With larger and smaller battery packs, and single- or dual-motor layouts, the rear- or all-wheel-drive Ioniq 6 comports itself like a mini-luxury car. It’s efficient with its copious power, and rides with a controlled demeanor, earning points for both to take it to a 7 here.
Hyundai fits the base Ioniq 6 SE Standard Range with a 53-kwh battery and a single electric motor that drives the rear wheels. So configured, it delivers 149 hp and 240 miles of EPA-rated range—and takes 9.0 seconds to reach 60 mph.
That’s strictly economy-car performance these days, so we’d pony up to the 77.4-kwh battery in other Ioniq 6 models. Here, with a single motor and rear-wheel drive, the Ioniq 6 puts out 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, and can rush to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. Moderately swift, it responds best to passing maneuvers. For the strongest sensation of speed, there’s the dual-motor Ioniq 6, which spins out 320 hp and 446 lb-ft, and skips to 60 mph in 5.1 seconds. The off-the-line leap of a spicy Model 3 isn’t there, but the Ioniq 6 with the big battery pulls cleanly and resolutely as it slips through traffic.
Is the Hyundai Ioniq 6 4WD?
So long as there are two motors present, yes. This Ioniq 6 also has five drive modes—Eco, Normal, Sport, Snow, and Custom—which split and move torque between the front and rear axles to smooth acceleration according to conditions.
The modes tweak steering feel too, and dial up more weight and resistance from the Eco and Normal modes, which helps lane tracking but doesn’t impart a truly sporty feel to the sedan. Yes, it’s tuned more firmly than the related Ioniq 5—it sits and rides lower to the ground—but body lean still files off the eagerness that might be held in reserve for a future N edition. The Ioniq 6 focuses, for now, on slick road manners: a set of hydraulic bushings damps out the road better than the usual rubber, and its springs and shocks quell body movement better than the stiff-riding Model 3.
How does regenerative braking work in the Ioniq 6?
With steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters, drivers can tailor the car’s regenerative braking through four settings. They notch through successive settings that transition from coasting to a full one-pedal drive mode that pulls the Ioniq 6 down to a smooth, evenly modulated stop.