A heat pump is also common.

Fast charging champion with 800 volts

Another property of Ioniq 6 is the possibility of charging with 400 V and 800 V. This allows this electro-Korean to provide up to 350 kW (!) from a fast charger, so that 18 minutes is enough to raise the state of charge from 10 to 80 percent and continue your journey. However, credibility should dictate Hyundai to report that you cannot achieve such power in practice, due to the charging station itself or the temperature of the battery. It can also be pre-activated by selecting a fast charger as a destination via GPS.

On a standard charger, this Hyundai sticks to an average of 11 kW of three-phase alternating current. A nice addition is that you can connect the adapter to the charging port that you can use to charge any electronic device through the Car charging function. The next step is that you can connect your Ioniq 6 to the home electrical grid to provide power when the grid levels are high. However, we are not there yet. Too bad, because you can save on the purchase of a home battery.

Ioniq 6: comfort and stability

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 accelerates well, but it is not a real sprint gun, at least not in the version with a single electric motor in the rear (RWD). Of course you can keep up with traffic, but if you’re looking for a car that really moves forward, you have to upgrade to AWD and a dual electric motor, which in turn is less energy efficient.

What the RWD may lack in pure performance, it more than makes up for in exceptional ride comfort. It exhibits neutral handling and the suspension appears to be of the pneumatic type, so bumps are smoothed out. Surrounding noise also does not penetrate into the interior. In that case, we have rarely driven such a quiet car.

There is also not a bad word to say about the seats. Our test car was equipped with electronic controls, which prove their worth on long journeys. It is also spacious to sit in the back seat and you can stretch your legs. Headroom is adequate, despite the sloping roofline.

Ergonomics so-so

The build and finish quality of this Hyundai Ioniq 6 is very high and speaking roughly we can say the same about the accessories. The interior of the doors, however, is made of a material with a ribbed structure that can only pass a bracket on a medium-sized car, but it deserves to be hit on the finger at this price level. A piece of fabric or imitation leather can do wonders.

The dashboard also shows a more aggressive design than that of the Ioniq 5. It resembles a half-cut with raised edges on the windshield pillars, where the infotainment system is embedded as a wide tile. This tile consists of two 12-inch displays arranged horizontally next to each other.

The software seems to be quite efficient and can be updated on the air, but the ergonomics are of a substandard type. Some functions require multiple intermediate steps. Also, some screen views don’t have a home key, so you have to swipe back to the previous screen. Hyundai’s HMI experts should think again about it.

Spacious facilities

The version that we believe offers the best balance between value and range is the 77.8 kWh RWD Core Plus. For an extra €3,500 over the Core you’re treated to LED Matrix headlights, auto-folding door handles, rear privacy glass, electrically adjustable driver’s seat with lumbar support, heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel. , wireless smartphone charger , auto-dimming interior mirror, blind spot assist and lane change assist.

The question is whether the lower price of €59,000 can be considered fair. Anyone who does market research will come to the conclusion that there are few competitors and that you are generously endowed for this budget at Hyundai. However, the Ioniq 6 promises to face off against the likes of the VW ID.7, Polestar 4 and a few Chinese newcomers, who are also likely to do their best to win EV spirits. In any case, with this Hyundai you’re buying one hell of a car that’s equipped with enough tech to not be left out of date tomorrow.

Those who consider efficiency, space and comfort to be of utmost importance and who care about dime-in-a-dozen design should choose Book a test drive with the Hyundai Ioniq 6. The only real drawback is the small case, but if you can live with that…