2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6

While the IONIQ name has adorned various electrified Hyundais since 2017, it was this IONIQ 5 utility, which arrived last year, that officially launched IONIQ as the brand’s all-electric sub-brand. So, logically they followed that up with another SUV… Ah, not so fast, Hyundai’s next all-electric entry is actually a true 4-door sedan— the IONIQ 6!

That’s right, just when you thought sedans were going away in the wholesale transition to utility-styled EVs, here comes an all-new all-electric four-door saloon from, who else, but Hyundai; it’s the 2023 IONIQ 6.

Based on the same platform as the IONIQ 5, the 6 is about 8-inches longer, and we think its sedan shape is much better looking. Not as quirky as the 5, yet still highly aerodynamic. A single rear-mounted 111-kW motor is standard at 149-horsepower, with a larger 168-kW upgrade available outputting 225-horsepower. All-wheel-drive versions pair a 165-kW rear motor with a 74-kW motor on the front axle for a combined rating of 320-horsepower and 446 lb-ft. of torque.

There are 2 options for the battery, 53-kWh in Standard Range, delivering 240-miles, and 77.4-kWh Long Range with up to 361—miles. That’s significantly more than what the IONIQ 5 offers, which we’ll chalk up to slightly less horsepower in the standard model, a roofline that’s much closer to the ground, a slicker overall shape, unique tire and wheel packages, and another year of development time. Full 350-kW DC fast charging will charge to 80% in only 18-minutes.

Most EVs have a quiet serenity to them; this one even more so than most, plus it allows you to set your preferred scene with mood lighting and sounds of nature. Setting things in motion is done with a column-mounted stalk, freeing up the slender bridge-type center console to house the controls for lowering and raising the windows, which in turn makes for smoothly minimal door panels. Materials throughout are very nice and eco consciously made. The IONIQ 5’s Parametric Pixel theme carries over too, including the interactive Morse Code H on the heated steering wheel.

The 12-inch driver display offers plenty of information, looks good, and blends seamlessly into the 12-inch infotainment display in a single dashtop housing. That touchscreen is intuitive to operate, and navigation with traffic information is standard. Rear seats are very roomy with a wide flat floor offering plenty of legroom, and the large glass roof adds to the open feel. Regardless of trim, all the expected creature comforts are here including in-car WiFi and lots of places for plugging things in. And since a lot of us can work from anywhere these days, why not start our road test from the back seat?

Trunk space, at 11.2 cubic-ft., is decent, but less than what you get in the typical ICE compact sedan. 60/40 folding seatbacks are standard. There is also a small frunk.

Except for having noticeably more metal to move around, the driving experience is quite like the 5’s, which is to say, offers very responsive acceleration, good steering feel, and smooth overall ride quality, even with the 20-inch wheels on our Limited tester that we sampled in Arizona.

It handled the twists and turns of the nearby mountain roads like a breeze yet felt equally at home slogging through the suburban sprawl most of us deal with on a daily basis. Brake pedal feel is good, not overly touchy like some EVs, and there are multiple levels of regen braking to choose from. Just about every safety system is standard; only things like Surround View Monitor require an upgrade.

There are really no other mid-market, fully electric sedans to compare to the IONIQ 6, save for Tesla’s Model 3, which I guess you could say is mainstream at this point. Range is similar, but the Model 3 offers a little more performance, though it’s a good bet an N version of the IONIQ 6 will arrive sooner rather than later. And the Model 3 can’t touch the IONIQ 6’s near-luxury level of sophistication inside.

The IONIQ 6 starts a few dollars less than the 5 with SE trim at $42,715, SEL at $48,815, and top Limited at $53,715. It used to be that most of the SUVs we drove were based on previously available sedan platforms. Well, everything’s different now, so it makes sense that we’d see a sedan that’s based on an existing utility.

We’re not complaining, that’s just where we are these days, and our way of saying we’re glad Hyundai saw fit to not only give us a true 4-door, but in many ways, make it better than the SUV it’s based on. The 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6 is a great EV and an even better sedan; with a price tag that makes it highly attainable for many people, which not only makes it highly competitive, but highly desirable to us.