Hyundai Ioniq 6 CE (2023-Present) Expert Review

Overall Rating

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is, put simply, among the best electric vehicles on sale today. Smooth, efficient and dripping with want-one appeal, it’s everything you want in an everyday sedan. It’s expensive, however, and the compromised practicality and lack of local app support do count against it.

Performance

Single-motor Max variant provides more than adequate shove, making the dual-motor all-wheel-drive version a bit of an overkill. Regenerative braking is masterfully judged, offering good stopping power without being abrupt. Slippery aerodynamics help the RWD model deliver over 500 km of real-world range, although efficiency is poor in traffic jams. Charging with DC can hit around 235 kW, and the car can sustain an impressively high amount of power throughout the charging process.

Ride & Handling

Capable rather than engaging on a twisty road. Steering is devoid of feedback but smooth and accurate, letting you build a rhythm with the car in concert with the gentle body roll and good grip. The downside is that the ride is firm even on the base 18-inch wheels, although it does flatten out nicely at speed; the poor turning circle also makes the Ioniq 6 more cumbersome to park than it should be.

Comfort

The Ioniq 6 is an excellent highway cruiser, thanks to its generous range, supportive seats and noise-reducing all-round double glazing. On Max versions, the powered front seats offer plenty of adjustment and come with memory, ventilation and a cool one-touch recline function. Auto air con works well when left to its own devices, but the touch controls grate.

Safety

Standard kit includes eight airbags - including a front centre airbag - and a full array of driver assists. Level 2 semi-autonomous driving works reasonably well but the lane centring assist only functions on straightaways and gentle highway curves. Blind spot cameras that show up in the instrument cluster are a godsend as the touchscreen can continue to display navigation directions at critical points.

Space

The Ioniq 6’s lengthy wheelbase provides acres of legroom, but the sloping rear roofline robs headroom at the back. Storage spaces could be better designed - the door bins are long but narrow and won’t fit large water bottles, while the tray under the centre console encroaches on footwell space. The front and rear boots are decently roomy but fall short of class best; the AWD’s frunk is especially mean.

Value

All the technology that enables the Ioniq 6’s astonishing efficiency and charging speeds make it very expensive. Even the base model costs north of RM200,000 and for that you don’t even get powered seats. Really, the Max versions are the ones to get, with lots of range and equipment - but they do cost the thick end of RM300,000. Even here, there’s no wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, and the lack of app support means you annoyingly can’t check your car’s charging status remotely.