2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 AWD w/Ultimate Pkg – Road Test

We’ve seen plenty of pictures and videos of the IONIQ 6 over the past few months, but we’ve never actually seen one in the flesh or on the road – not until we were handed the key FOB. In the videos and pictures it looked not bad, but in real life… in the flesh it’s VERY nice – bordering on gorgeous! With sleek lines, an interesting interior and plenty of pent up anticipation we couldn’t wait to fire up the electrons and take if for a blast.

What Is It?

It’s an all-electric 4-door car
There are two models to choose from: Preferred Long Range RWD or Preferred Long Range AWD
Both are available with Ultimate Package
We’re driving the Top-of-the-line Long Range AWD w/Ultimate Pkg
18” Rims are standard, 20-inch Alloy Wheels are part of the Ultimate Pkg (more details below in What Does It Cost?)
Long Range RWD has 225 hp / 258 lb-ft torque but a whopping 581 kms of range
Long Range AWD has 320 hp / 446 lb-ft torque and a shorter 435 kms of range
We saw 459 kms of range when fully charged – that’s an extra 24 kms, nice
Dual motors HTRAC All-Wheel Drive with Snow mode – intuitive traction feature can distinguish between packed and deep snow conditions on the road and adjust traction accordingly
Ultra-low drag coefficient of only 0.22
Oddly it’s $10,500 more than the IONIQ 5 SUV we drove last year – but only $4250 more out the door, with same options!
And yes, it has a Frunk
Hands-Free Trunk

How Does It Look?

As we said earlier – didn’t actually LOVE the look until we saw it in the flesh – it’s quite striking
If you look at the side view there’s one line that runs from the rear just above the taillights to the front just above the headlights
Everywhere you look there are unique details
After a week I was completely in love with this car

What’s It Like Inside?

Typical EV – almost eerily quiet. Thanks to its slippery shape it’s completely silent even at highway speeds
Visibility is excellent, all around, plus there’s a 360° camera (Surround View Monitor) and the rear camera to help guide you when reversing and stall parking even though you’re driving in forward! (see picture)
LOVE the interior – it’s very open and futuristic but still familiar as a regular car
The grey leatherette interior actually looks much closer to white than grey. It certainly looks and feels like leather
The heated /manually adjustable steering wheel is actually much nicer in person. Seeing it in videos and pictures I didn’t like it at all, I hate single-spoked wheels (Hyundai calls it 2 spoke). But as soon as I got behind the wheel it was completely perfect for the car
The driver gets a semi-customizable 3″ digital instrument cluster that blends into a 12.3” navigation/infotainment screen
The HVAC are tactile touch-control and don’t light up until you start the car – we’re not big fans of those types of systems…gimme dials and buttons any day – but they work much better than I’ve experienced in other vehicles.
It also includes within it the amazing Hyundai turn with a camera feature when you use your indicator
Advanced Head-Up Display (Augmented Reality) work well – I like how the warning for vehicles in your blind spot flashes there as well as the “hey, the car ahead has moved – pay attention” notification – love it
The driver and front passenger seats gets an 8-way power adjustable + 2-way lumbar adjustment
The heated and cooled front seats are very comfortable and offer many different adjustments including knee bolsters on the driver’s side for those that take a nap while waiting to recharge
How many times have you been in the rear seat and need to go into the trunk? Well the IONIQ 6 has you covered – there’s a button for just this scenario conveniently placed on the rear seat (driver’s side)
There’s also levers in the trunk to drop the seats without returning to the cabin… bonus!!
At first it seemed there is no trunk button on the key FOB… but there is – it’s on the side of the FOB
Storage is extremely good. There’s a huge area under the centre console that has a sliding tray to create even more space. On top of that the glovebox swallows a HUGE (and heavy) owner’s manual that took 99,000 trees to print. Toss it in the house and it’s a big glovebox for gloves and stuff. The centre consoles’ storage/armrest is also nice and deep
The moonroof comes only on the Ultimate Package
The floor is completely flat, so 3 people could easily fit there without playing footsie
Heat Pump System – a boon for those of us in a cold climate to pre-heat the cabin while still connected to the electric outlet
Safety Features are listed below “What’s The Verdict”
Rear Seat up: 11.2 cu-ft (316 L) / Frunk: 0.5 cu-ft (14.5 L)

