We Rode Shotgun in the All-New Hyundai IONIQ 6 in New York: It's a Real Gem

At last year's Hyundai booth at NYIAS, their indoor EV test track was dotted with the then all-new Ioniq 5. A delightful five-door family hatchback/small crossover with more screen space than the average Apple store and enough grunt under the "hood" to satisfy all but the most pretentious of sports car drivers. But you don't win three 2023 World Car Awards, including the World Car of the Year, by being the automotive equivalent of a single-issue voter. You have to cover all of the bases to cover the needs of everybody.

As we approached the Hyundai EV test track at the Jacob K. Javits Center in Manhattan, it was easy for all the negative stereotypes Americans expect from what Hyundai used to be to rear their ugly heads. Ideas that Hyundai must have been worshiping at the altar of Ferdinand Porsche with the way the Ioniq 6 looks like a VW Beetle crossed with a Porsche Panamera or 911.

But the closer you walk to the Ioniq 6 you approach, this illusion of brazen design thievery begins to dissipate. In time, the unique visual cues of this EV's unique shape begin to make themselves known. Items like the striking and ostensibly non-Porsche-looking alloy wheels and the straightforward but handsome front fascia look just different enough from a Porsche to turn some heads.

The positive points only increased as we made our way around the vehicle to take some photos. That somewhat derivative but otherwise still iconic teardrop shape melds well with the Ioniq 6's flush-mounted door handles, which rise out from their recesses when the driver touches a capacitive sensing mechanism. Those who remember the similarly styled Chrysler Crossfire might recall how easy it is to make a teardrop shape look like a dog doing its business. But that's simply not the case with this Hyundai.

In truth, it wasn't abundantly clear at first which of the Ioniq 6's three trim levels we were sitting in that day. For the sake of simplicity, the extended range standard edition shouldn't count as its own bespoke trim level. Only the larger 20-inch alloy wheels gave away that the two cars at the show were either a mid-range SEL model or the range-topping Limited.

But if you ask us, you'll get almost much of the benefits of this novel platform from the base model as you would with the flagship in the series, minus the extra power in long-range variants, of course. With dimensions of 191 inches in length and 74 inches wide with a curb weight between 3,968 and 4,530 lbs (1,800–2,055 kg), the Ioniq 6 in any of its high-end, low-end, long-range, or standard-range examples aren't exactly featherweights.

Even just 20 years ago, it would have been seen as pretty chunky. But as our courtesy Hyundai driver for the session explained, the 321 horsepower permanent magnet synchronous electric motor in this long-range, all-wheel-drive variant is more than capable of hoofing it. This was a notion my driver proved right away as we sped down the track. In between short bursts of impressive acceleration and feeling the car dive into corners with considerable glee and only a little body roll, we took time to notice how nice the interior of the Ioniq 6 feels here in New York.

Any $40 to $50 thousand car with legitimacy needs comfortable seats, and the Ioniq 6 has that in droves. Furthermore, the front driver's screen and steering wheel arrangement looks clean and well put together in ways some EVs from other brands don't. It's important to note that the Ioniq 6 shares a platform and plenty of internal components with its sibling, the Ioniq 5. They also share parts of the same assembly at the Hyundai Asan plant in South Korea.

Seeing how much we liked the Ioniq 5 in New York last year, it's no wonder we felt right at home in the sleeker Ioniq 6. Though it only lasted less than 90 seconds, the Ioniq 6 made an enormous impression on us here in New York. If nothing else, it proves that automotive design isn't doomed to endless amorphous blobs of machines due to safety restrictions on modern vehicles.

There can still be shades of vibrant reds and blues, among other interesting colors, hidden among the endless dull shades of gray that modern EVs can sometimes find themselves looking like. $45,500 as a base price for a mid-size electric sedan might be a big ask. But rest assured. You will get your money's worth. You can take it from us that this is true.

Check back soon for more live coverage from the New York International Auto Show here on autoevolution.