In a motoring world where all cars arguably look the same there are some stand-out companies that manage to do things differently. Of course, the styling of the cars they produce can polarise opinion, effectively becoming marmite cars. Some people love them, some people hate them.
Hyundai has a good record of stand-out styling but also in affordable form, so if you want something different you don’t have to be rich and go bespoke. The Ioniq 6 is a good case in point. It has extraordinarily sleek lines with swoops and curves on every panel, and a very swept rear roof line.
Where styling seems to rule you often find the interior space is somewhat compromised. Well, the Ioniq 6 is surprisingly uncompromised internally with limousine levels of legroom, especially in the rear, and the swept roof line doesn’t really hinder entry and exit for rear seat occupants.
Prices for this most stylish of EVs start at a not unreasonable, by today’s standards, £47,040, which although not inexpensive is good value for this class of car and the equipment that is on offer as standard. The lead-in Premium model includes matrix LED headlamps, heated front and rear seats, heated steering wheel, wireless charging, privacy glass, rain sensor, power boot lid, keyless entry and start, powered heated and folding door mirrors and smart cruise control.
The extensive list includes technology such as a pump as standard that transfers heat from the outside air to the battery, which stores energy and helps power the car. The 77.4 kwh battery on all Ioniq 6 models allows a 338 mile range, or 322 miles in the dual motor, all-wheel-drive model. This translates into the benchmark 62 mph being passed in 7.4 seconds or just 5.1 seconds in the dual motor version.
In the cabin the touchscreen technology is a bit of a faff (aren’t they all) and the safety kit, that gets top marks from Euro NCAP, is a pain because of the incessant bings, bongs and dongs for everything in creation. All can be switched off but each time you start the car you have to switch them off again. To be fair this is the same on any new car, not just Hyundai.
On the road the Ioniq 6 is a comfortable, very refined and relaxed drive, an excellent long-distance cruiser with performance to match. Despite minor grumbles with touchscreen tech this is an automotive tour de force.
Words by Mark Slack
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