Hit for six: 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 v Kia EV6

Whereas the Kia EV6 runs a line between SUV and liftback in its shape, the Ioniq 6 is more of a sedan. Hyundai is calling it a ‘streamliner’ because of the slippery proportions, but underneath that interesting sheetmetal is effectively a three-box design.

It a modern-looking interior with some interesting design elements happening, but for me it’s not as fetching or sleek overall as the stablemate EV6.

Storage is in strong supply, underneath the floating central console is huge space for big and bulky things, and there are two cupholders topside. The centre console is quite big, has an additional storage bin for stuff, and hides two USB-C power outlets. 

The USB-A point up front is there for smartphone mirroring, and there’s also a 12V plug hiding lower down. On top of the wireless charging pad, your power needs will likely be well met.

The drawer-style glovebox is interesting, sliding horizontally outwards instead of hinging downwards. Window buttons on the centre console are also unorthodox, leaving the doors looking minimalist. Maybe Hyundai’s interior designers spent some time in classic Range Rovers and early Land Rover Discoveries?

If you’re wondering what those blank wings on the end of the dashboard are, they exist to house the digital side mirrors in the top-spec model. Here, they just look a bit funny. 

The seating in the Ioniq 6 doesn’t look nearly as radical as the exterior, but it’s plenty comfortable with the right levels of adjustment on offer. There’s heating and ventilation, along with electric adjustment.

The second row has bucketloads of leg room on offer, significant amounts, in fact, but head room is not so good, though. That comes from the flowing roof line, which cinches down over your head a little. Tall people will find issue here, and visibility isn’t phenomenal either.

Air vents and USB power outlets are in the regulation location on the back of the centre console, and window buttons and seat heating buttons are on the doors.

The boot of the Ioniq 6 is probably larger than you might think, when you consider the truncated rump. Opening the electric boot lid reveals a decent 416L, which isn’t huge when you consider the overall size of the car. The aperture is fairly small, but the space is decent enough once you start jamming stuff in there.

And if you get desperate for storage space, don’t forget about the modest front trunk. There’s 14.5L here (less than the 45L in a rear-wheel-drive model), which is mostly taken up by charging cables anyway.

Typical of many electric vehicles that use a dedicated EV platform, the EV6 feels spacious and airy inside. There’s no bulkiness to the dashboard, and no transmission tunnel to contend with, which means you find a lot of open space around the floor between the driver and front passenger.

The design of the EV6 is modern and interesting as well, with the highly anecdotal straw poll of friends and family saying how modern and futuristic it looked inside. 

Part of that look comes from the floating-style centre console in the middle accentuated by some ambient LED lighting.  It works from a practicality point of view as well, with a large storage bin on the floor that can absorb plenty of stuff.

In terms of power outlets, there are two USB-C outlets, a 12-volt plug and a USB-A port that handles your smartphone mirroring.

On the topside, you have some more storage in the centre console, two cupholders and a wireless charging pad for your smartphone. The flash-looking rotary dial is your gear selector, and some piano-style buttons at the front of the console are for heating and ventilation functions.

The seats are wrapped in a perforated suede-like material, and having some contrast of colours does help the ambience of the interior. 

Controlling your climate comes via a dual-functionality panel below the infotainment display, which does work well. Some might prefer to have these set separately, especially if they are one to constantly fiddle with volume and air conditioning. But it condenses down the interior usage a bit and worked well for me. 

The fully flat floor continues to pay dividends in the second row of the EV6, which feels very spacious. There’s loads of leg room on offer and head room is also decent. USB power outlets are located on the seats in front – something of a novelty – and air vents are located on the B-pillars. 

Its seating is comfortable and visibility is good in the second row for the EV6, but I noticed my thighs and knees sat slightly higher and off the seat compared to the Ioniq 6. 

Boot space offers storage totalling 480L in the GT-Line we’re testing, losing 10L to the subwoofer that comes with the upgraded audio system compared to the EV6 Air, but we had enough room for luggage and camera gear. The space on offer suggests useful storage for a family holiday, even if there are two parents and two kids. 

