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Hyundai scored a home run with the Ioniq 5, and it’s looking to replicate that success with the new Ioniq 6. This streamlined sedan is a stark contrast to the boxy cyberpunk aesthetic of the Ioniq 5, but both ride on the same modular electric platform and share powertrains, tech features and lots of futuristic design details. After getting some time behind the wheel of an Ioniq 6 prototype in South Korea last month, there’s a lot to look forward to.
While the heavy camouflage might make this Ioniq 6 look like a rougher test mule, the car is a nearly production-level validation prototype that’s just being used for final tweaks. The interior is completely uncovered, and build quality and fit and finish are pretty stellar. This particular Ioniq 6 is a rear-wheel-drive model in the highest trim level, with a 77.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack and a single electric motor putting out about 225 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. Hyundai labeled this test drive as an «energy efficiency experience,» likely to highlight the Ioniq 6’s super-low drag coefficient of 0.21, which should result in a range exceeding 350 miles, but the route amounted to about 30 minutes of driving on the nice country roads near Hyundai’s Namyang R&D center.
Despite its 20-inch wheels, the Ioniq 6’s ride quality is superb — even better than the Ioniq 5’s. The Ioniq 6 is great at soaking up big potholes and rough road surfaces, and the cabin is Mercedes S-Class-level quiet. It feels like there’s less body roll than in the Ioniq 5, too, and the steering rack is quick and direct, if a little numb. The single-motor setup feels plenty quick off the line and at passing speeds, and Hyundai’s adjustable regenerative braking offers great one-pedal driving.
