Pros: The design is amazing, feels like a regular car, has both regular buttons AND touch screen controls, packs a lot of great features, have I mentioned the design is amazing?
Cons: Pricing – higher trims can command high price tags. $7500 tax credit is not out of the box.
Summary: The most “regular car” feeling EV that looks great.
I recently drove the new IONIQ 6 with my friend Jake, who is the GM of Hyundai of Albany (thanks again!). Without him going into any of the operating instructions, I was able to hop in and go. I remember when I first drove the 2nd gen Prius and needed a moment to figure out how to put it in drive. Tesla automatically “starts” once you are in the car, and it takes a moment to realize that you can just…go. These departures from the norms of a regular car are okay; however, I realized once I was halfway through my review with Jake something important about the IONIQ 6 – it feels like a normal car. The way it accelerates, the brakes (which can sometimes be weird for EVs), shifting into gear, are all very normal. Now, at the same time, the design and materials are stunning, so it does feel like a very nice car after all. However, for those looking for something that feels familiar, the IONIQ is the choice.
Everyone is moving towards crossover SUVs these days, and I can’t stand it. They are all bland. This is another reason why I love the IONIQ 6. It’s a beautiful sedan design with a large, comfortable back seat, and it really does stand out. The platform is shared with the equally stunning IONIQ 5 SUV. And, both share actual touchable buttons (one of my pet peeves!) so almost all basic operations of the HVAC and radio can be managed without having to find the correct screen on the infotainment system.
For the downsides – When I was filming the review, I was taken aback slightly to see the price tag of the test model of around $50,000. Vehicles in general are expensive – the average sale price of a new car in the US as of Fall 2023 is $48,000 – so in that case, it’s not overly expensive. However, this isn’t the highest trim level. It does have lots of nice features and AWD, but it lacked some of the top-tier features such as the SMART PAHK. Also, in terms of pricing, the IONIQ does not meet the standards for the $7,500 tax credit currently available to most Americans because it’s built in South Korea. Jake tells me there is a way to lease one of these, then buy it after your term is up, and that Hyundai is planning to build a huge production facility in the USA to help alleviate this.
