Simon Loasby is Hyundai’s styling chief. The man says the Ioniq 6 is an expression of good things coming together. The new EV has just been revealed but already attracts people with its aesthetic. The carmaker played it smart too. There’s been nothing said about the powertrain. For now, it’s just about the shape.
Hyundai’s Simon Loasby claims headlights are not the most important thing on this car. The Ioniq 5 debuted the Pixel theme that has found itself being truly liked by virtually anyone who manifests any kind of interest in EVs.
He says the side view matters the most. With the 2023 Ioniq 6, proportions reveal that single, impressive curve which helps with aerodynamics and provides the vehicle with an almost unique look. The sedan has a drag coefficient of just 0.21, while the industry average sits between 0.25 and 0.30.
Inspiration for the vehicle has been drawn from the 1930s innovative-looking cars that were wild concepts back then. The streamlined Stout Scarab, for example, served as a muse for the Ioniq 6.
Loasby continues to say in the Top Gear interview that the Ioniq 6 is here to display the “harmony of the highest level of understanding of engineering, aerodynamics, technology, and design,” as vehicles of the 1930s did. The man argues this car is connected to over 100 years of history of the movement of streamlining.
The styling expert also said they didn’t rely on the wind tunnel to shape this car. He argues that streamlining has already been proven to work, so all they did was focus on general architecture.
Moreover, Loasby added that the peregrine falcon’s hunting shape has been somewhat integrated into the final form of the Ioniq 6. The man states tjat nature’s design can easily influence the car industry as it did already with the aviation sector.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 also uses black pigment made from upcycled tires for the polycarbonate black car parts, used to protect the portions where the paint is more exposed to potential damages.
Curiously enough, the design guru underlines with a slight tone of regret that he would’ve liked to see a retractable spoiler at the back. Unfortunately, Hyundai said no because of affordability and weight reasons.
He also confirmed the carmaker is preparing new welcoming scenarios for the lighting signature. These will be available after an over-the-air software update. The Pixel theme helps with letting engineers get creative.
The expert also shares insights about the interior design. You can find more about this by watching the video down below.
Simon Loasby plays an underestimated, but important role at Hyundai. He helped with the growth of the brand identity in China and is now serving as a design strategist for the carmaker worldwide. He reports directly to the marque’s head of the Design Center SangYup Lee and Chief Design Officer Luc Donckerwolke.
The Ioniq 6 might eventually turn out to be a Hyundai product that’s very similar to the Porsche Taycan range. The Germans made an estate out of the good-looking high-performance EV and called it the Sport Turismo. But the Taycan is also available in Cross Turismo shape, thus becoming a raised all-electric wagon.
While Hyundai might skip the Audi A6 allroad recipe altogether, it will most likely introduce a version of the Ioniq 6 that will be a sleek-looking shooting brake with more space for the trunk and rear passengers. It might end up looking like the Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake or the BMW 3 Series Touring. After all, the Korean automaker already has the Genesis G70 Shooting Brake in its portfolio.
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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