BY MIKE OCHONMA
Hyundai is offering an early look at its upcoming all-electric sedan, the Ioniq 6. This comes amid reports that the company’s electric vehicle (EV) market share is quietly surging in Europe and the US, causing even Tesla’s Elon Musk to take notice.
If last year’s all-electric Ioniq 5 crossover SUV took inspiration from 70’s designs, then Top Gear says that the Ioniq 6 draws inspiration from streamlined vehicles from the 20’s and 30’s like the Stout Scarab.
The South Korean automaker is focused on showing off the design of the Ioniq 6 rather than its technical specifications for now, so there are no firm details on its battery size or range.
But the car is using the same Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) as the Ioniq 5, which was rated for up to 315-miles on a single charge. Range should benefit from the Ioniq 6’s streamlined design, which results in one of the lowest drag coefficients on the market at just 0.21.
Internally, the Ioniq 6 has a couple of different touchscreens that include a 12-inch infotainment display and a 12-inch digital cluster. But when it comes to the kinds of controls the driver regularly needs while driving, like audio or climate control, Hyundai has opted for physical buttons.
“The touchscreen is great when this car is [in] stationary condition, but when in motion, touchscreens can be dangerous. For us, anything that relates to safety, we use hardware. Anything not related to safety will use a touch interface,” said Sangyup Lee, Hyundai’s design chief.
Other interior features include lights on the steering wheel that show when the car is charging or listening for voice commands, the ability to light up the cabin with a choice of 64 colours, a completely flat floor, and a stretched interior for “optimized legroom”.
There is also the option of having camera door mirrors rather than regular wing mirrors in markets where they are legal, which Ars notes does not currently include the US.
There are no firm details on how much the Ioniq 6 will cost, but Ars Technica reports that it is expected to be cheaper than the Ioniq 5, which starts at $46,650.
It is expected to go into production next month, and should go on sale in the US in model year 2023. It will receive its full public launch on July 14 when firmer details on its release date will emerge.
For a hint at what might follow, check out the Hyundai Seven, a hulking concept SUV the company showed off last year.
