It is not often that concept cars make it to production, but IONIQ 6 so closely follows the Prophecy Concept that it is difficult to tell one from the other. In the world of automotive design, car makers keep one eye on the opposition, and the other eye on their purse. It can often result in a compromise that is little more than an embarrassing pastiche. IONIQ 6’s full name is the IONIQ 6 Electrified Streamliner, a moniker best sent straight to the “annals” room without delay.

IONIQ 6’s only real opposition is Tesla’s slightly smaller Model 3, hardly a raving beauty.

IONIQ 6 may not be to everyone’s taste, but it is undeniably powerful in a way that is almost unique. Its profile is a few artful slashes on a plane sheet. Everything not absolutely necessary, has been removed. Only then, were the designers allowed to add a few carefully curated pieces of bling.

Nothing else like it is currently for sale, regardless of price.

All IONIQ 6 models have jewel-like headlights that cut through the night with the power of a small sun. Left unfettered, they would blind anyone in front of them, so oncoming traffic is bathed in tailored dimness that exactly fits its shape. Everything else remains in daylight, leaving the sides of the road fully lit. Matrix LEDs have only been bettered by the addition of lasers, and even then, only in carriages costing many more shekels.

Pixels can be found in rampant abundance, with the motif being repeated again and again, inside and out. It is in the lights, and in patterns within the bodywork and in the cabin. By far, the most striking feature is the arched profile, an overriding consideration making IONIQ 6 both slippery and wistful. It considers all who see it, whether from inside or out. Every feature, line, crease, and bump, has a purpose.

The eye slips past the flush doorhandles, arriving at the rear, a triumph of modernist aesthetic. The high-mount brake LED rests within a cleverly concealed mount in the 911-like tail. Another bar of LEDs performs the more pedestrian duties of direction indication and illumination, and joins the rear corners in a single thin line. The very fabulous Miss “Coco” Chanel would have loved this “less-is-more” approach.

Against the plain-Jane Model 3, IONIQ 6 looks like a super model. The front end could have been even better had it followed the deliciously updated Sonata, whose face is positively ravishing.

SPECIFICATIONS HERE: IONIQ 6 – Specifications (March 2023)

Video Review: 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6, their BEST CAR EVER –  FULL Review #gaycarboys

1 Minute Video Review: 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 #SHORT Review #yakandah

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ABOVE: 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 EPIQ

Inside:

So far, the Tesla Model 3, lies battered and bleeding as IONIQ 6 delivers one blow after another.

If IONIQ 5 has the cavernous space of a mid-century Danish concert hall, IONIQ 6 is its first-class club lounge. The interior is a calming, Zen-like space, without the half-finished feeling of Model 3.

The doors have been slimmed down, with lighting hidden within its gentle undulations. All buttons have been moved, split between the lower dash facia, and the centre console; a piece of stunning design in and of itself. It holds storage, controls, and charging options and although its function is pared back, it still feels generous. Window buttons, Qi pads for phones, USB, and USB-C occupy the upper level, with a capacious bin and 12v outlet on the lower level. The 12v socket is incredibly difficult to get at, and would be better served closer to either side rather than in the middle.

The space is afforded by a flat floor under which the removeable battery back is slung.

It makes for astonishing rear leg room, even for tall travellers. Peeps in the front pews are able to recline in regal splendour while charging, or just because they can.

The pièce de résistance is the control system, which is deliciously modern, yet completely functional. EPIQ has digital side mirrors with the images projected on to the ends of the dashboard. Further 12.3” screens display driver and infotainment data, and all IONIQ 6’s have a Head Up Display.

For me, this is the biggest Model 3 knockout, which has been deliberately denuded of almost all interior fitments, even those needed for driving. Its driver has a tiny slice of the centre console screen from which all data must be deciphered. It was always a daft idea, and one Tesla owners continually have to excuse. Instead of Model 3’s microscopic off-set 5” wide display, IONIQ 6 has about 20” worth, right in front of the eyes where it belongs. The centre 12.3” is a touch screen for menus, settings, and navigation.

The Drive:

Hyundai hasn’t included a home charger or Charge subscription in the price, dash it all!

Upon arrival at Albury airport, my drive partner Olga and I were assigned an EPIQ. Once ensconced, we followed the navigation along a route designed to showcase IONIQ 6 as an superb allrounder. We took in some of the rolling hills either side of the Murray with the gusto of a very old kid in a candy shop.

Most punters never leave the confines of their urban cages, but bucolic beauty awaits, for those with the gumption.

The roads varied from tight bends that switch direction without warning, to long, straight, stretches of smooth freeway. There had been light showers, with IONIQ 6 playfully skipping through the puddles like an arrent toddler.

2 pilots at the helm gives both a chance to experience different styles.

Olga, an author at the West Australian, is calm and cautious. She prefers i-Pedal’s single foot operation, but it is not without its Code Brown Moments. One such situation surprised us both, going into a stiff corner a little too enthusiastically. A dab of brake kept things nice and tidy, and at no time did the heft of the battery feel like we were being pulled asunder.

Olga liked a wafting experience, yet preferred the firmer steering. Despite keeping sport mode on, she felt the steering was still too light for her tastes.

On the other hand: I like things properly luxurious. I like waft, and all the airy graciousness that goes with it. The smart suspension was a little too firm even on comfort mode. I only used a sportier setting for those fab turns and would have like a limo-esque ride the rest of the time.

