fbpx
Newspress Awards 2024 wide

Automotive Website of the Year

Automotive Website of the Year

Newspress Awards 2024 wide

Automotive Website of the Year

Automotive Website of the Year

Find an Expert Rating: 
New car review

Hyundai Ioniq 6 review

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a cracking electric saloon, but that sleek streamlined style makes it less practical than the squarer-shaped Ioniq 5

Summary

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a cracking electric saloon, but that sleek streamlined style makes it less practical than the squarer Ioniq 5.
Design
8
Comfort
8
Driving experience
7
Value for money
7
Safety
10

Summary

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a cracking electric saloon, but that sleek streamlined style makes it less practical than the squarer Ioniq 5.

Make and model: Hyundai Ioniq 6 Ultimate
Description: Mid-sized saloon, single electric motor
Price range: £50,540 (plus options)

Hyundai says: “The electrified streamliner’s array of advanced technologies, personalised space and features and extended range redefine the boundaries of electric mobility.”

We say: The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a cracking electric saloon, but that sleek streamlined style makes it less practical than the squarer-shaped Ioniq 5.


Introduction

The Hyundai Group (Hyundai, Kia, Genesis) has been one of the strongest performers in the global car industry over the last few years, especially in electric models. While many European car companies are struggling to make the transition to electric power and keep costs down to compete with the rapidly expanding Chinese car brands, the Korean collective is going from strength to strength.

The Ioniq 6 sits alongside the closely related Hyundai Ioniq 5, Hyundai Kona Electric and new Hyundai Inster in the company’s EV line-up, and will be joined in 2025 by the large Ioniq 9 SUV.

As with the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6 has been rated highly by motoring titles. We spent a week with a top-spec Ioniq 6 Ultimate to find out more.

What is it?

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a mid-sized electric saloon, broadly similar in size to a Tesla Model 3, BMW i4, Volkswagen ID.7 and BYD Seal. It shares most of its core components with the Ioniq 5 crossover, but in a lower-slung, saloon body style.

Size-wise, it’s slightly longer than a BMW 3 Series or Audi A4 overall. But, being an EV, you get more cabin space thanks to a lack of engine, gearbox and driveshaft. That means you have significantly more cabin space, allowing five adults to travel comfortably.

It’s available in either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive versions, and two trim specifications. The all-wheel drive models get more power but slightly less driving range. All models get the same 77kWh battery.

Who is this car aimed at?

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is pitched as a direct alternative to the likes of other electric saloons like the Tesla Model 3, Volkswagen ID.7, BYD Seal and BMW i4. There will be more rivals joining this party in 2025, with BMW preparing its all-new electric 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz set to launch a new CLA saloon and Audi expected to reveal a new electric A4 saloon.

Underneath its streamlined, retro-futuristic surface, the Ioniq 6 is built on the same platform as the Ioniq 5, plus the Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60 – although all of those are higher-riding crossovers with liftback tailgates rather than a saloon-style boot.

Who won’t like it?

The majority of people who won’t like the Ioniq 6 are the sort of customers who are unlikely to even consider it.

With any electric car, you’ll get people who are simply not interested. That’s unfortunate, as most of the anxieties car buyers have about electric cars are more perception than reality. It’s slowly changing over time, but there remains a large minority of car buyers who claim that they will ‘never’ drive an electric car.

Inevitably, there will also be people who find the Ioniq 6’s styling to be a bit over-the-top. Indeed, we’re still not too sure about the rear-end styling, although the overall shape is quite pleasing.

First impressions

Despite the technical similarities to the Ioniq 5, Hyundai has gone to surprising lengths to differentiate the Ioniq 6 from its squarer sibling – certainly much more than the differences you’ll see between the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y, for example.

The streamliner styling makes the Ioniq 6 look even longer than the measurements suggest. While the front half of the car looks vaguely conventional, the rear half looks like pretty much nothing else around. The tail droops down towards the rear bumper, while the standard two-tone paint makes it look like the bottom of the car sweeps upwards, creating a teardrop shape when viewed side-on. The tail lights, rear bumper and twin rear spoilers don’t look particularly harmonious, and the shape compromises the boot’s size and access – which we’ll come to shortly.

Inside, the designers have leaned into the low-slung look of the Ioniq 6 compared to its higher-riding sibling. A high centre console makes the driver’s seat feel low, unlike the Ioniq 5 which keeps the space between driver and passenger much more open.

What do you get for your money?

Once we’ve got the first impressions out of the way, it’s time to look a bit harder at exactly what you’re getting for your money with the Hyundai Ioniq 6.