In comparison to the sedan format of the Ioniq 6, the liftback-meets-crossover set-up of the EV6 does seem to be more practical. It’s larger, but mostly from the height of the space than length. But having a larger opening works better, as well.

Infotainment inside the Ioniq 6 comes from a familiar 12.3-inch display, which is joined by a digital instrument cluster of the same size and housed in the same big panel atop the dashboard.

However, this tech has recently been usurped in-house by the Kona and Sonata, which have curved displays of the same size but with new operating software.

Regardless, this is a good and easy-to-use system. It has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, along with native navigation and digital radio. There’s also the ‘Sounds of Nature’ function, which is quite gimmicky and something I can never foresee myself using.

The sound system is an eight-speaker Bose-branded system, which has an external amplifier and decent-quality performance. This is the same system available across the range, but it’s worth pointing out that the EV6 gets a better 14-speaker Meridian unit in GT-Line and GT specifications.

Where the Hyundai does well in comparison, however, are the Bluelink connected services, which allow owners to do all manner of updates and checks via their smartphones. These include geofencing and speed/time alerts, location checking, and remote climate control.

There’s no doubt the twin 12.3-inch screens, curved subtly as well, are the centrepiece of the EV6’s cabin, and a nod to the futuristic nature of the new vehicle. They flow like one large screen across the dash, and are easily viewable in any light. We like the graphics that Kia has used, and the control system is a cinch to get familiar with. 

That’s the key too. How easy the system is to use. If you’re new to this whole EV thing, there’s a lot to get your head around and work out.

There’s so much going on under the skin in a tech sense, an extra headache like trying to work out the infotainment system would be a pain in the backside. Kia’s is excellent and it’s genuinely easy to decipher. 

We used wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto extensively on our trips, and it was faultless at all times. The proprietary satellite navigation is also accurate and quick to respond, and a good alternative to the smartphone interface if you prefer.

The wireless charging pad also worked well, but I prefer a regular cabled connection that doesn’t heat the phone up – you’ll need this to pair your smartphone anyway.

On our drive, I especially liked the inclusion of the bright head-up display. It works beautifully in that you almost forget it’s there, but when you want it, it’s clearly visible. The driver’s screen can also be customised to display what you prefer to look at, and once you get the EV6 set up the way you like it, it really is a clever application of technology. 

We’ve mentioned it numerous times now, but the single control panel that can be moved from HVAC to audio/satellite navigation is simple in its appearance, and brilliant in the way it cleans up the lower section of the centre console. What seems initially like a lack of buttons and switchgear is, more accurately, a smarter way of presenting them. 

A special shout-out to the customisable star button as well, which can act like a really handy shortcut to whatever you like. There’s one on the steering wheel too, and I found it set to return to phone projection simplified things nicely. 

There is a five-star ANCAP safety score for the Ioniq 6, which includes all models in the range and was attained recently in 2022.

There is an impressive 97 per cent score for adult occupant protection, while child occupants get an 88 per cent rating. Vulnerable road users (pedestrians) don’t fare as well with a 66 per cent score, and the safety assistance systems on board get a 90 per cent rating.

Since the last time we reviewed the Kia EV6, it has picked up a five-star ANCAP safety rating. It’s a 2022 rating, and includes all models in the range except for the most powerful and most expensive GT spec.

There’s a 90 per cent protection score for adult occupants, and 87 per cent score for child occupants. Pedestrians get a 64 per cent score, while the safety assistance systems were rated at 88 per cent.

On top of full marks from ANCAP, the Ioniq 6 has a solid repertoire of safety equipment. This includes blind-spot collision avoidance and assistance, driver attention warning, autonomous emergency braking (which includes junction, pedestrian and cyclist detection but not motorcycles), intelligent speed limit assistance, lane-keep and lane-follow assistance, rear occupant alert and safe-exit warning.

There’s low-speed parking collision avoidance technology that works for forward, rearwards and side obstructions, and an advanced cruise control that will work in stop-start traffic and will adapt to driving habits.