Infotainment etc

The 12.3” navigation/infotainment etc. sits in the middle of the vehicle, but it looks like it’s also part of the driver’s instrument cluster. They are both contained within the same wide screen and there is no differentiating between the screen and the surround. You can choose either a white face or black
I found I had to touch the virtual button a couple of times to get it to actually respond, but it’s something you get used to. Swiping was fine.
The navigation and screen are superb. If you want a little bit of information you can have that, but if you want a turn by turn visual it’s as simple as touching an icon in the corner and boom…plenty of info. LOVED it – it’s one of the very best we’ve ever encountered
The volume button was a real dial, so that kept me happy and there are actual buttons for quick access to the camera, Navigation and audio if you’re in a different screen, as well as a programmable button that you chose to assign a screen to – nice
The very good Sound system is a Bose Premium Sound AM/FM/HD Radio/MP3/XM audio system with 8 speakers
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto comes standard
There’s a USB under the dash and 2 USB-C plugs inside the centre armrest + there’s 2 more USB-C’s for rear passengers
Bluelink Connected System comes standard and like almost all manufacturers’ now, it offers an abundance of information and features that connects your smartphone to your vehicle – complimentary 3-year subscription. Essentially, your smartphone becomes a remote control for your car. The app lets you start your car vehicle remotely, and you can save up to three of your favourite settings and start the car the way you want to and also set the cabin temperature. Additionally you can lock or unlock your Hyundai from a remote location and it can also tell you if your doors are locked or unlocked, if your trunk is open or closed, or indicate if your car needs gas. It will inform you whether rear defrost, climate and heated steering wheel are on or off. Hyundai gave me the info to log in and use it, but for some reason I couldn’t access it.

EV and Safety Features are described in detail after What’s The Verdict? At the end of this review

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How Quick Is It & How Does It Handle?

Shift-by-Wire gear selector – same thing as on the IONOC5 – rotate the end of the shifter for D R and N, push the end in for P. simple and easy to use – love it!
Steering is very good – predictable and well balanced with just the perfect weight and feel
In Eco mode it’s quite sedate and great for 99% of the drivers out there
In Normal mode it ups the ante a little bit and is much more enjoyable with plenty of oomph when you give it some
In Sport mode – stomping on the gas pedal gets you an instant response – as per usual with EV’s and the car takes off like a scolded cat. It’s fun just leaving everyone else in your dust
Lane Keeping Assist is a LOT better and easier to live with than the IONIQ 5 we drove last year. I didn’t have to switch it off this time
There are 3 Driving modes – you just tap it and it changes: NORMAL – for everyday driving. SPORT – adjusts the throttle and steering response and flattens the eyeballs when you stomp on the go pedal. ECO – battery saving and considerably more lethargic. There’s also a Snow mode – you press and hold the Mode button to activate it
But wait… there’s more. It also has a Customizable Drive Mode (Motor/Steering/AWD customization)

Horsepower: 320 / 239 kW
Torque lb-ft: 446
Top Speed: 185 km/h
0-60 km/h (sec): 5.1
Range: 435 km

What Does It Cost? For up-to-date pricing visit: Hyundai Canada
To Buy… IONIQ 6 page >> HERE

Base Price for the IONIQ 6 is $57,677
Test Vehicle: Preferred Long Range AWD – $60,677 (+ $300 for 2024 Model)
+ Ultimate package: $6,000 ~ (+ $700 for 2024 Model)
+ Nocturne Grey paint: $250
As Tested: $66,927 ~ ($67, 927 for 2024 Model)
Ultimate Package is well worth the cost and includes:
20″ alloy wheels / Power folding outside mirrors / Full LED Headlights (Low & high Projection) / Moonroof / Highway Drive Assist II / Surround View Monitor / Blind View Monitor (BVM) / Forward Collision Avoidance (Car/Ped/CYC/Junction Turning & Crossing) / Parking Collision Avoidance Assist – reverse / Parking Distance Warning Forward – reverse / Rain sensing wipers / Two-way onboard charger (V2L) / Wireless device charging / Bose Premium Audio / Leatherette seating surfaces / Premium Relaxation Seating (Driver) / 8-way Power passenger seat with power lumbar / Ventilated front seats / Advanced Head-Up Display (Augmented Reality) / Ambient lighting / Integrated Memory System / Sliding center console

To Operate…

Rated at (Le/100 km): City – 2.1 / Highway – 2.5 / Combined – 2.3
Annual cost to operate (Transport Canada – 20,000 kms / $0.15 kWh): $615
The IONIQ 6 DOES qualify for the Federal Rebate of $4,424.78
EV Incentives in Quebec are (up to $8,000) and B.C gets $3,000, on top of the $5,000 Federal Grants
For vehicles that do qualify click HERE

