by Seán Creedon
When it comes to electric cars, the first question most people ask me is what’s the range of the car I am testing; the second question is always the price of the car.
No doubt ‘range’ is the big issue for most people thinking about buying an electric car. Manufacturers are gradually improving this and now if you buy Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 with the large 77.4kWh battery, you will get over 600km. Now that’s a decent range!
Everything in the world can probably be described with one word. The word that I think best sums up the Ioniq6 is ‘smooth.’ It really is so smooth and quiet as it seems to glide along the road.
VERY SLEEK
The Ioniq 6, which was launched exactly 12 months ago, is a stunning piece of car design. Hyundai call it a ‘streamliner’ and it was inspired by Hyundai’s Prophecy Concept EV from 2020. It was designed in South Korean by a man named Woohyun Lee and replaces the Ioniq 5, which was launched in 2021.
Externally the car has a very sleek look. My test car came in a very dark shade of green. At first glance I thought the colour was black.
The wheelbase is almost three metres long, giving the Ioniq 6 a very spacious interior. Built on a bespoke electric vehicle platform, the floor of the car is completely flat so there is plenty of head and leg room for five well-built adults. And no problems for the person who has to sit in the middle of the back seat.
It really is a long motor and looks a bit like a limousine. You will appreciate the reversing camera. At the back there is a beautiful brake light stretching all the way across the boot.
FEATURES
As usual with most electric cars, the door handles pop out once you unlock the car with the key fob.
Inside, the décor is mainly black. The doors are slim and minimalist with the buttons for the electric windows moved to the centre console.
As with most new cars, the infotainment screen on the dash gives you all the information you need.
When you indicate to turn left or right or want to overtake you will get a view of what vehicles are coming up alongside you on a small screen on the dash. A very useful service.
Another safety item is that you get a ‘beeping’ sound if you exceed the speed limit on the road or street you are driving on. It should prevent you getting penalty points.
The boot is a decent size, but as is normal with most electric cars, no spare wheel. You also get a neat ‘Frunk’ at the front, where you could place small items and they won’t over heat as officially there is no engine. I was going to put a few choc ices in there last week, but the famous choc ice is now gone!
NO RANGE ANXIETY!
Prices start from €48,295 for the small battery version, while the bigger battery version will cost you €62,495. The range with the small battery is approximately 420km, while the large battery should get you at least 610km.
Summer is the best time to get good range results in an electric car. It’s a beauty and the first electric car that I have driven where there was no ‘range anxiety.’
The Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 have won awards for Hyundai, with both cars being named World Car of the Year.
