Hyundai announces Ioniq 6 ‘streamliner’ sedan to rival Model 3

SEOUL, Korea - Hyundai has announced the second model in its fully-electric Ioniq lineup, the Ioniq 6 executive sedan, which will rival cars such as the Tesla Model 3, BMW i4, and Polestar 3. 

The car has not been confirmed for sale in Singapore yet, but Hyundai says that ‘it will continuously review the timing’ on this. Our guess is 2023 – given the Ioniq 5 is already available here on a limited basis, and that the Ioniq 6 goes on sale globally next year.

The company has not revealed full details on performance and charging, but we can expect the car to be competitive, at the very least, thanks to Hyundai Group’s E-GMP platform and 800 volt charging technology. 

Its design is a departure from the debut Ioniq model, the Ioniq 5 SUV, which featured retro-inspired lines. Instead, the Ioniq 6 is a modern fastback sedan with sleek, coupe-like lines that emphasises low-drag and efficient aerodynamics, and lots of interior room. 

At 4.85-metres long, 1.88-metres wide, and 1.49-metres tall, the car will compete with similarly sized popular electric sedan models, including the Tesla Model 3, BMW i4, and Polestar 3. 

Performance, charging and more

There aren’t any official specs on the car’s performance just yet, but since it will run on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform – we explain that all here in another story – we can expect a high level of charging performance from the car, or up to 350kW at its quickest. 

Because of this, we can expect it to be offered with a similar choice of variants/options and accompanying performance levels as the Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6. An entry-level rear-wheel drive version with around 230hp, a more powerful dual-motor all-wheel drive version with 300-plus horsepower, and possibly a Hyundai N performance version with more than 500hp.

Battery packs should top out at close to 80kWh for the most generous variants, and this will translate into a range of at least 400km, but possibly more given the car is more aerodynamically efficient than any E-GMP car to date. 

Aerodynamics at the forefront

With the promise of solid state batteries still not quite crystallised, Hyundai has – like Mercedes-Benz – focused on using aerodynamics to gain range and efficiency. 

Hyundai describes the car as an ‘electrified streamliner’, though it’s not a Streamliner in the 1930s sense, and the supplied retrowave visuals seem to position the car as the perfect ride for a (hopefuly not dystopian) cyberpunk future. 

The car’s belt line actually brings the first-gen Mercedes-Benz CLS to mind, with a gentle curve defining the line at the bottom of the windows, extending to the front and rear fenders. 

Besides the overall design shape, it uses  a flat underbody, boat-tail spoiler, active air flaps, digital mirrors (an option) and has reduced gaps between the wheels and body to minimise drag.

The car has a drag coefficient of 0.21 Cd, which is impressively low. In comparison, a Toyota Prius, a particularly slippery car, has 0.25 Cd, while VW’s extreme hypermiler the XL1, has 0.18 Cd. 

In order to ‘out lightbar’ everyone else, the Ioniq 6 will have 700 discrete light units around the car, what Hyundai calls ‘Parametric Pixels’, and some of them form an active light bar at the rear. 

Interior space: Drive cocoon 

The car’s wheelbase is extremely long for its size – 2,950mm – or what you would expect from a current luxury limousine two sizes up. With a flat floor provided by E-GMP, we expect the car to deliver a lot of legroom for passengers. 

The cockpit has a wraparound design with two ‘wings’ on each side, and extensive interior lighting (choice of 64 colours and six themes). It also features a pair of 12.0-inch screens, one for driving and one for infotainment, with a minimised control panel below, and storage space in a bridge-style armrest segment.

The steering wheel has what appears to be touch-based controls, and four ‘Interactive Pixel Lights’ which presumably inform the driver of system functions/alerts. 

Hyundai’s interior concept is of a ‘comfortable hideaway and personal space’, and it’s paired with a focus on sustainability,  so the car utilises recycled or low-carbon materials extensively. Paint used on the car is made of recycled pigment from used tyres, as well as bamboo charcoal. Interior materials include sustainable leather, recycle PET bottle fabric, carpet from recycled fishing nets, and more. 

ALSO READ: 2022 Hyundai Staria review: Space bus

This article was first published in CarBuyer.