There are two drive options – a rear-wheel drive version with a single electric motor, which produces 168kW (228hp), and an all-wheel drive version that adds a smaller 74kW motor at the front for a combined total of 239kW (325hp). Only one battery option is available, with a capacity of 77kWh. We’ll explore the details of performance and range below, but the official battery range for all models is better than 300 miles, so any version will be suitable for the vast majority of households.

In terms of trims, there are two options – Premium and Ultimate. If you’re looking at a used Ioniq 6, you’ll find that there was also a higher-spec, all-wheel drive First Edition model when the car was launched in 2022, but that is no longer available for new car buyers.

So overall, the model range is simpler than the Ioniq 5’s, which is probably a good thing. Pricing starts at £47K for a rear-wheel drive Premium model, and £50.5K for the Ultimate spec version. Going for the all-wheel drive version adds an extra £3.5K on either model.

Overall trim levels are good across the board. We’re not going to get into the details here because that’s what car brochures are for, but it’s pleasing simple compared to the Ioniq 5’s multitude of trim, motor and battery options. And, after all, Tesla manages to sell plenty of Model 3 and Model Y electric cars with a very limited number of choices…

In our view, the Ultimate specification is worth the extra £3.5K over the Premium model. You get useful extras like blind-spot monitoring, 360-degree cameras, leather seats with ventilation and memory function, a sunroof, head-up display, better sound system and a key-operated remote parking function.

Options are limited to premium paint finishes (metallic, pearl or matte options are available) and digital side mirrors.

One particular highlight is that a heat pump is standard on all models. this helps to warm the cabin in winter without placing excessive demands on the battery, improving your driving range. It should be standard on every EV, but many brands still make you pay extra. Good work, Hyundai.

We like: Good overall specifications, heat pumps standard on all models
We don’t like: Optional digital side mirrors don’t seem to offer any practical advantage over traditional mirrors

What’s the Hyundai Ioniq 6 like inside?

If you’re stepping into the Hyundai Ioniq 6 from a similarly sized petrol or diesel car, the biggest difference you’ll notice is the extra space in almost every direction. An electric motor takes up less space than an engine and gearbox, so you gain a lot of space at the front of the car. Our car also had a light grey interior, rather than German-spec black everywhere, plus a sunroof to make the cabin feel even larger and airier.

Despite the battery being laid out like a big pancake under the floor, you still sit fairly low to the ground – maybe slightly higher than other saloons, but not much and certainly not as high as a crossover or SUV-style vehicle.

There is a high centre console between the driver and passenger, whereas the Ioniq 5 has a movable unit that keeps space more open. This appears to be a design choice to emphasise the low-slung feel of the Ioniq 6; whether you like it or not is a personal preference. There’s a big open storage space beneath it for a bag or similar.

Unfortunately, Hyundai doesn’t seem to have used the centre console space very effectively. A large chunk of space is devoted to power window switches and door locks, usually located far more conveniently on the driver’s door. This space would be far better devoted to a controller for the central touchscreen (as BMW does) and/or seat heating controls and/or the drive selector (which is on the steering column).

The dashboard is dominated by a pair of 12-inch wide screens mounted side by side, just like the Ioniq 5. The driver’s screen replaces traditional gauges, while the central screen is a touchscreen for controlling almost all the car’s functions. There’s also a row of buttons for key functions under the screen (although no overall ‘home’ button, annoyingly), and dedicated air-conditioning controls.

The central touchscreen is clear and easy to read, although all the usual caveats about trying to operate touchscreens on the move apply here as they do in any car – it’s simply not as easy or safe as physical buttons. Annoyingly, controls for front seat heating/ventilation and steering wheel heating are located within the touchscreen so they’re a pain to operate on the move. Meanwhile, rear passengers get proper buttons for their heated seats, which is MUCH BETTER. Hyundai, this is poor. Do better.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard, although in wired form only so your phone has to be plugged into a USB port in the centre console at all times. The ports are only USB-A as well, rather than the newer USB-C. There’s a wireless charging pad on the centre console, which is pointless if you have to have your phone plugged in anyway, and your phone will also slide off when you get to the first corner. An expected 2025 facelift is likely to address these points, as they have on the Ioniq 5.

The driver’s screen is generally good, although some of the screen is blocked by the steering wheel. The fonts and icons also need to be bigger, as they can be difficult to read. We’d prefer to see less information and larger fonts – Most car manufacturers tend to do the same thing (presumably it looks good in the design studio, but it’s not always easy to read on the move). At least the key speed information is large and smack in the middle of the screen.

