CHELSEA, Michigan— Sleek, simple and sophisticated, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 takes direct aim at the Tesla Model 3.
And that’s rare for an industry that has answered Tesla’s stunning one-two punch of the Model 3 sedan and Model Y SUV with ... a single SUV jab. Think about it. Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevy Blazer EV, Toyota bZ4X, Subaru Solterra, Nissan Ariya, Mazda MX-30, Audi Q4 e-tron, Genesis GV60, Fisker Ocean, Lexus RX, Kia EV6 — automakers have entered the EV segment by taking on the Model Y while largely ignoring the compact $41,880 sedan that changed the EV game.
Yeah, yeah, I know, the sedan is kaput. Finished. Soooo 15 minutes ago. Which is why manufacturers rushed to fill the most popular segment in autodom — the compact SUV — with their first EVs. But being a low-slung sedan didn’t deter the Model 3 from selling like hotcakes.
So, determined to make its mark in the electric world, Hyundai has followed the master: it has (like everyone else) created an Ioniq 5 SUV to take on the Model Y, and an Ioniq 6 to chase the Model 3.
I flogged the sexy 6’s top-trim, $58K all-wheel-drive Limited model over the twisty country roads of Washtenaw County. It follows the Model 3 formula but with significant differences.
Bury the throttle out of a corner and 6 surges forward, its front and rear electric motors offering instant thrust. But it’s not as eager as the — ZOT! — all-wheel-drive Model 3 (a fact borne out by an all-wheel-drive Model 3’s 0-60 mph time, which is a full second quicker than my AWD Ioniq 6 tester) due to carrying another 600 pounds over the 4,086-pound Tesla.
That extra weight comes with benefits. Ioniq 6 feels more substantial than the Tesla’s tinnier construction quality. The Hyundai is heavy, like it’s been carved from oak, and doors close with a satisfying THUNK. Ioniq 6’s wheelbase is also three inches longer than Model 3, which translates into a significant four more inches of rear legroom — and six more cubic feet of interior space.
When I wasn’t enjoying the Hyundai’s smooth ride behind the wheel I was sprawling comfortably in the back seat. All that interior space, however, steals from cargo room, which is just 11 cubic feet compared to the Tesla’s 19 — a subtraction exacerbated by Hyundai declining to offer a frunk (front trunk) as Tesla does.
Consistent with Tesla, Ioniq 6’s cockpit is dominated by a big horizontal screen — though the Hyundai’s screen sprawls across the dash, splitting in two to offer an instrument display behind the steering wheel and infotainment display over the console. Tesla, of course, stuffs all its controls into a single 15-inch tablet. Both Hyundai and Tesla further unclutter the cabin by placing gear shifters on the steering column.
Like its Silicon Valley foe, Hyundai delights in wowing with new digital toys.
Ioniq 6 boasts multi-step regenerative braking (to my preferred one-pedal driving), multiple drive modes including SPORT, artificial propulsion sounds, self-parking — even the ability to remote park the Hyundai from outside the car. These features are also available on Hyundai’s similar luxury Genesis GV60 model, which begs the question: why would you pay 10 grand more for the Genesis than the Hyundai? Or pay more for a BMW i4 EV sedan, which has specs very similar to the Ioniq 6? Indeed, if you close your eyes (please don’t if driving), these EVs all are virtually identical in feel.
The answer, of course, is brand. Who’s going to pay nearly 60 large for a Ioniq 6 when you can have a $60K Genesis GV60 or BMW i4? Or a $60K Tesla? The Ioniq 6 is priced right on top of Tesla’s icon with a $42,715 entry-level, rear-wheel-drive model all the way up to a $56K AWD model (Tesla’s Performance model is $55,630).
Hyundai’s answer is style, something that has benefited Tesla all these years. The Ioniq has undeniable 6-appeal.
Its design language is simple like the Model 3, but with more flair. I particularly like the signature black mustache that underlines the headlights — and hides irregularities like the sonar sensors (for self-parking, etc.). It’s a feature that Tesla could learn from. My friend Anne loves her Model Y — but for its spooky black, Voldemort face.
The elegance continues with a beautiful, uninterrupted arc under the greenhouse to the boot, which tapers into a swan tail. It’s a fuselage that reminds of a Mercedes S-class or CLA. Not bad design company to be in. And it’s why you do an EV sedan. It gets noticed. As utilitarian as the Model Y is, it can’t match the Model 3’s racier shape.
That shape is what distinguishes the Ioniq 6 from the Ioniq 5, too. But unlike Tesla — the Model Y is essentially a jacked-up Model 3 hatchback — Hyundai has chosen an entirely different shape for its Ioniq 5 SUV. The 5 is angular, retro. It matches the brand’s “chess piece” philosophy that every model should look different even as the pieces conform to the Hyundai philosophy (the twin Ioniqs have nearly identical interiors, screens, features, price).
So Ioniq 6 stands apart from 5, and from its Tesla EV peer. The larger question is: does it make a case for EV adoption? Here, my Ioniq 6 struggles against another familiar sedan competitor: the gas-powered Hyundai Sonata.
For $20,000 less, a loaded $37K Sonata Limited is also an attractive chess piece. Stunning fascia, sleek lines, distinctive tail. Similar dual-screen interior, tech features, self-park assist. For 2024, the Sonata Limited model reportedly even receives the same remote self-park assist the Ioniq 6 boasts.
The Sonata also more than doubles Ioniq 6’s range — to 588 miles — while not requiring you to install an expensive 240-volt charger in your home. Ioniq’s stiff price premium and charging demands mean EVs are a niche segment — even with a $7,500 tax credit, which the Ioniq models don’t quality for since they are made in Korea,
The Tesla twins quality for the federal largesse, making it tougher for the Hyundai twosome to compete against America’s most successful domestic EV maker. But if you’re an EV buyer and you want something different than the same ol’ Model 3 your green pals drive, then Hyundai has a sedan for you. It’s different, and the same.
2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, rear- and all-wheel-drive five-passenger sedan
Price: $41,715, including $1,115 destination fee ($57,425 long-range, AWD Limited as tested)
Powerplant: 53-77.4 kWh lithium-ion battery with single or dual electric-motors; 800-volt charging, 10-80% fast charge in 18 minutes (mfr.)
Power: 149 horsepower, 258 pound-feet torque (standard range, RWD); 225 horsepower, 258 pound-feet torque (long range, RWD); 320 horsepower, 446 pound-feet torque (long range, AWD)
Transmission: Single-speed direct drive
Performance: 0-60 mph, 5.1 seconds (mfr.); top speed, 116 mph
Weight: 3,935-4,616 pounds
Fuel economy: EPA MPGe 103 (as tested); range, 240-361 miles (RWD), 305-316 miles (AWD)
Report card
Highs: Sleek styling; roomy cabin
Lows: Limited cargo room compared to Model 3; more expensive/less range than Sonata sedan
Overall: 3 stars
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