Driven: 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 6

Written by Paul Strauss | September 7, 2023

Is Hyundai making the best EV on the market? After a week behind the wheel of the 2023 IONIQ 6, they jumped to the top of our list. We drove the IONIQ 6 Limited AWD model with a long-range battery pack. This configuration provides the best combination of performance, range, and features. Long live the sedan!

The IONIQ 6 has a sleek, streamlined design engineered for aerodynamic efficiency. This helps the car accelerate quicker and enhances driving range. It's a modern look that's distinct from other Hyundai models (even the IONIQ 5), as well as competing sedans. Our test vehicle was done up in a matte paint called Gravity Gold. It's not as showy as other matte finishes, but it looks quite elegant. Remember that matte paint requires special care when it comes to washing.

There are a few drivetrain options for the IONIQ 6, offering different levels of power and driving range. The base SE Standard Range has rear-wheel drive with 149 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque and a 240-mile driving range. The SE, SEL, and Limited come in RWD with 225 horsepower and 258 lb-ft. of torque, as well as AWD with 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft. of torque. The SE RWD has the best range - 361 miles between charges, while the SE AWD gives you 316 miles. The better-equipped SEL and Limited RWD go 305 miles on a charge, while the SEL and Limited AWD, like the one driven here, go 270 miles. All of those numbers are enough to keep range anxiety to a minimum.

The dual-motor setup with the 77.4 kWh battery is incredibly swift. In Sport mode, it'll lay down a 0 to 60 time of about 4.3 seconds thanks to the instant torque that only electric motors can provide. It's whisper quiet, too - though the vehicle settings let you enable a spaceship-like whirring sound as you accelerate. The level of sound enhancement is adjustable and can be turned off if you prefer a quiet EV like we do. It's perfectly fine at the lower volume levels but a bit intrusive on the highest setting.

Thanks to the flat floor and short engine compartment, the interior of the IONIQ 6 is enormous. The back seat gets the kind of legroom typically reserved for full-size cars. There's no risk of bumping your knees or shins on these seatbacks, no matter how tall you are. And if you're in the middle seat, you're not stuck on a hump. This is a proper five-passenger vehicle. Rear seat passengers also get their own HVAC vents and USB-C charging ports too.

Throughout the design of the IONIQ 6, you'll see lots of pixelated blocks. These can be found all over the car, including the LED headlights and tail lamps, accents on the dashboard, seat backs, and even on the floor space to the left of the brake pedal. It's a neat design element that distinguishes the car and ties everything together cleverly.

Thanks to their forward-thinking and well-engineered electric platform, Hyundai and its cousins at Kia and Genesis are making some of the finest EVs today. The IONIQ 6 is our favorite of the bunch. It perfectly combines performance, handling, comfort, driving range, and charging speed. It also stands out from the crowd and is reasonably priced for what you get. Prices for the IONIQ 6 SE Standard start at $41,600 and climb to $56,100 for the Limited AWD we drove. With the upgraded matte paint, floor mats, and freight and handling, the sticker price came to $58,425. The only thing better will be when Hyundai decides to release a high-performance IONIQ 6 N, like they did with the IONIQ 5 N.

Charging the IONIQ 6 is lickety-split as EVs go - assuming you can find a high-speed DC charger like the one we stopped at. Thanks to Hyundai's 800-watt E-GMP architecture, it'll charge from 0 to 80% in just 18 minutes on a 350kW charger. Real-world numbers vary based on the charger, battery condition, and temperature. The EV Gateway station we juiced up at had a 300kW DC charger, and our car went from 38% to 80% in just 11 minutes. Going from 80% to 100% took an additional 21 minutes. Those numbers are both with the air conditioning cranked up for comfort on a 100º summer day. With a full charge, the car indicated 265 miles of range. If you plan on buying any EV, we still highly recommend a 240V Level II charger at home to keep it charged daily. Hyundai says the bigger battery pack will charge in under 7 hours on a Level II charger.

We really like the clean and airy look of the interior. The dashboard has a sleek, linear design, and the D-shaped steering wheel has a sporty style. Those four pixel lights in the center of the wheel change colors to communicate a variety of statuses, including battery charging state, drive mode, and when you're in reverse gear, among other things. There's a good mix of touch-based and tactile controls, with pushbuttons and knobs for controlling the radio and climate. However, it's strange that you must use the touchscreen to access the heat and cooling controls for the seats.

While the SE has cloth seats, the SEL and Limited grades get a premium synthetic leather material called H-Tex. Our car had 8-way power seats for the driver and front seat passenger. Since there's no transmission tunnel, the center console has a floating design that provides storage underneath. It's also got a wireless charging dock for smartphones, though using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto requires a cable at this time. Word on the street is that an over-the-air update should be coming soon to upgrade those to work wirelessly.

Dual-color ambient lighting adds a splash of color across the dashboard and reflects nicely across the wavy, sculpted door panels. The lighting system lets you mix and match 64 colors. The lights can also be set to change in intensity based on how fast you're driving. As your speed increases, the lights get brighter.

Thanks to the flat floor and short engine compartment, the interior of the IONIQ 6 is enormous. The back seat gets the kind of legroom typically reserved for full-size cars. There's no risk of bumping your knees or shins on these seatbacks no matter how tall you are. And if you're in the middle seat, you're not stuck on a hump. This is a true five passenger vehicle. Rear seat passengers get their own HVAC vents and USB-C charging ports too.

While some EVs have a meaningful storage area under the hood, the so-called "Frunk" in the Hyundai is diminutive. It's about the right size for storing a charging cable or an emergency kit, but that's about it. And there are our pixels again.

Thanks to their forward-thinking engineering and a solid electric platform, Hyundai and its cousings at Kia and Genesis are making some of the best EVs on the market today. The IONIQ 6 is our favorite of the bunch. It offers a perfect combination of performance, handling, comfort, driving range, and charging speed. It stands out from the crowd too, and is reasonably priced for what you get. Prices for the IONIQ 6 SE Standard start at $41,600 and climb to $56,100 for the Limited AWD we drove. With the upgraded matte paint, floor mats, and freight and handling, the sticker came to $58,425.