Warranty:

Comprehensive: 5 years/100,000 km
EV system components: 8 years/160,000 km
Roadside Assistance: 5 years /Unlimited km

The Competition
Polestar 2, Tesla Model 3The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

The Good: Pictures and video don’t do this car justice – it’s a VERY good looking car
More Good: Incredibly fast and has a much longer range than Hyundai’s other EV – the IONIQ 5
The Bad: The Frunk is almost useless. There’s no cover to keep anything inside it and it’s so small I can’t think of anything that could go in it to make it valuable. The charge cables would be good for it, but they have their own place in the trunk under the floor
The Ugly: You have to go on a wait list to get one due to the limited supply of certain components… that would explain us not seeing any on the road!

What’s The Verdict?

I LOVED the IONIQ 6 – its loads of fun to drive, it’s comfortable and it looks great. The size is perfect and ingress/egress being terrific with a combination of the seat sliding back and the nice big doors. Price-wise its typical Hyundai – loaded with options and reasonably priced. You may not think just shy of $64k as being “reasonably priced” but compared to the competition – it’s fully loaded at the same or similar price point other EV’s start at. The range is at the top end of what’s available at this point in time (other than Tesla), plus it has been built futureproof and is ready for those 350 kWk chargers if they ever show up in Ontario.

Would I buy this car? In a heartbeat!

IONIQ 6 EV Features:

239 kW Electric motor
Battery Capacity: 77.4 kWh / Output: 272 kWh
Preferred Long Range RWD – 225 hp / 258 lb-ft torque / 581 kms range
Preferred Long Range AWD – 320 hp / 446 lb-ft torque / 509 kms range
Preferred Long Range AWD w/Ultimate Package (20” tires) – 435 kms range
* NOTE: The bigger tires dropped the range from 509 to 435, that’s 74 fewer kms on the exact same car hmmm
4 Levels of selectable coast regen profile Regenerative braking system using steering-wheel mounted paddles (see picture)
Two-way onboard charger (V2L) – allows owners to use the vehicle to charge all sorts of electronic devices, including other EVs (backwards compatible with 400V infrastructure using IONIQ 6 standard multi-charge system)
Programmable when you want to charge – set times for cheaper tariff rates at home for example
Ultra-Fast DC Charge: (Level 3, 350 kWh [800V]) the IONIQ 6 can be charged from 10-80% in just 18 minutes
A 5-minute charge will give you over 100 kms range
15 minutes will give you up to 322 kms
Preconditioning (Heat Pump): To help the battery reach its optimal performance state, prior to departure – and to optimized range, you can precondition the vehicle interior temperature while it’s still plugged in by setting departure times
Home chargers are now extra… once upon a time they were included with your new EV purchase. However the prices have tumbled by at least 50% compared to a couple of years ago
Home Chargers vary in price from around $679 to $800 at Home Depot and you can choose between 30 Amp and 48 amp Level 2 charging
You MAY get government financial rebates/assistance to help defray the cost

Hyundai SmartSense Safety Features Include:

Blind View Monitor (BVM) – loved that it actually chimed if you put your signal light on and someone was in your blind-spot and it may even apply the brakes before you change lanes!!
Surround View Monitor (SVM)
Highway Driving Assist (HDA)

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) with Junction-Turning Detection – a comprehensive monitoring and warning of potential collisions and assists in avoiding collisions – vehicle systems will apply the brakes, if warranted – all using the Front view camera; Front radar / front corner radar / rear corner radar
Lane Following Assist (LFA)
Lane Keeping Assist (LKA)
Driver Attention Warning (DAW) – drive erratically and it tells you to stop for a coffee (I’m assuming, I never drive like that)
High Beam Assist (HBA)
Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) – great if you’ve got kids, annoying as hell if you don’t
Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA)
Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) with Stop-And-Go
Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA)
Parking Distance Warning (Forward and Reverse)
Safe Exit Warning (SEW)
SUPERSTRUCTURE, a state-of-the-art platform built with Hyundai’s very own Advanced High-Strength Steel to deliver exceptional stiffness and strength. In the event of a collision, the SUPERSTRUCTURE helps protect occupants inside the vehicle by absorbing harmful energy and redirecting it away from the passenger compartment