The 2023 Ioniq 6 is the latest electric vehicle from Hyundai, who’s been a leader in making mass-market EVs loaded with tech and luxury features. The Ioniq 6 is stylish and futuristic with nimble performance and an upscale cabin.
Base Price: $56,100
As Tested: $57,425
Horsepower: 320
Mileage: 111 MPGe city/94 MPGe highway/103 MPGe combined
While its sibling, the Ioniq 5, is an electric crossover, the Ioniq 6 is a sedan and costs a bit less than the Ioniq 5. Both share a number of components and will be joined by the Ioniq 7 which is being added to Hyundai’s 2024 line-up.
The Ioniq 6 is brand new for the 2023 model year. It comes with different powertrains and battery-pack options. The range varies from 240 to 361 miles, depending on the trim and powertrain.
The five-passenger 2023 Ioniq 6 comes in four trims: SE Standard Range, SE, SEL, and Limited. Starting prices range from $41,600 to $56,100. Rear-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive is available on all trims except the SE Standard Range.
The SE Standard Range is powered by a rear electric motor and a 53-kWh battery pack. Total output is 149 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The standard powertrain in the SE, SEL and Limited rims is a rear electric motor and a 77.4-kWh battery with a total output of 225 hp and 258 pound-feet. An option on the three higher trims is a dual-motor, all-wheel drive powertrain with a 77.4-kWh battery generating 320 horses and 446 pound-feet of torque. The transmission with all of these powertrains is a single-speed automatic.
While the single-motor powertrain doesn’t have the power of the dual-motor, both provide plenty of zip for normal driving situations. My tester has the dual-motor and it makes for brisk acceleration from a stop and when speeding up for merging and passing on the freeway. Hyundai says it can go from zero to 60 mpg in 5.1 seconds. Steering is nicely weighted and the Ioniq 6 stays planted when cornering, thanks to its low center of gravity. You can adjust braking to have a normal feel or set it at one-pedal driving. The ride is smooth, and the cabin is quiet with road and wind noise kept at bay. Visibility is good to the front and sides but limited to the rear.
Range varies depending on the trim and powertrain. The Ioniq 6 SE Long Range gets the best range at 361 miles. The SE AWD Long Range with the dual-motor powertrain has a range of 316 miles. The SEL and Limited trims with RWD and the rear motor have a range of 305 miles. The SEL and Limited trims with AWD with the dual-motor set up have a range of 270 miles. The SE Standard Range with RWD has the lowest range at 240 miles.
Fuel economy is good to excellent, depending on the set up. EPA ratings for my tester are 111 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent) city and 94 MPGe highway with a combined rating of 103. The SE with the single-motor powertrain gets the best fuel economy at 153 MPGe city, 127 MPGe highway and 140 MPGe combined.
Hyundai says the 2023 Ioniq 6 can go from a 10% to 80% charge in five to seven hours using a Level 2 (240-volt) plug. With a 50kW DC fast charging station (Level 3), it takes only about 73 minutes to go from a 10% to 80% charge.
The interior is attractive with modern styling. There’s a fair amount of plastics but they look nice. Seats are supportive and comfortable. Front row passengers have good leg- and headroom. Those in the second row have decent legroom, but headroom for taller passengers is limited due to the sloping roofline.
Standard features include proximity keyless entry, remote keyless entry, push-button start, rearview camera, dual-zone automatic climate control, cloth upholstery, eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, six-way manually adjustable front passenger seat, heated seats, leather-wrapped steering wheel, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, infotainment system with 12.3-inch touchscreen, over-the-air update capability, navigation, six-speaker audio system, HD Radio, satellite radio, Bluetooth, wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, four USB ports, Wi-Fi hot spot, dual-color ambient lighting, and automatic high-beam headlights
Available features include surround-view parking camera system, auto-dimming rearview mirror, synthetic leather upholstery, driver’s seat memory settings, eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat, ventilated front seats, leather-wrapped and heated steering wheel, eight-speaker Bose audio system, wireless device charging, ambient LED interior lighting, universal garage door opener, sunroof, rain-sensing windshield wipers, digital key (lets you use your smartphone to lock, unlock and start the Ioniq 6), and V2L charging (lets you use the battery to power other devices or tools).
Standard driver assistance technologies include forward collision warning, forward automatic emergency braking, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, blind spot monitoring, lane-keep assist, lane-centering assist, speed-limit recognition, pedestrian and cyclist detection, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, driver-attention monitoring, automatic high-beam headlights, and rear-seat alert.
Available driver assistance technologies include low-speed forward and reverse collision warning, low-speed forward, reverse and side automatic emergency braking,
Highway Driving Assist partially autonomous driving system, blind-spot view cameras, and parking distance warning.
The infotainment system looks great and is user-friendly. Graphics are sharp, menus are logically arranged, and the system responds quickly to touch and voice commands. Physical controls make it convenient to adjust audio and climate settings.
The Ioniq 6 has less cargo space than some rivals. There are 11.2 cubic feet in the trunk and the opening is rather narrow so loading bulky items is challenging. There’s no underfloor storage area as found in other EVs. A hands-free power trunk lid is standard. There’s a very small frunk (front trunk) with only half a cubic foot of space.
The good:
Unique looks
Peppy acceleration
Respectable performance
Available with AWD
Good to excellent range, depending on powertrain
Attractive, well-built interior
Lots of standard features and tech
User-friendly infotainment system
Standard wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
The not-so-good:
Taller adults have limited headroom in second row
Fairly small trunk
Pricing info:
My tester starts at $56,100. Carpeted floor mats are $210. Destination fee is $1,115 bringing the grand total to $57,425.
Bottom line:
The all-new 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 brings performance, drivability and unique looks to the EV segment. It comes in a variety of trims and powertrains, all with decent to excellent ranges, and is loaded with standard features and tech. It’s a great addition to the Ioniq 5 and positions Hyundai as a leader in making impressive electric vehicles.
