2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 First Drive: Wild Looks, Long Range And Familiar Value

Hyundai only built its first volume-production EV in 2017, but it’s been on a roll ever since. It followed up that initial electric car, the hyper-efficient, 136 MPGe Ioniq Electric hatchback, with 2019’s popular Hyundai Kona Electric and then last year’s blockbuster Ioniq 5 crossover. Now it’s poised to drop another hit: the all-new, fully-electric 2023 Ioniq 6. 

A midsize sedan with up to 361 miles of range and pricing from $42,000 to $57,000, this lozenge-shaped machine is likely to poach a few sales from the Tesla Model 3 and attract a broad swath of EV consumers new to EVs.

I recently had the opportunity to step behind the wheel of the Ioniq 6 (one more notch in what will eventually be a full range of Ioniqs) in Arizona, but even before you step inside there’s a lot to take in. First, it looks smaller than it actually is, which is about two inches shorter from bumper to bumper than Hyundai’s midsize Sonata but two inches taller. 

The Ioniq 6’s striking shape conveys a very strong overlapping double arc–—one for the roofline and one for the main body. It’s certainly unique, with hints of VW Beetle, Saab 900 and Mercedes-Benz CLS echoed in its profile. Those distinctive curves are interrupted by bold slashes to cut out sections for air inlets and taillights, as well as a tacked-on rear spoiler that looks as though it was designed by Midjourney AI to look like a piece of a Porsche 911.

Informal polling points to most observers liking the Ioniq 6’s styling, but I find it oddly bloated and lacking cohesiveness. Some awkwardness is also found in the dark lower body cladding, which is silver if you opt for darker paint colors. Aerodynamics seems to drive styling more than aesthetics and there’s a beauty to behold in its 0.22 coefficient of drag. To Hyundai’s credit, style is subjective and the rest of the Ioniq 6 is objectively solid.

Ioniq 6: Choices and Charging

The Ioniq 6 is on sale now and is offered in several configurations distinguished by features, battery size, and which wheels do the driving. The most affordable is the entry-level SE trim with the standard range 53 kWh lithium-ion battery and rear-wheel-drive for $42,715 (including $1,115 in destination fees). It produces 149 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque, and an estimated range of 240 miles on a full charge. 

Opting for the Long Range model with a 77.4 kWh battery allows for an impressive 361 miles and increases output to 225 horsepower, making it the range leader of the lineup. It also narrowly bests the Model 3 Long Range, rated at 358 miles on a charge, although that model is currently unavailable to order. 

The Long Range battery combined with all-wheel-drive (a second electric motor drives the front wheels) results in 320 hp and 316 miles of range if you stick with the smaller 18-inch wheels. On the 77.4-kWh models, the optional 20-inch wheels reduce range to 270 miles for all-wheel-drive (AWD) or 305 for rear-wheel-drive.

Both batteries are capable of DC fast charging at an impressive rate of 350 kW and Hyundai claims you can charge from 10% capacity to 80% in only 18 minutes, or replenish 65 miles in only five minutes. Unfortunately, those 350 kW chargers are still relatively rare, and won’t always dispense the maximum rate. On a more common 50 kW charger, it should take 58 minutes for the Standard Range and 73 minutes for the Long Range. For 120-volt level two chargers, expect five to seven hours to reach 80%.

As with other Hyundai EVs, the Ioniq 6 is capable of vehicle-to-load power delivery which means you can insert an adapter into the charge port and power your electronics or appliances up to 15 amps. Want to get a blender going for a tailgate party? No problem. One Hyundai representative even managed to keep his refrigerator powered for five days, though the company doesn’t recommend such shenanigans. To keep from depleting the battery you can also set a charge reserve amount when powering external devices.

An Athlete in a Green Disguise

Like many EVs, the Ioniq 6 possesses nearly instantaneous acceleration response. As quick as its reactions are, the sedan is easy to control and doesn’t give you that gut-rearranging queasiness that some high-performance EVs have. Our AWD Long Range Limited trim is estimated to hit 60 mph in just 5.0 seconds. The rear-drive Long-Range should get there in 7.3 seconds with the pokey Standard Range bringing up the rear with a sub-9-second estimate.