The surround-view camera system in the Ioniq 6 has a handful of different vision modes, and can also feed vision of your blind spot into the digital instrument cluster when you turn on your indicators.

Another unsurprising element of this comparison is the fact that the EV6 hits many similar marks in terms of safety equipment. This includes autonomous emergency braking that covers junctions, cyclists and pedestrians, lane-keep and lane -follow assistance, blind-spot warning and collision avoidance, safe-exit warning and assistance, low-speed reverse autonomous braking, intelligent speed limit assistance and a 360-degree camera system that provides a blind-spot monitor.

There’s also driver attention alert, adaptive cruise control with stop-go functionality, automatic headlights and wipers, and parking sensors at both ends.

Fewer moving parts in an electric vehicle means service intervals are relatively long: two years or 30,000km required between visits. Service costs are cheap as well, with $570 needed after two years and $1660 after four years.

Like other Hyundais, the Ioniq 6 gets a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty. The high-voltage battery that powers the electric motors is covered by a separate warranty, which runs for more time (eight years) but is limited to 160,000km.

Insurance costs $2091.87 based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

This is a tough one, and I’m reminded of it every time we speak about EVs and affordability on the radio shows we do around the country. We’ll immediately get calls and messages from people who claim that currently no EV is ‘actually affordable’ to the average person.

That may be true. However, plenty of Australian buyers spend a lot more than the cost of an EV6 on a new car. And, in that sense, with that fact on the table, the EV6 does indeed represent solid value for money. 

It’s right up in the same realm as its main competition listed above, with the industry-leading seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty that not every manufacturer offers. What Kia calls ‘high-voltage’ components are covered by a seven-year/150,000km warranty. 

Another smart move by any manufacturer is to offer clear and upfront capped-price servicing. EV6 buyers can access prepaid servicing, locking in the cost of ongoing maintenance that delivers real peace of mind. Three years will set you back $594, while five years cost $1089.

It’s worth noting that the EV6 requires more frequent visits to the dealership with service intervals half as long as the Ioniq 6.

For insurance, the EV6 brought up an online figure of $2,361.48 according to a quote generator. This is based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

This is a big deal for the Ioniq 6, and perhaps the biggest feather it its cap. On a set loop of driving that included country roads, hills and some trafficked suburban roads, we got a figure of 14.7kWh per 100 kilometres. This beats the claim of 16.9kWh/100km from Hyundai, and gives credence to the claim of over 519km between recharges.

Our driving loop took in parts of Western Sydney and the lower Blue Mountains, and clearly favoured the vehicle for outright efficiency.

Recent testing I have done with other EVs can see the efficiency of an EV nosedive when driving at 110km/h for long periods on the highway. But the Ioniq 6 is one of the best I’ve seen so far in this regard. If you want an EV most suited to longer interstate runs, then the Ioniq 6 could be the pick of the current litter.

There’s vehicle-to-load functionality, and being able to charge at speeds of up to 350kW for short periods can reduce your recharge times significantly in comparison to other EVs on the market. However, it’s worth pointing out that I only saw speeds of up to 250kW for a short period when charging at a (purported) 350kW Evie charger in Sydney.

On a road trip, charging from around 25 per cent to 80 per cent will give you the fastest gains. Going anywhere above 80 per cent will see the charge rate quickly drop as the battery manages itself.

In direct comparison to the Ioniq 6 – driving the exact-same loop around Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains – I was impressed but not in the least bit surprised to find economy almost bang-on the same. We logged 14.9kWh/100km, which is a whisker higher than the Hyundai but still a good number.

Outside of that testing, which clearly did seem like an efficient loop, the number started creeping up towards around 17kWh/100km. Once again, this is the same as the Hyundai. However, I’d wager a bet that the Hyundai would get the efficiency edge on a more onerous highway run, where the drag coefficient will play a big part while regeneration pales.

Using the same 400/800V electric architecture as the Hyundai, this EV6 has the same claimed 350kW charging capability, which can slash charging times down quite a bit when you compare it against some other electric vehicles. However, we could only max out a charging session to around 200kW at an Evie charger.

