While Australian price details are yet to be announced, pricing for the Ioniq 6 in the UK suggest a circa-$65k starting point locally.
Pricing and specification details have been revealed for the rear-wheel drive variant of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric sedan in the UK, which goes on sale early in 2023 with two specification levels.
Prices for the Hyundai Ioniq 6 start from £46,745 (AUD$84,485) for the entry-level Premium specification,which is cheaper than the rear-wheel drive Tesla Model 3 in the UK (£48,490). Standard currency conversions from pounds to the local dollar are not usually the best insight to what the price would be locally, but looking at the rear-wheel drive Tesla Model 3 price in Australia the model starts from $65,500. This suggests the Ioniq 6 will be priced at around $65,000 locally – perhaps even under.
In the UK, the entry-level Ioniq 6 RWD includes 20-inch wheels, electric mirrors, a 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav, heated electric seats and privacy glass as standard.
The upper-spec RWD model, called Ultimate, commands a roughly $5000 premium, adding eco-leather seats with memory function and ventilation, an electric sunroof, a head-up drivers display, remote start, and a premium Bose audio system.
It also benefits from additional safety systems such as blind spot monitoring, a surround-view camera and parking collision avoidance. All cars are equipped with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard.
The Ioniq 6 will be sold with Byte Blue Pearl exterior paint as standard, or a choice of 10 other colours for an additional £585 (AUD$1087).
Previewed in 2020 by the sleek and ultra-low Prophecy concept, the Ioniq 6 is Hyundai’s first foray into the electric sedan market, having established a foothold in the EV segment with the Hyundai Kona Electric, Hyundai Ioniq hatch and Hyundai Ioniq 5. At 4855mm long, 1880mm wide and 1495mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2950mm, it is a close match in size for the Tesla Model 3 – as well as the Polestar 2 and BMW i4.
The Ioniq 6 mainly uses the same mechanicals as the retro-styled Ioniq 5 SUV. Based on the modular E-GMP platform, the sedan comes with only the larger 77.4kWh battery. The single rear motor produces 168kW , while the long-range version is optionally available with a 245kW, twin-motor all-wheel drive arrangement. Hyundai says this 245kW powertrain is able to propel the Ioniq 6 from 0-100km/h in 5.1sec.
Being a lower and more streamlined car makes the Ioniq 6 more efficient than the 5 SUV. In its most slippery configuration, it will have a drag coefficient of just 0.21Cd and is expected to be capable of achieving 7km per kWh, which would be better even than a Tesla Model 3, the current leader for efficiency. The longest-range version is estimated to be able to do 610km on a charge.
The other strength of the E-GMP platform is its 800V electrical architecture, which enables it to use the fastest chargers available. Using a 350kW supply, the battery can be replenished from 10-80% in 18 minutes.
Unlike the Ioniq 5, the 6 moves away from heritage-inspired design cues and adopts a much more aeroled ‘single-curve’ silhouette, which will help to optimise efficiency while, says Hyundai, embodying “the concepts of Sensuous Sportiness and optimistic futurism”.
Together with the low-slung front end, it gives a drag coefficient of just 0.21 – creating one of the most aerodynamically efficient production cars available and making it, according to Hyundai, a “streamliner” rather than a conventional sedan.
The Ioniq 6 is planned to enter production in the third quarter of 2022, with the first deliveries in Australia due by mid-2023.