The seats are comfy and sofa-like, rather than heavily bolstered in the typical German fashion. We found them comfortable enough for a couple of hours, but seating is always a personal preference so you should test drive yourself before making any buying decision. We also wish the steering wheel had just a bit more reach adjustment so you could pull it out further. The glovebox is actually a large drawer, so you don’t have everything falling out when you open the lid like on other cars. Clever.

Rear-seat passengers will find plenty of legroom and no central tunnel for the middle passenger to straddle. The rear seats don’t slide like they do on the Ioniq 5, however. Rear headroom is good, and better than you’d expect from looking at the swoopy roofline from the outside.

The bad news is further back, however. Boot space is a major drawback compared to other saloons, let alone liftback models. Hyundai claims a total of 401 litres, which is well off the pace for a car this size, and the opening is also small so you’ll almost certainly bang your head while trying to load your luggage (I did, more than a few times).

There’s a hidden tray under the boot floor as well as a small frunk (front trunk) for additional storage space, either of which are a good place to keep your charging cables but not much more. The rear-wheel-drive models have more frunk space than all-wheel-drive models (45 litres vs. 14 litres) as they don’t have an electric motor under the bonnet.

Our Ultimate-spec car had optional digital wing cameras instead of traditional mirrors. Based on this model, these seem like a solution to a problem that didn’t really exist. You still have chunky and ugly cameras mounted where the mirrors would be, with a couple of screens inside the cabin. They are supposed to be better in low-visibility situations, but we didn’t really notice any great benefit and they had less range of adjustment than conventional mirrors. In our week with the car, we didn’t find this to be worth £1,000 extra and would prefer ordinary mirrors.

We like: Plenty of space in well-laid out interior, some clever design touches
We don’t like: Centre console not well utilised, boot space and access poor

What’s the Hyundai Ioniq 6 like to drive?

Like most Hyundai models, the Ioniq 6 is configured for comfort rather than handling, which is likely to be just fine for most families.

The Ioniq 6 is a heavy car, thanks to the battery pack, but this is placed along the bottom of the car so it keeps the centre of gravity low, helping to reduce body roll when cornering. However, the combination of this weight and large 20-inch wheels makes the ride feel a bit lumpy over potholes or speed humps. To be fair, that’s also the case on most executive saloons with ‘sports packs’ or large alloy wheels. A back-to-back comparison with our usual family car, a Volvo V60 estate with R-Design sports suspension and 19-inch wheels, saw the Hyundai feeling more comfortable for both front and rear occupants.

Assuming that you’re happy to keep your driving within the confines of the speed limits on any given road, the Ioniq 6 is a very comfortable car to drive. There are three driving modes – eco (which is default on start-up), normal and sport – plus a snow mode if it gets icy.

Acceleration will depend on which model you’re driving. The 228hp motor we had will be more than adequate for most people, while the 325hp twin-motor set-up with all-wheel drive offers stronger performance in every situation plus better grip in wintry conditions.

We found the 228hp model offered plenty of performance, even with four people aboard. Being an EV, you get immediate response rather than waiting for an engine to rev up to its preferred powerband, so low-down acceleration is better than petrol cars with higher power outputs. This is less pronounced at higher speeds, so you won’t find it quite as sharp when overtaking at motorway speeds. If you do a lot of motorway driving, the 325hp version is probably worth the extra money. For urban driving, the 228hp version is perfectly fine.

We spent most of the week in eco mode, which requires pressing harder on the accelerator to get a response but is good for normal day-to-day driving. Sport mode, on the other hand, felt mostly unnecessary. We did try it for a bit, but it didn’t really offer any great improvement over normal mode.

Regardless of driving mode, the Ioniq 6 is smooth and whisper-quiet at all speeds. It’s a genuinely lovely place to spend time, with both front and rear passengers comfortable on longer journeys. The steering is light but direct, although lacking in feel as most new cars are.

Hyundai and Kia’s EV models all seem to manage braking better than other manufacturers. In lighter braking applications, an EV doesn’t actually use the brake pads to slow down – the electric motor does that instead. This is used to generate electricity to eke out a few more miles of battery range (and reduces brake pad wear significantly), but on some EVs it makes the brakes feel a bit unnatural when you stand harder on the pedal and the brake pads are called in to slow the car more rapidly. Pleasingly, the Ioniq 6 doesn’t suffer from this at all, so the brakes feel perfectly normal in all the situations we found over the course of a week’s driving.

