Hyundai announces Ioniq 6 specifications

HYUNDAI has revealed more details of its ultra-slick Ioniq 6 fastback sedan, diving into the nuts and bolts of its second all-electric model to sit on the E-GMP platform that also underpins its landmark EV, the Ioniq 5.

Sculpted with the sleek Prophecy concept as its basis, the Ioniq 6 cuts a very different figure to the Ioniq 5 that it’ll sit next to in Hyundai’s EV showroom. While the 5 sports stealth-fighter styling with big, flat faceted panels and barely a curved line outside of its wheel arches, the 6 is the polar opposite.

The Ioniq 6 is lower, longer, sleeker, and slipperier than the Ioniq 5, with a wheelbase that’s a smidge (50mm) shorter but an overall length that’s 220mm longer and a total height 110mm lower. 

Besides visually separating it from its sibling and providing an option for those who are looking for something different to the 5’s upright, quasi-SUV form factor, the Ioniq 6’s form is also dictated by another requirement: aerodynamics.

And it’s all in its name – the Ioniq 6’s full name is “Ioniq 6 Electrified Streamliner”, the last word being the most important.

As a more streamlined brother to the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6 – which uses the same battery and electric motor hardware as the 5, with rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options – can boast better energy efficiency stats thanks to an ultra-low coefficient of drag of just 0.21.

Hyundai claims the Ioniq 6 will consume less than 14kWh/100km on the WLTP cycle, a number that puts it near the top of the list of modern EVs when it comes to efficiency. For context, the slab-fronted Ioniq 5 consumes an average of 16.8kWh/100km in its most efficient rear-wheel drive form.

With energy supplied by a 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack (which is also available in US-market Ioniq 5s, but not presently available on Australian-delivered cars), Hyundai says the Ioniq 6 will be able to travel for more than 610km on a single charge (in RWD form on 18-inch wheels) – which means the actual efficiency number is probably closer to 12.6kWh/100km.

However, considering Hyundai’s “less than” caveat on that 14kWh/100km claim (which would equate to a 552km range) we can probably safely assume the entire Ioniq 6 range will have at least a 552km single-charge range, regardless of whether they’re RWD or AWD, or on the standard 18-inch alloys or the glitzier 20-inch high-grade rollers.

One thing may affect that assumption: it depends on whether Hyundai will offer the Ioniq 6 with lower-capacity batteries, as it does with the Ioniq 5. In Australia the Ioniq 5 is exclusively sold with a 72.6kWh battery, while other global markets also offer a 58kWh ‘standard range’ battery.

If Hyundai Motor Co Australia (HMCA) sticks with that strategy of offering the mid-tier battery locally, we should expect locally-delivered Ioniq 6s to deliver between 518 and 576km on a single charge – still a healthy upgrade over the Ioniq 5’s 430-481km range.

Like the 5, when the battery runs low on juice the Ioniq 6 will also be able to take advantage of 800-volt charging infrastructure to deliver an 18-minute 10 to 80 per cent fast charge capability. Also, like the Ioniq 5, the 6 will offer the ability to offload some of its battery power to household devices via its vehicle-to-load power outlet, located at the vehicle’s charge port or inside under the back seat.

Performance will be respectable, but unlike some high-tier EVs won’t dip below the five-second mark in the 0-100km/h sprint. Power figures for the entry-level single-motor RWD model have yet to be revealed, but the dual-motor AWD flagship will deliver a combined output of 239kW and 605Nm, enough for a zero-to-hundred stat of 5.1 seconds.

However, there’s potential for more. A hi-po Ioniq 6 N has already been previewed in teaser images for Hyundai’s ‘N Day 2022’ event, scheduled for July 15, sporting a gigantic racing-spec wing and obscured by what can only be clouds of tyre smoke (well, it could hardly be exhaust, could it?).

Tech specs for the N variant are unsurprisingly under a tight lid right now but expect more to surface in the wake of N Day. Those currently considering a Performance-spec Tesla may want to hold their order for now. 

Inside the Ioniq 6, it’s far from being a cut-and-paste of the Ioniq 5. Similar themes do carry over – like the dual-screen tombstone that sits ahead of the driver and centre stack, carrying twin 12.0-inch electronic displays for infotainment and instrument panel – but the dash is now framed by a pair of screens for the car’s electronic rear-view mirrors.

Displaying a video feed from the stalk-mounted cameras that sprout out of the door (another drag-reducing aero feature), they’re a new feature for Hyundai and an important distinction from the 5 – though it’s not clear if that feature will be universal for all markets. 

The centre console also differs significantly, joining up with the dashboard rather than floating free of it, with a capacious storage nook housed beneath at floor level. The door cars are also cleaned up, with door pulls integrated into the door card’s structure and prominent speaker grilles housing a Bose premium audio system.

Customisable ambient cabin lighting also allows the selection of up to 64 different colours and six lighting themes, and the same Relaxation Comfort Seats that were introduced with the Ioniq 5 (with power ottoman and a business-class style recline function) can also be optioned in.

The safety suite is extensive, with Hyundai’s latest drive-assist features on offer including Highway Driving Assist 2, which provides a higher degree of lane-keep assist that not only better centres the car within its lane, but also monitors traffic to the side and can adjust its position within the lane to maintain a safer clearance to things like large trucks or sloppy drivers.

Highway Driving Assist will also automatically execute lane changes when travelling at highway speed and using the indicator – though the driver will need to hold the steering wheel throughout the manoeuvre.

Active cruise control is also offered, but when not being used remains in the background and learns the driver’s preference for following distance and acceleration, mimicking that behaviour when the driver switches it on. AEB is standard, and recognises cyclists, pedestrians, and oncoming traffic executing a turn across the path of the car.

Production of the Ioniq 6 will commence in the third quarter of this year, with the global launch schedule – and, naturally, local pricing and features – yet to be announced. Expect a local arrival sometime in the first quarter of 2023.