This is the first look at the newest addition to Hyundai’s EV line-up. Available from next year, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 joins the acclaimed Hyundai Ioniq 5 as the second in a projected line-up of high-style, long-range EVs.
The Ioniq 6 certainly breaks the mould. Just as the Ioniq 5 supplemented its class-leading range with a boldly faceted retro-futuristic design, the latest car eschews current trends in favour of a more stripped-back, streamlined approach.
In fact, the company is keen to revive that word, first heard in conjunction with the earliest aerodynamically shaped cars from a century ago.
This 21st-century streamliner was strongly hinted at by the 2020 Hyundai Prophecy Concept. The name certainly fits, for the drag coefficient of 0.21 puts it just behind Mercedes’ EQS, which at 0.20 is the slipperiest production car currently on sale. That should be good for a range of over 300 miles – the Ioniq 5 tops out at 315.
Other signature Hyundai functions, like the ability to run appliances or even an entire household from the car’s battery pack will also be offered.
Aerodynamics are a vital battleground for EV makers. Extensive wind-tunnel work as well as details like the rearview cameras instead of wing mirrors have helped to eke out efficiencies that might otherwise be lost due to the weight of the battery pack.
Size is also on the Ioniq 6’s side; as a sleek saloon car, it has none of the visual or physical mass of the all-popular SUV class. The car’s most likely rival is the Tesla Model 3, currently one of the world’s best-selling EVs.
Hyundai’s design lead, SangYup Lee, is emphasising the new car’s spacious interior, which he believes will become a welcome home from home for drivers – a ‘mindful cocoon’.
Next up is the Ioniq 7, the first SUV in the new product strategy. Like its two predecessors, it’ll be strikingly different, proving that a strong design identity isn’t simply about cutting and pasting the same shapes at different scales. §