Hyundai has been on the EV offensive for the past couple of years now. The South Korean automaker even has an EV for every budget and every purpose. Case in point, Hyundai has the ‘affordable’ and recently revealed Kona EV and even an electric version of the Porter, also known as the H-100 here in the Philippines.
Of course, Hyundai also has a luxury EV, one that sits above the Ioniq 5. Dubbed the Ioniq 6, it made its global premiere several months back, but it recently made its debut at the 2023 Bangkok International Motor Show. Its arrival in Thailand also marks the regional debut of the Ioniq 6.
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It may look sleek and futuristic on the outside, but you might be surprised that it takes inspiration from the ‘20s and ‘30s. Hyundai’s vice president of styling, SangYup Lee mentioned iconic pieces of design from the said eras that helped shaped the Ioniq 6.
These include the Stout Scarab, the Phantom Corsair, the Tatra 87, the Saab 92 (admittedly, from the ‘50s), and the Douglas C-47 Skytrain. The key here is streamlining, and in the Ioniq 6’s quest to maximize range, an aerodynamic shape was of highest priority. The result is a drag coefficiency of just 0.21. For reference, most cars are in the 0.27 to 0.32.
Speaking of range, it’s a good time to talk about this EV’s powertrain. The Ioniq 6 packs a 77.4 kWh battery that sends charge to electric motors to the front and rear. That makes the Ioniq 6 all-wheel drive, and it gives this EV a total system output of 321hp and 605Nm of torque. The charging times are pretty impressive, too. With a high-speed charger, the battery can do a 10 to 80 percent charge in less than 20 minutes. A full charge would give the Ioniq 6 a range of 614 kilometers.
The interior looks just as dramatic as the exterior. A wide, curved display houses the instrument cluster and infotainment screen, and the slim dash gives the illusion of a floating look. It also has a pair of screens on each door, serving as a display for the side-view cameras. To free up more space, the Ioniq 6 has an electronic gear selector mounted on the steering column. Semi-autonomous driving capabilities are, of course, standard.
With the Ioniq 6 now in the region, does this mean it will land in the Philippines? Well, that might depend on the success of the Ioniq 5. And if more of our neighbors get it, that might just boost its chances of coming here.
