Driving report: Hyundai Ioniq 6: proven model

When it comes to electric mobility and range, you always hear the same terms: efficiency, weight and aerodynamics.

Driving report: Hyundai Ioniq 6: proven model

When it comes to electric mobility and range, you always hear the same terms: efficiency, weight and aerodynamics. While the weight is currently taking a back seat, the car manufacturers are happily tinkering with the efficiency of the electric motors and, above all, the batteries. However, since progress in the energy density of battery cells is taking a long time, car manufacturers are currently focusing on aerodynamics. After all, with a reasonably manageable effort, low consumption and thus valuable range kilometers can be generated. The Mercedes duo of EQE and EQS are an example of how to implement this plan. The fact that the rounded candy design is not for everyone is another matter.

What the German premium brand with the star is right, Hyundai is only cheap. So the Ioniq 6 looks like the illegitimate brother of the Swabian electric duo. However, the Korean model student with a Cd value of 0.21 does not quite reach the value of the Mercedes EQS (0.20), but undercuts that of the EQE by 0.01 points. "In an electric car, aerodynamics are more important than anything else," confirms Hyundai engineer Dr. Sanghyun Park. Since the laws of physics also apply in Asia, the measures also follow a familiar pattern. So the Hyundai Ioniq 6 reduces air resistance with special rims, streamlined air ducting through the wheel arches (Air Curtain) combined with covers on the wheel arches that reduce the gap between the tires and the body.

"But the most important thing is the large spoiler at the rear," explains designer Simon Loasby, who freely admits in the same breath that he would have liked the rump to be retractable, but the costs were too high. The shapers have made a virtue of necessity and integrated the spoiler into an attractive light signature, which makes the rear the cream of the crop of the Korean BEV, especially in the dark. Interestingly, the optional side mirror cameras bring only a gain of three kilometers compared to the conventional mirrors. Everyone has to decide for themselves whether it's worth the extra cost. After all, you get used to the image on the monitors below the A-pillar pretty quickly, especially since the blind spot detector is also careful.

The smorgasbord of aerodynamic tricks does not fail to have an effect. In combination with the 77.4 kilowatt-hour battery, the 18-inch tires and the rear-wheel drive with 168 kW / 229 hp, the Ioniq 6 can cover up to 614 WLTP kilometers and surpasses the Ioniq 5 (cd value 0.29) by 107 kilometers. If you choose the smaller battery variant with the 53 kWh battery and 111 kW / 151 hp, the Ioniq 6 should even undercut the 14.0 kWh/100 in consumption. During the test drive, we opted for the top model. That means: The large battery, combined with two motors, results in all-wheel drive with 239 kW / 325 hp and a maximum torque of 605 Newton meters. The longitudinal dynamics are accordingly: The Ioniq 6 completes the standard sprint from zero to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds and has a top speed of 185 km/h.

At the beginning of the journey, the on-board computer indicated a range of 453 kilometers with the batteries fully charged. During our test drive, which took us along country roads and motorways, we came up with a very acceptable average consumption of 17.54 kWh/100 km. Can be charged with 400 and 800 volts. At a 350 kW DC charging station, the batteries are charged from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes. The system also masters the preconditioning of the batteries. As with other Hyundai BEVs, you can also have your electric grill powered by the vehicle's own batteries.

The Ioniq 6 is based on the well-known E-GMP platform, which is also noticeable in the interior. You can select the different driving modes Eco, Normal, Sport and Individual (press and hold the button) with a small control unit on the steering wheel. Basically, the Ioniq 6 operates with pure rear-wheel drive and only uses the front axle when necessary, which of course saves energy. Nevertheless, you are already more than sufficiently motorized with the Eco setting. It is striking how quiet it is in the interior. A consequence of the noise-limiting measures, such as a particularly smooth underbody, acoustic glass and particularly carefully sealed doors. Equally striking, however, is the fact that the chassis makes no secret of the nature of the ground, especially in combination with the 20-inch tires. If you activate the sport mode, the drive train including the steering acts more directly and directly, which increases the fun factor even more.

As good as the Ioniq 6 is when driving, the impression in the interior is just as ambivalent. There is enough space in the 4.85 meter long Stromer. In the second row, people up to a height of 1.85 meters can be accommodated to some extent, despite the sloping roof line. However, it is not exactly airy around the head. The cockpit with its two twelve-inch monitors is similar to that of the other Hyundai models. The high proportion of plastic in the interior shows that people still count with a sharp pencil when it comes to electromobility. For example, on the dashboard and control panel inside the curved winglet on the left. That the glove box is a hard plastic drawer is impractical once the passenger seat is occupied. The loading hatch in the trunk is quite narrow, the loading sill is high and the mechanism of the trunk lid is not covered.

The infotainment offers the variety you are used to from Hyundai. Four USB-C ports and one type A are available. As is usual with all modern cars, your own smartphone can be integrated into the infotainment system via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Wireless updates are also no problem with the Ioniq 6. The Koreans are also upgrading their assistants. Part of the Autobahn Assist 2.0 (HDA 2) is an active lane departure warning and, in principle, the system also initiates the lane change when the turn signal is activated. The Ioniq 6 should be available from retailers in early 2023. The Koreans are still keeping a low profile when it comes to price, but the Ioniq 6 should be roughly in the range of the Ioniq 5, which is available from 43,900 euros.

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