In comparison to the EV6, this Ioniq 6 feels unsurprisingly familiar and similar. It does have a slightly longer wheelbase and lower weight, but it’s impressively comfortable and easy to drive on the road and highway.

There’s a good ride quality on offer, with low-speed bumps being handled particularly well. It loses a slight edge of composure when travelling at higher speeds around 50 or 60km/h. It’s a shame, because that’s what you’re mostly going to be doing when plugging your way through the suburbs. 

This is after direct comparison with the EV6, which doesn’t feel as brittle in these situations. However, in isolation, it does feel quite good and premium and is fun to drive. 

And I’ve got to say, the Ioniq 6 handles quite well for something reasonably long and heavy, holding the road with good competency. With the ability to pick up plenty of post-corner pace and a nice steering feel, you can enjoy yourself behind the wheel.

When you start to encounter mid-corner bumps or rougher roads, you’ll feel the weight of the vehicle – a reasonably substantial 2078kg of tare mass – comes into play more, and you’ll feel the urge to taper your speed. 

Twin motors give instant torque and allow it to hit 100km/h from a standstill in 5.1 seconds. Typical of EVs, it’s responsive and smooth, but that scintillating performance does get tempered at higher speeds. It’s still quick, mind you, and plenty powerful enough for highway overtakes and the like. But it’s not quite the same as that out-of-the-hole feeling you get from a standstill.

And, of course, it’s a really quiet drive. At least, it would be if it weren’t for one highly annoying element. 

The beeping and donging of the traffic sign recognition system is – once again for Hyundai – frustrating. It can get facts wrong from time to time, reading the wrong sign or missing others, which means it’s haranguing you for no good reason. You can turn it off by digging through some menus on the infotainment display, but it will turn itself back on when the vehicle cycles through a restart.

A local suspension and steering tune on the EV6, developed and implemented for the Australian market, does pay clear dividends here. In a nutshell, the EV6 feels sweetly balanced between ride comfort, handling and steering feel.

And perhaps it’s that local spit and polish that make a difference here, giving the EV6 a semblance of composure on rougher surfaces that the Ioniq 6 cannot match. Whereas the Hyundai loses a dash of composure at certain speeds, the EV6 is able to absorb bumps nicely.

Importantly, the EV6 is fun to drive. There is a rear-wheel-drive bias that is engaging on the right strip of road, but watch out for that weight coming into contention when you push things along. 

With twin-motor propulsion, the EV6 feels plenty quick to drive around town. Yes, there’s the even faster GT to consider for more money, but I’d wager that this GT-Line is more than fast enough for most tastes.

The initial acceleration – like the Hyundai – is impressively fast as the torque hits in one big thud. The surging feeling tapers as speed builds up, but there is always enough on tap for things like overtaking and merging.

Another comparison between the two puts the EV6 ahead, with its less aggressive (and noisy) traffic sign recognition system. The Hyundai’s system may be more advanced, but it’s also more annoying when it gets things wrong.

The Ioniq 6 is one of those polarising cars that some love but others seem to dislike. Not a full despisal, but some just don’t agree with the looks of this Ioniq 6. For me, I’m mostly in the former category. The divisive looks are the product of form following function, and I can appreciate that. It’s not a classically pretty vehicle, but when you consider the advantages of slipping through the air, I respect it.

It will pay dividends for buyers as well, especially if you plan to spend a lot of time driving at highway speeds.

The Ioniq 6 is let down by that annoying traffic sign recognition system, which is something I’ve experienced on a handful of Hyundais recently. Hopefully Hyundai can do something about it. Another consideration for buyers is the lack of head room for adults in the second row, and the sedan-style connection between the cabin and the boot.

While it’s mightily impressive and the cheapest choice between these two, I found myself favouring the EV6 in too many areas overall. The better ride quality, extra space in the second row and boot, fewer dings and dongs from the safety technology, and a better-detailed interior saw it edge ahead.

But if you can live with the traffic sign recognition system and lack of head room in the second row, the Ioniq 6 feels impressively different and offers advantages in efficiency and range.