Hyundai may just have designed a near Perfect Saloon EV with its Ioniq 6
In the last week of June 2022, Hyundai announced to the public its long awaited saloon(sedan) electric vehicle, the Ioniq 6, and boy is it a streamlined beauty…
But before we proceed, a little recap…
In 2016, Hyundai announced its ambition to go electric with the Ioniq. This early release came in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric versions and had a design similar to the Hyundai vehicles of the time. However, this set of Ioniqs was discontinued in 2021, converting the Ioniq sub-brand name to become synonymous with fully electric.
Thus began its journey to full-on cool, starting with the Ioniq 5.
When word of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 broke out in 2021, the EV world held its breath… What was on the minds of most was “Could this be the vehicle to further push the mass adoption of EV’s?”. I mean, it is aesthetically pleasing to look at, to say the least, with its futuristic exterior and modern automobile interior, has enough geek gimmicks and features to get EV/Tech enthusiasts buzzing, and is sure to catch the public’s attention at the starting price for the base model. Yup, Hyundai really did a thing with the Ioniq 5, and word on the street since owners started receiving their vehicles in mid 2022 has been synonymous with “Worth every Penny!”.
Building on the momentum of their crossover Ioniq 5, Hyundai proceeded to design the Ioniq 6, their saloon release in the Ioniq lineup. The vehicle sources inspiration from the 2020 Prophecy Concept, a concept car designed by Hyundai, and the automobile designs of the 1930’s which saw a lot of flowing lines that gave vehicles a streamlined shape.
To describe its appearance, I’d say the Ioniq 6 looks like a cross between the Tesla Model 3(viewed from the front) and the Porsche 911(viewed from the rear) streamlined to give it a futuristic look; kind of like Ego’s Ship(excuse the Guardian’s of the Galaxy reference). Its very design incorporates function into form and defines what the car is about; the future of EVs. With its low nose, sleek aerodynamic design, front active air flaps, wheel gap reducers, and optional compact digital side mirrors, this beauty is said to be able to glide through breeze with little resistance, a feature which is crucial for improving the economy and driving range of EVs. All these contribute to give the Ioniq 6 an extremely low drag coefficient of just 0.21, as reported by Hyundai, a number that’s near science fiction.
True to the Ioniq sub-brand fashion, a ton of Pixels can be found in locations all around the car; 736 of them to be precise as reported by Hyundai. The idea behind the Ioniq Pixels is one I find really interesting. It’s the company’s attempt to appeal to the “Atari Pong players” of the 70’s, “Tetris enthusiasts” of the 80’s, and today’s “Minecraft gamers”; combining retro with the present to create an appealing future.
From the streamlined body design to the intricate pixel details, one thing is for sure, the Ioniq 6 is Hyundai’s attempt to connect generations in a bid to propel all towards the future of mobility; one which is electric.
