Yep…I hate to admit it, but after driving Hyundai’s nimble and engaging Ioniq 5, I didn’t expect anything special from their new larger 4-door sedan.
After all, it’s just a big comfy 4-door sedan…right? Wrong.
Even before you press “Sport,” the regular “Normal” drive setting propels you down on ramps faster than most. Hit the “Sport” setting and hang on! 0-60 comes up in roughly 5 seconds thanks to 320 HP and all-wheel-drive.
But acceleration is just a tiny part of the Ioniq 6’s story.
Let’s start with the looks. Hyundai’s all-new Ioniq 6 is an ultra-aerodynamic roomy 4-door with the 20s, spoilers, and LED lighting, the likes of which you haven’t seen before.
Dress it in black, and the Ioniq 6 assumes a bit of a “bad boy” persona…and it’s well-deserved.
And no surprise, underneath that sexy skin, the 6 is packed with tech.
Sure…you’ve got just about all the goodies that you’ve come to expect…things like digital keys offering remote pre-heating and cooling, remote parking assistance, and even the ability to send your vehicle info via smartphone to someone else for them to operate while you’re not there.
But here’s even more: Dynamic voice recognition…no-charge over-the-air
software updates…three years of no-charge remote access… you even can charge your laptops or operate air pumps from your vehicle!
So how ‘bout one of the biggest electric vehicle questions….range?
The entry-level low $40’s Ioniq 6 SE with 149 HP will give you 240 miles.
But the 320 HP high $40’s SEL and mid to high $50’s Limited will give you up to 360 miles…depending upon whether you go with rear-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive.
360 miles? This is the kind of range that I’ve been looking for…an all-electric vehicle that’ll get me non-stop to the Florida Panhandle!
Plus, Hyundai built their Ioniq 6 to handle 800V fast charging. This system will take you from a 10% charge up to 80% in under 20 minutes. 20 minutes? That makes the time a non-issue. Heck…if you’re lucky enough to get your charge at a Buc-ee’s, you’ll want to spend more than 20 minutes there.
I got a little EVGO boost in peak time on a Saturday and added 70 miles of range for $6.95. That quick “fill-up” took only a few minutes…and compares quite well with what you’d spend on 70 miles of gasoline in a luxury vehicle.
All I’m sayin’ is that charging is becoming less and less of an issue every day. Even Walmart plans to open thousands of charging stations over the coming few years.
So as more and more all-electric questions seem like they’re being put to rest, vehicles like Hyundai’s new Ioniq 6 make more and more sense…which is one reason why the Ioniq 6 was just named 2023 “Electric Vehicle of the Year.”