The lack of an internal combustion engine means a nearly-silent cabin at speed. Road and wind noise are well-hushed and there’s very little low-frequency “boominess” that some other EVs exhibit. The Ioniq 6 isn’t positioned as a sports sedan, but its low center of gravity from the floor-mounted batteries allows it to corner with unexpected athleticism. Combined with the buttery-smooth power delivery, it’s an absolute joy to string a series of turns together in a graceful serpentine trace.

Many EV drivers enjoy one-pedal driving, which uses resistance from the electric motors as the primary stopping power, eschewing the need to use the brake pedal and maximizing range. To put the Ioniq 6 in one-pedal, just tap the steering-wheel-mounted brake regeneration paddles a few times. One-pedal driving can be disconcerting for drivers that are new to EVs, but the car defaults to a traditional drive mode that behaves identically to your typical gas-powered car. You can adjust as you go.

Ride quality is on the firm side, which might be due to the big 20-inch wheels, but even some nastier-looking potholes are reduced to very forgivable thuds by the suspension. You’ll feel side-to-side jostling over some uneven surfaces, but they’re kept to acceptable levels, too. If you’re looking for the most compliant ride, we suggest sticking with the 18-inch wheels..

Inside the Ioniq 6

While the Ioniq 6’s exterior styling may be polarizing, the interior should have broader appeal. 

The cockpit design has the kind of minimal starkness that many EVs have adopted. The horizontal dashboard is topped by a dual-display enclosure for the digital instrument panel and infotainment touchscreen. Underneath there are physical shortcut buttons for the infotainment system and a panel of capacitive touch climate controls. These greatly improve operation for commonly used features when compared to some rival systems that route almost every function through screens.

The center console extends from below the dash with a wireless changing pad and cupholders and a long, open storage tray underneath. The typical window and lock controls are also on the console rather than in the doors, another trait that echoes a classic Saab, only in less quirky ways. 

The front seats are generously cushioned for long-distance comfort and there are enough adjustments to accommodate small and large occupants with ease. Materials quality is better than you’d expect from a midsize family sedan and meets expectations for a $50,000-plus EV. The rear seats provide ample legroom for taller passengers, but headroom is only adequate for an average five-foot-ten adult. Most vehicles with such a dramatically curved roofline tend to feel rather closed in for rear passengers, but the Ioniq 6’s big expanses of glass makes it feel airy and inviting.

Behind the rear seats, the trunk is measured at only 11.2 cubic-feet, which is quite small for a midsize sedan and a clear sacrifice to aerodynamics. The space is helped by a wide and low opening that requires less effort to load heavier or bulkier objects, but the Sonata’s is appreciably larger. There is a frunk (front trunk), but it’s more of a shallow plastic tray than a truly usable space for cargo.

Ioniq 6 Vs. The Competition

With most shoppers steering the industry away from sedans and toward SUVs, the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 has only a few competitors, and most of them are more expensive. At the time of writing, the smaller Tesla Model 3 is priced similarly and is estimated to return 272 to 315 miles of range. Tesla temporarily halted orders of the Model 3 Long Range late last year to deal with its backlog, so that model isn’t currently on offer.

As popular as the Model 3 is, its build quality still leaves much to be desired and it’s not as comfortable as the Ioniq 6, though it does have more cargo space. The few other sedans from Audi, Porsche and Tesla are larger or much more expensive. One possible exception is the BMW i4, but even then, the new “entry level” i4 eDrive35 starts out at more than $52,000 and doesn’t offer the Hyundai’s range. Mercedes-Benz’s EQE is similar in size and shape, but starts at $76,050.

That leaves the Ioniq 6 as the top all-electric sedan in its very small class. It’s sensibly priced, comfortable, and enjoyable to drive. Its overall excellence is significant enough for us to toss away our exterior styling criticisms, which should be an even greater incentive for those who find it attractive. 

This sedan represents a delightfully good follow-up to the praiseworthy Ioniq 5 SUV and should definitely be considered if you don’t need as much interior and cargo space. This bodes extremely well for Hyundai’s plan to bring ten more EVs to market by 2030.

Hyundai provided lodging and meals to enable us to bring you this first-person report. Although Forbes Wheels sometimes participates in manufacturer-hosted events, our coverage is independent, unbiased and aimed at offering consumers an objective view of every vehicle we test.