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Hyundai finally unveils the Ioniq 6, largely inspired by the Prophecy concept car. Exit the control joysticks and the antagonistic opening doors at the rear. Based on the dedicated E-GMP platform, the Ioniq 6 displays an aerodynamic line with a Cx of 0.21.
Who says car designers can only make SUVs? This is certainly not the case with Hyundai, which is finally unveiling the sublime Ioniq 6, an electric sedan close to the Prophecy concept car revealed in March 2020. It will be remembered that the Hyundai 45 concept gave birth to the very design Ioniq 5, although this was an SUV.
Like the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 6 is based on the modular platform dedicated to E-GMP electricity and will adopt an 800 V electrical architecture.
No technical data has been communicated and the car will be made official on July 14th. However, according to the few media that have seen the Hyundai, it seems that its wheelbase would be 2.95 meters. Which would position it between the Ioniq 5 (3 m) and the Kia EV6 (2.90 m). On the other hand, the Ioniq 6 will be shorter than the Ioniq 5.
The Ioniq 6 is an emotional convergence between functionality and aesthetics.
The Ioniq 6 cannot deny its affiliation with the Prophecy concept, in particular because of the shape of its identical headlights, the little news however abandoning their futuristic side and ignoring the pixelated design like the Ioniq 5 .
The Hyundai Prophecy concept car unveiled at the IAA show in Munich in 2021. © Erick Fontaine / Digital
Exit the antagonistic doors and joysticks of the Prophecy on the new Ioniq 6 © Erick Fontaine / Digital
The rear is very similar to the Prophecy, although that of the Ioniq 6 seems longer and drops abruptly. The cause is surely to be found on the side of the passengers, who must be able to settle in the passenger compartment without banging their heads. As a reminder, the Prophecy concept is equipped with antagonistic opening doors at the rear, the central pillar being absent.
© Erick Fontaine / Digital
On the other hand, the spoiler is present, positioned on the trunk. He abandons the transparent acrylic material for black plastic, which is easier and cheaper to produce. However, this spoiler retains its multitude of pixels, which move in one direction or the other like K2000, the car of the vigilante Michael Kinight.
The rear lights are also pixel-based like the Ioniq 5.
Sangyup Lee, head of design at Hyundai, explained to our colleagues from the American site ArsTechnica that “the pixel is something that bridges the gap between analog and digital. It’s so unique, and the thinner it gets, the more digital it becomes. The right balance between pixel and light signature is a key part of our design“.
A Cd of 0.21
But what strikes the eye the most is the profile of the car, with an aerodynamic line that results in a coefficient of drag (Cd) of 0.21 – the Mercedes EQS has a Cd of 0.20 against 0.23 for the Tesla Model 3. This should improve autonomy. We imagine that the Ioniq 6 will integrate a 77.4 kWh battery, the most suitable for the E-GMP platform.
This curvature, again according to Sangyup Lee, was inspired in the past with the Stout Scarab (1930s-1940s minivan) and the Tatra 87 (1936-1950s saloon with a spoiler separating the rear window into two parts) .
We will notice in the photos that the Ioniq 6 is equipped with retro-cameras like the Honda e, Lexus ES and other Audi e-tron. The images from these retro-cameras are displayed on screens placed at each end of the dashboard, towards the A-pillar of the windscreen. Of course, the installation of these retro-cameras will depend on the legislation in force in each country. Thus, in the United States, only conventional mirrors will be offered.
Touchscreen and physical controls
On the passenger side, there are many elements from the Ioniq 5. But new features are present, such as LEDs on the steering wheel used to provide information on the load, on the activation of voice recognition or when a rear collision is unavoidable. Unlike other manufacturers who rely on all touchscreen, Hyundai integrates physical controls dedicated to air conditioning and the audio system.
Here too, Hyundai, or rather Sangyup Lee, goes there with his little explanation: “The touchscreen is great when this car is stationary, but when you’re in motion, touchscreens can be dangerous. So we’re always thinking about the right balance, user experience, buttons and their combination with voice activation. Going forward, it’s obvious that voice activation will play a major role over the touchscreen, but that’s still in transition. For us, for anything related to security, we use hardware. Anything non-security related will use a touch interface. That’s how we balance things — that’s how we establish the hierarchies“. (source ArsTechnica)
Production of the Hyundai Ioniq 6 will begin next month, and the sedan will be officially presented in its entirety on July 14. As for the prices, these should be below those of the Ioniq 5.