New Hyundai Ioniq 6 facelift set for a boost in range
The updated Hyundai Ioniq 6 will borrow technology from the revised Ioniq 5
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 may still look like one of the most futuristic shapes on the road, but Hyundai is in the midst of testing the facelifted variant, which could be revealed by the end of 2024. Thanks to the recent facelift of the Ioniq 5, with which the Ioniq 6 shares its platform, we already have a good idea of what to expect from the new all-electric saloon.
Arriving in 2022, one year after the Ioniq 5, a facelift for the Ioniq 6 seems right on cue. These latest spy shots give us our first glimpse of the updated car so we don’t expect it to go on sale until 2025, though. There's plenty of camouflage surrounding the test car, but it looks like the headlight shape could be tweaked for the mid-life refresh and, if the new Ioniq 5 is anything to go by, we should expect reshaped bumpers front and rear.
The Ioniq 6 sits on the same E-GMP architecture as the Ioniq 5 and we expect it to receive the same upgrades as its hatchback sibling. That means the current 77.4kWh battery should be swapped to an 84kWh unit, which is likely to boost the Ioniq 6’s range up from 339 miles, possibly over the less aerodynamically-efficient Ioniq 5’s 354-mile maximum.
A dual-motor option is expected to sit alongside the rear-wheel drive model, but with a new 84kWh battery we could finally see the Ioniq 6 N - especially considering the Ioniq 5 N uses that same 84kWh battery. We caught the Ioniq 6 N out testing earlier this year so we suspect the reveal could sit close to the updated Ioniq 6.
The Ioniq 6 should also feature Hyundai’s new pre-conditioning system with the facelift. It allows the battery to be prepared for charge with a heat pump to make the maximum 350kW charging speed more reliable all year round.
A new entry-level Ioniq 6 could be on the cards too with the Ioniq 5 replacing its 58kWh battery option with a new 63kWh unit. The smaller battery was never offered on the Ioniq 6, but if the new battery was added to the range it would surely undercut the car’s current £47,040 starting price tag.
Click here for our list of the electric cars with the longest range...
