You have to hand it to Hyundai, their designers (and whoever approves their work) are some of the least risk-adverse in the industry. I’d love to have sat in on the first pitch for the new IONIQ 6, I imagine it was something like “We’re going for Citroën DS meets Porsche 911” and the bosses were like “ship that shit!”. So, it looks pretty wild, check, but what’s it like to drive? I’ve just spent a week with one and had many (checks word count) many thoughts to share. Strap in.

2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Overview

The IONIQ 6 rides atop Hyundai’s Hyundai E-GMP platform which is, unsurprisingly, also home to their IONIQ 5, as well as the Kia EV6, and the Genesis GV60. Pricing starts at $41,600 for 2023 ($42,450 for 2024) up to $52,600 for the top spec Limited like our tester. Hyundai shook up the range a bit for 2024, with just the SE, SEL, and Limited available.

Basically for 2023 the base SE Standard Range is RWD-only and gets a 53-kWh battery pack with a single electric motor making a fairly mundane 149 horsepower and a range to be 240 miles. The other IONIQ 6 models get a 77.4-kWh battery with 225 hp while range increases to 361 miles. However…for the more feature-packed SEL and Limited, range decreases to 305 miles for the rear-wheel-drive model and 270 miles for the dual-motor all-wheel-drive versions.

Did you get all that?

We got a pretty “Digital Green” AWD dual-motor to check out for a week, options are limited to some floor mats for $210 bucks. Out the door you’re looking at just over $57,400. I believe that Hyundai has depleted it’s tax credits for the IONIQ 6, but it’s hard to keep track of.

2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited AWD Inside & Out

I mean, just look at that thing, personally I think it’s glorious.

I did notice that folks commenting on the IONIQ 6 on my Twitter post about it’s arrival (“X” is idiotic, don’t @ me) either absolutely loved it or desperately hated it. There are some interesting details across the exterior, and they are mostly positive in my view. If I had to look for things I didn’t like, the door handles are a bit odd in the manner in which they pop out. Plus, they don’t always pop out when you walk up, and they don’t always pop in when you push them. I’m sure I would get used to it if I owned one but it’s worth mentioning.

So, polarizing looks can go either way from a sales perspective, so time will tell how successful it will be. Luckily, if you want something a bit different the lineup includes the cool IONIQ 5 hatchback as well which has been one of my favorite EVs to hit the market. Regardless, you’ll make up your own opinion on the exterior, so let’s move on to what it’s like on the inside and out on the road.

Inside there are some “keep EVs weird” details like the winglets spreading upward on either corner of the dashboard, but for the most part the interior of the IONIQ 6 looks similar to that of any other Hyundai sedan. Also like most Hyundai vehicles it’s packed with features and tech. You can read through the window sticker above, but some interior highlights include:

• Hyundai’s H-Tex Synthetic leather upholstery
• Power-adjustable front passenger seat
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Driver’s seat memory
• 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen
• Eight-speaker Bose premium audio system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto 
• Wireless smartphone charging pad
• Household-style power outlet

The IONIQ 6 also includes all of Hyundai’s driver aides and they were fairly unobtrusive out on the road. Interesting with as much technology as there is in there it wouldn’t connect to my phone through USB-C. I was out and about and had to buy a regular USB to USB-C connector for my iPhone before wireless CarPlay would work. I tried connecting to Bluetooth, which can activate CarPlay in some other automakers systems, but that only gave me basic streaming options. The wireless charger holds the phone in place well but it has to be in exactly the right spot to work consistently. Oddly the system did an update while I was driving, which means that the screen was temporarily unavailable. Luckily it was quick and didn’t impact things that much. The drivers display looks like a skateboard ramp, nothing useful there, just an observation.

From an ergonomics perspective it’s all well laid out and comfortable. I could not find a real button for the seat heaters, so I had to go into the menu system via the touch buttons on the HVAC panel. It’s kind of funny that the window controls are in the middle instead of on the door. I guess it gives the door a nice clean look? What is funny is that it took me a little bit to get used to this even though I have a Jeep Wrangler.

Cargo capacity isn’t massive, the trunk only has 11.2 cubic feet of space and the opening isn’t very large. However, rear legroom is generous at 39.2-inches, so the IONIQ 6 would make a great road trip car. Assuming you can find reliable charging options, more on that in a bit.

2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Limited AWD On the Road

No, more on that now!  The charging infrastructure near me still sucks, and I live in a populated area of Northern Virginia near D.C.. I tried the first EVgo station and the fast charger was offline (top middle). So I went into the grocery store and came out just in time to find another one had opened up. However at this point, instead of grocery shopping while I charged, I just…waited. 

Once you’re out on the road the IONIQ 6 is a pleasure to drive. It’s not rocket ship fast, but with immediate torque it gets moving easily. As with most EVs the silence does make you more aware of road and wind noise, but it’s still a nice place to spend time. I like that when you change drive modes it updates your estimated range in real time. In Normal mode for example it was 148 miles, Sport was 144, Eco-is 152. That means that you have to make an overt decision about available performance with regard to range, which you don’t really do that consciously in a gas powered car. Sure, your miles-per-gallon will go down when you’re driving enthusiastically, but you don’t always see it displayed so clearly on the dash.

There is also a noticeable difference in the driving experience between Eco and Sport. There is a literal acceleration that happens if you keep your foot at the same point on the pedal and go from Eco to Normal to Sport. It feels a little bit like a turbo boost. I also liked how the regenerative braking works with regard to changing the setting with the paddles. Not sure it makes sense to use paddles for this function, maybe it was for some production efficiency but it’s not like the IONIQ is sharing a platform with a gas car. Whatever, it’s nice to be able to change the level of which the car brakes when you let off the gas and will eventually get you down to one-pedal driving.

Summary

Hyundai continues to create some massively interesting vehicles that are packed with features. Plus they have two of the best features in the business, the little screen that shows your blindspot on the drivers display when you signal and the indicator that shows which setting your windshield wipers are on. Not sure why all cars don’t have these and it’s little details like this that make life easier and makes me enjoy driving their cars.

So, the IONIQ 6 looks great, is packed with features, and comes at a reasonable price. Personally I’d probably still have the IONIQ 5, but I’m a sucker for a hatchback. Regardless, the IONIQ 6 is definitely on the “will recommend” list for those looking for an EV sedan.