Hyundai Ioniq 6 - Electric motor, drive and performance
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 has plenty of performance, but the BMW i4 is comfier and more fun on twisty roads
While the Hyundai Ioniq 6 has a sporty-looking silhouette, it doesn’t stand out in any particular area in terms of the driving experience.
On motorways and faster roads, it’s smooth and quiet, but the large 20-inch alloy wheels that are fitted as standard on all models mean that the Ioniq 6 isn’t quite able to keep lumps and bumps on B-roads in check. It feels unsettled and bouncy on rough sections, and the low-speed ride is no more than reasonable, feeling just as firm as the Polestar 2, and a little more crashy over potholes.
Surprisingly, the Ioniq 6 leans over more in corners than the BMW i4. The Ioniq 6 doesn’t feel unstable or unpleasant, but you won’t be as keen to push the car quite as hard as you might like in tight turns. The four-wheel drive model feels a little nose-heavy during quick changes of direction.
The steering is really light, meaning the car is easy enough to manoeuvre around town. There is a slight delay in response from the accelerator, which takes the edge off the otherwise strong performance of the more potent four-wheel drive version. For that reason, we’d lean more towards the rear-wheel drive version, which still has enough performance to impress just about anyone and nip into gaps in the traffic at roundabouts and junctions.
The brakes are amongst the best in the class, providing plenty of stopping power that’s easy to modulate from its well-weighted pedal. We also appreciate the paddles behind the steering column that allow you to adjust the strength of the energy recovery from the regenerative braking system, which ranges from full coasting to one-pedal driving. We wish every EV had a similar arrangement.
Inside, the Ioniq 6 is extremely quiet, making it a relaxing place to spend time if you maintain a calm driving style.
0-62mph acceleration and top speed
The Ioniq 6 is offered with a choice of rear-wheel drive (RWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD). The former uses a single motor producing 225bhp to drive the rear wheels, while the latter has another motor at the front for a combined power output of 321bhp.
Unsurprisingly, the AWD version is the faster of the two, with 0-62mph taking just 5.1 seconds. That’s less time than many sports cars and hot hatchbacks take, although the Tesla Model 3 Long Range (which also uses two electric motors for AWD) will do 0-62mph in an incredible 4.2 seconds. Regardless, the dual-motor Ioniq 6 feels very potent, plus there’s 605Nm of torque available as soon as you touch the accelerator.
The RWD model takes a little longer to get to 62mph – 7.4 seconds to be exact – but that’s still plenty quick enough for a family saloon car like this. Top speed for both versions stands at 115mph.