The biggest problem we found over a few hundred miles was endless beeping and bonging from the car’s safety systems. This isn’t Hyundai’s fault, though. The EU has mandated that all new cars must have electronic nannies that make annoying warning noises every time the speed limit changes, or if you go just 1mph over the speed limit, or if it thinks you’re not looking straight ahead at all times, or a million other regular scenarios. It’s stupid and it does nothing to improve safety. You can switch the warning bongs off, but they will reactivate every time you start the car (again, by EU law). The first manufacturer that codes up a proper and permanent switch-off function for this will earn endless praise from us (and from you, after half an hour of driving any new car…)

We like: Comfortable ride in most situations, whisper-quiet at all speeds
We don’t like: Sport mode is largely irrelevant, EU-mandated beeps and bongs are seriously annoying

How safe is the Hyundai Ioniq 6?

Other than the endless bonging, it’s all good news on the safety front. Euro NCAP tested the Ioniq 6 in 2022 and awarded it a five-star rating with some excellent scores in most tests. It also awarded the Ioniq 6 its ‘Best Large Family Car’ accolade for 2023.

It scored well in all the crash tests, with good protection for both adults and children in the event of a collision. There are ISOFIX child seat mounting points in both outer rear seats, but not in the middle or in the front passenger seat.

In terms of avoiding an accident in the first place, the Ioniq 5 also performs well. Although autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems are now compulsory on all new cars in Europe, the level of performance varies. The Hyundai scored well in all of these tests.

Accident avoidance systems like advanced cruise control and lane-keeping assist are standard on all models, although blind-spot warning is only available on the Ultimate models. The systems all work well, without trying to pull the car in different directions like you get on some other vehicles.

Hyundai Ioniq 6 economy, battery range and charging

Hyundai Ioniq 6 at charging station

The Car Expert’s unique Expert Rating Index pulls running cost data from across the entire new car market, and the Ioniq 6 performs very well here, scoring an A-grade from us overall.

One of the most important factors for an EV is its electrical efficiency – the equivalent of fuel economy for a petrol or diesel car. The Ioniq 6 scores a B-grade here, which is good for this size car. The lower-performance, rear-wheel drive models are better as they use less electricity, so you get a few more miles from every charge.

Official driving range figures are 338 miles on a full battery for the rear-wheel drive cars, and 322 miles for the all-wheel drive models. Given the extra performance on offer, this is not really much of a penalty.

Standard on all models is a battery heating system with pre-conditioning and heat pump, which provides better battery efficiency in all temperatures and helps to heat the cabin without excessively taxing the battery.

When you want to charge up, the news is good. With a maximum 350kW charging rate, the Ioniq 6 can support the fastest chargers currently available in the UK. That means you can potentially charge your battery from 10% to 80% capacity in less than 20 minutes. However, these chargers are currently rare and are more expensive to use than other chargers, so it’s not a big deal at the moment. But once more of them start rolling out, this will become a more useful advantage over many other EVs.

If you’re using a 50kW charger, which is a far more common speed for public chargers, you’re looking at about 1hr 15mins to get a similar 10% to 80% charge. On any EV, charging speeds slow down after 80% to protect the battery, so it’s not usually worth keeping the car charging beyond this point unless you really need the extra charge.

On an 11kW charger, as you get with a home wallbox or in many workplaces, a full charge (0% to 100%) takes just over seven hours. So you can comfortably charge the car overnight, especially as you’re never likely to be at 0% as a starting point.

The charging flap is located on the right-rear corner of the car, so you’ll probably need to reverse into most public charging bays to connect the cable. The Ioniq 6 comes with a 5.0-metre Type 2 cable for wallbox or fast chargers, but there’s no Type 3 cable for plugging into a regular three-point plug. Fewer EV manufacturers are now offering this, which is disappointing but unsurprising as it would take more than a day to charge the battery with one of these cables…

Verdict

If you prefer a saloon body style to the ubiquitous crossovers on offer from every manufacturer, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a very good car. It’s no surprise that it’s one of the highest-rated cars in our Expert Rating Index, with straight-A grades in every category – although it’s still too new to have any meaningful reliability data.

The new car warranty on the Ioniq 6 is also good, covering you for five years with unlimited miles. The battery is covered for eight years, although with a 100,000-mile limit. This is one area where Hyundai trails its Kia subsidiary, which comes with a seven-year new car warranty on all its models.

The Ioniq 6 is whisper-quiet, smooth and relaxing to drive at all speeds. The styling is certainly divisive, although it does grow on you. We’re still not convinced about the rear end, especially with its practical shortcomings. Given the sloping shape, a liftback tailgate surely would have been better than a saloon bootlid.