I couldn’t get the seat low enough for my preferred pozzy, and the steering wheel didn’t have quite enough reach adjustment for a slightly rotund gay man of a certain age. Both Olga and I thought the Bose audio sounded a bit “2D” and no amount of adjustment made it right. I played my usual playlist via the wired CarPlay (soon to be wireless via OTA) with settings at zero.

Pricing between $74,000 and $88,000 has left space for an N model, which Hyundai hinted at, heavily.

RWD Dynamic feels similar on the road, with all models having a 77.4kWh battery. The single 168kw/350Nm motor gives the RWD the longest range of 614km (wltp). A total of 239kw and 605Nm shortens the EPIQ/TECHNIQ trip to 519km, however we have never been able to equal those figures, no matter the brand.

Oh, and FOR GOD”S SAKE LOSE THE Q’s. It drives me potty!

I managed around 16.3kw/100km in the RWD which bodes well for road trips. My Model 3/Y drives have been nearer 21kw/100k and I doubt their range claims.

One last thing, in colder conditions, navigating to your charger will condition the battery for the fastest available mode.

Are the Top Models Worth Extra?

I could lose the kitsch electronic side mirrors and sunroof without a second thought. Only the EPIQ gets a fancy heat pump heating system and battery conditioning system, with both Techiq and EPIQ having  heated rear seats, and cooled/heated front seats.

It is worth it of you live in Australia, especially in summer.

Is IONIQ 6 Better than Tesla Model 3?

  • IONIQ 6 has a 5 yr warranty VS Tesla 4 year.
  • Tesla is 4,694 mm L x 1,849 mm W x 1,443 mm H, wheelbase 2,875mm
  • IONIQ 6 is 4,855 mm L x 1,880 mm W x 1,495 mm H, wheelbase 2,950mm

IONIQ 6 is bigger and more spacious, but costs more, with Tesla Model 3 coming in around $60,000. Model 3 pricing has varied as boatloads of Model 3 and Model Y hit town.

IONIQ 6 has programable mood lighting, proper controls, and at least 30” of display space for data. Wireless CarPlay is coming (No Tesla has CarPlay), so the cabin feels familiar and welcoming. Controls are familiar to anyone who has driven a new car in the last 5 years, and the function does not require a degree to use.

Model 3 requires the driver to enter a menu to perform even the most pedestrian of tasks, such as opening the glove box. The door-open button is augmented by a handle in case of failure, and build quality is patchy to say the least.

IONIQ 6 has a fully automated park function, but most importantly of all, can use the very fastest of fast charging. Although the ultra-rapid charger is rated at 350Kw, IONIQ 6 tops up at no faster than 250kw-ish in my experience. Model 3 and Model Y are both slower.

On the road, Model 3/Y are faster in the fastest modes, and range is about the same as IONIQ 6.

One worrying problem:

Bluelink is Hyundai’s Over the Air Update system. It provides various map and programming updates, but it can also turn features on and off. Remember my revulsion at BMW renting owners their heated seats, heated steering wheel, and Wireless CarPlay?

The phone app provides 2-way communications, so you can track your car if it is nicked. Even better is that the coppers are able order Hyundai to shut it down, given the right circumstances.

Owners can heat and cool remotely, grant access, view charge and other status data ,and a host of other things they will probably never ever use.

We will be watching you Hyundai. Rent us these concierge services if you must, but anything else will have you over our collective knee quicker than you can say ”BMW”.

Conclusion:

So, there it is.

IONIQ 6 is a stunning piece of automotive architecture. There are improvements to come, with the update already in planning.

I’d like to see the front end of Sonata, a digital rear-view mirror, and full customisation of the drive and infotainment displays. I’d love the 12v to be relocated to the passenger’s side of the lower console too.

Finally, with full online ordering coming, I’d like the ability to delete things I don’t want, and won’t use. I don’t like sunroofs, and never open them. Others might, but I don’t. It adds at least $2,000 and between 50 and 100kg of weight. GET.IN.THE.BIN.

IONIQ 6 is quite possibly the best car the Hyundai Group has ever made. At launch, around 200 cars had been sold, with a further 120 available.

Powertrain Transmission DYNAMIQ TECHNIQ EPIQ
168kW 2WD Reduction gear – rear $74,000 – –
239kW AWD Reduction gear – rear & front – $83,500 $88,000
Option pricing DYNAMIQ TECHNIQ EPIQ
Matte Paint $1,000 $1,000 $1,000
IONIQ 6
Length 4,855 mm
Width 1,880 mm
Height 1,495 mm
Wheelbase 2,950 mm
Head room

(with sunroof)

 1st row 1,022 (974) mm
2nd row 937 (937) mm
Leg room 1st row 1,154 mm
2nd row 996 mm
Shoulder room 1st row 1,472 mm
2nd row 1,456 mm
Cargo area (VDA) Front (AWD models) 45L (14.5L)
Rear 401L
IONIQ 6 DYNAMIQ TECHNIQ EPIQ
Battery 77.4 kWh battery
Drive Rear Wheel Drive HTRAC Dual Motor All Wheel Drive
Motor power 168 kW 74 kW + 165 kW
Motor torque 350 Nm 255 Nm + 350 Nm
WLTP Range 614 km 519 km
DC fast charging

(10 to 80%)

 350kW approx. 18 mins
50kW approx. 73 mins
AC charging

(10 to 100%)

 7 kW approx. 11hr 45min

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