The technical stuff is all good and everything works as it should, so if you’re making the jump from petrol to electric power then your learning curve should be relatively short. The 350kW charging capability makes it pretty much future-proof, too, as you’ll be able to take advantage of the ever-growing number of ultra-rapid charging points across the UK.

The biggest challenge for the Ioniq 6 is whether you’d choose it over the also-excellent Ioniq 5. Technically, they’re basically identical, although the Ioniq 5 has more choices in terms of trims, motors and batteries. That’s not as important as it sounds, as the Ioniq 6 has all the best bits (bigger battery, all the right standard equipment) you’d want anyway.

Based on official pricing, the Ioniq 6 is more expensive than the Ioniq 5 in Premium spec, but slightly cheaper in Ultimate spec. That’s due to various trim differences, plus the fact that the Ioniq 5 has just been updated. The Ioniq 6 is likely to get a similar mid-life refresh in 2025, which may see trims and prices juggled a bit. But prices are likely to fluctuate depending on offers available at any given time, so keep an eye on offers for both new and near-new cars if you’re shopping around.

The Ioniq 6 feels more luxurious and special, although that’s more of a perception than a reality. The lower seating position and sleek profile are plus points, in our opinion at least, which also help it to go further on its battery than the taller and squarer Ioniq 5. It’s also less common on the roads than the 5 – another plus point for many potential customers.

However, that sleek styling affects the car’s practicality. The Ioniq 5’s bigger boot and more practical cabin are the two most obvious points in its favour as a family car, especially for road trips with four or five people and lots of luggage. We’d say the Ioniq 5 is a better family car, whereas the Ioniq 6 is nicer if you’re less fussed about maximum practicality.

Similar cars

If you’re looking at the Hyundai Ioniq 6, you might also be interested in these alternatives.

BMW i4 | BYD Seal | Genesis GV60 | Hyundai Ioniq 5 | Kia EV6 | Polestar 2 | Tesla Model 3 | Volkswagen ID.7

Key specifications

Model tested: Hyundai Ioniq 6 Ultimate
Price (as tested): £52,235 (including £700 for premium paint and £995 for digital side mirrors)
Engine: Single electric motor, rear-wheel drive
Gearbox: 
single-speed automatic

Power: 168 kW / 228 hp
Torque: 350 Nm
Top speed: 115 mph
0-60 mph: 7.4 seconds

Electric range: 338 miles
CO2 emissions: 0 g/km
Euro NCAP safety rating: Five stars (November 2022)
TCE Expert Rating: A (82%) as of December 2024

Buy a Hyundai Ioniq 6


If you’re looking to buy a new or used Hyundai Ioniq 6, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find the right car

Motors 600x300

Search less, live more. We make finding the right car simple. Find out more

Auto Trader logo 600x300

Search for your next new or used car with Auto Trader. Find out more

Carwow logo 600x300

Discover great deals available on both new and used cars. Find out more

Lease a Hyundai Ioniq 6


If you’re looking to lease a new Hyundai Ioniq 6, The Car Expert’s partners can help you find a competitive deal

Carparison 600x300

Personal contract hire deals from Carparison Leasing. Find out more

Leasing-com logo

Personal contract hire deals from Leasing.com. Find out more

Select Car Leasing logo

Personal contract hire deals from Rivervale Leasing. Find out more

Subscribe to a Hyundai Ioniq 6


Subscriptions are becoming a very popular way for consumers to try an electric car for a few weeks or months to help decide whether it’s a suitable alternative to a petrol car. If you’re interested in a car subscription, The Car Expert’s partners can help. (PS: What’s a car subscription?)

Drive Fuze logo 600x300

Car subscriptions from DriveFuze.
Find out more

Wagonex logo 2023 600x300

Car subscriptions from Wagonex.
Find out more

Cocoon Vehicles logo 600x300

Car subscriptions from Cocoon.
Find out more

Stuart Masson
Stuart Massonhttps://www.thecarexpert.co.uk/
Stuart is the Editorial Director of our suite of sites: The Car Expert, The Van Expert and The Truck Expert. Originally from Australia, Stuart has had a passion for cars and the automotive industry for over thirty years. He spent a decade in automotive retail, and now works tirelessly to help car buyers by providing independent and impartial advice.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a cracking electric saloon, but that sleek streamlined style makes it less practical than the squarer Ioniq 5.Hyundai Ioniq 6 review