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Review – Hyundai IONIQ 6 (2024) – 600 kilometers of range and 15 minutes of fast charging

June 24, 2024

Spectacular

The Korean brand Hyundai currently builds perhaps the most spectacular models you can buy, apart from expensive sports cars and supercars, of course. We mentioned above the new Kona and the striking IONIQ 5, but there is also a street-legal racing version of the latter: the 478 kW (650 hp) strong IONIQ 5 N.

IONIQ 6

Surely Hyundai’s absolute eye-catcher at the moment is the IONIQ 6. This extremely streamlined car is almost as aerodynamic as the Mercedes-Benz EQS. With its aerodynamic design, it almost looks like a big drop of water on wheels, cutting through the air effortlessly. Even the Hyundai logo on the hood has been made thinner to minimize drag. With its low CW value of 0.21, this car was built with one goal: maximum range.

Close-up of the left front of a sleek black Hyundai IONIQ 6, with its modern headlight and tire set against a backdrop of green grass and trees. This innovative vehicle boasts a remarkable range of 600 kilometers, perfect for long trips with just 15 minutes of fast charging.
Close-up of a Hyundai IONIQ 6 emblem on the hood with a background of trees and a cloudy sky reflected on the car's surface, showing its impressive 600-kilometer range and fast-charging capabilities.

Which one should you have?

The IONIQ 6 is available with two battery variants: a 53 kWh version with a 429-kilometer range and a 77.4 kWh version that achieves a whopping 614 kilometers on paper. The small battery sends its power to a 111 kW (151 hp) electric motor. The AWD variant has the large battery in the floor as standard and an electric motor on both the front and rear axles that together deliver 239 kW (325 hp). This allows it to sprint from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.1 seconds and has a WLTP range of 520 km.

On a rural road surrounded by trees and fields, a black Hyundai IONIQ 6 sedan with license plate X-681-RG is parked. With its impressive 600-kilometer range and fast-charging power, it is ready for any journey.

IONIQ 6 RWD Long-Range

In the Netherlands, you actually have to have the version we are testing: the RWD Long-Range. It features the large battery and a single electric motor – on the rear axle – with 168 kW (228 hp). In fact, this variant has the best range: 614 km. In addition, with a 0-100 time of 7.4 seconds, it is smooth enough.

During our week of testing, consumption regularly dipped below 160 watt-hours per kilometer. In eco mode, we even achieve less than 15 kWh/100 km. Impressive, especially when you realize that our test car rolled on 20-inch wheels. They fill the wheel arches nicely, but with 18-inch wheels you are very likely to dip below 14 kWh/100 km and get 550-600 kilometers in practice. With the big wheels, we end up with about 500 real miles. Also a very neat score, of course, because for many Dutch people, loading once or twice a week is often more than enough.

A black Hyundai IONIQ 6 with license plate X-681-RG is parked on a fast-charging country road, surrounded by trees and a cloudy sky in the background. With a range of 600 kilometers, this car combines efficiency with elegance.
Side view of a parked black Hyundai IONIQ 6, showing the detailed design of the alloy wheels and reflections of surrounding trees and a person on the car's shiny surface, alluding to its impressive 600-kilometer range.
Close-up of the front wheel of the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 with a geometric alloy rim design, parked on a road with grass and trees in the background, with an impressive range of 600 kilometers.

Fast Charging Champion

Moreover, loading is a snap. Few EVs can charge as quickly as the IONIQ 6. It can handle up to 240 kW with a fast charger. Moreover, it maintains the high payload for a long time. Even around 70% SoC (state of charge), it can still handle 160 kW of charging power. That is already more than many competitors can handle as maximum payload. A Volkswagen ID.4 achieves 135 kW on its best day. So the IONIQ 6 does that even when the battery is already nearly full. The result? At a Fastned location along the A1, we pop the battery from 25 to 80 percent full in 16 minutes. Just enough time for your coffee to cool to drinkable temperature….

At a roadside, a sleek, black Hyundai IONIQ 6 sedan is parked with green grass in the foreground and a cloudy sky in the background, highlighting its impressive 2024 range.

But is it somewhat practical?

The IONIQ 6 is clearly less practical than the IONIQ 5. Whereas the IONIQ 5 is a hatchback, the IONIQ 6 is a sedan. So it has a traditional tailgate, through which no tall items will fit. So the ‘6’ is not an ideal moving van, but thanks to its deep luggage compartment, it easily holds a good number of suitcases, crates and bags. So it’s perfectly usable as a vacation car, as long as you don’t take high items with you. Under the hood is a small storage area – a “frunk” – where you can hide some more small items.

A sleek black Hyundai IONIQ 6, equipped with a range of 600 kilometers and the ability to charge quickly, is parked on a road next to a grassy field, the trunk open. The license plate reads
The interior of the trunk of the Hyundai IONIQ 6 includes a round tote bag and a blue pack of stuff on the floor, all ready to support its impressive 600-kilometer range.
The image shows the rear interior of a 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 with the rear seat folded down, revealing a spacious luggage compartment. A blue item is placed in the storage area near the open hatch, demonstrating the vehicle's versatile storage options and impressive range.
Trunk of the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 with a Hyundai logo on the left and a blue bag on the right. The rear seats are folded down.

Spacious second row of seats

The second row of seats offers generous space thanks to a vehicle length of 4.86 meters and a wheelbase of 2.95 meters. Headroom is somewhat limited by the sloping roofline, but up to a height of 1.85 meters you sit comfortably. With two USB-C ports and a 230-volt outlet, rear passengers can provide fresh power to all their electronics.

Inside view of the back seat of a Hyundai IONIQ 6 with light-colored upholstery, two headrests and ample legroom. The car has a range of 600 kilometers and is parked in a picturesque outdoor setting with green fields visible through the windows.
Close-up of a rectangular in-car control panel with warning labels and symbols, mounted on a gray carpeted surface. The panel, likely from the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6, contains a key slot and a button with a child seat icon.
A close-up of the rear vents in the interior of a Hyundai IONIQ 6, located between the front seats. The vents have adjustable dials and the surrounding surfaces are light gray with some textured patterns. With its range of 600 kilometers, every detail enhances your ride.

Wave pattern

The IONIQ 6 looks as special inside as it does outside. The interior has many striking shapes, such as a wave pattern in the door panels. The controls for the windows are in center console. Not to save costs, but to create more storage space in the doors.

The infotainment system works nice and smooth and is quite clear. One drawback is the lack of wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; you still need a cable, and one with an old-fashioned USB A connector. Remarkable, since all other USB ports are USB-C except the main one in the front.

A modern car interior with a large digital dashboard, steering wheel and light gray seats in the Hyundai IONIQ 6. An iPhone is placed in the center console near the gearshift, reflecting the 600-kilometer range.
Close-up of the Hyundai IONIQ 6's window control panel with four window adjustment buttons, one lock button and a phone in the adjacent compartment.
Close-up of the interior door panel of a Hyundai IONIQ 6 featuring a metal handle, a sleek design with a textured surface and an integrated speaker.

You can’t see anything through the rear window, can you?

You might not expect it with that sloping roofline and all those spoilers on the back, but rear visibility is fine. The large B-pillar does stand out, but that is offset by the blind spot cameras you get on every Hyundai. Every time you use your turn signal, the screen in front of you shows you on camera what is happening in your blind spot. A very nice and safe feature that we would like to see in more cars.

On a paved road next to a grassy field under a partly cloudy sky, a sleek black Hyundai IONIQ 6 sedan with yellow license plate is parked, ready to show off its impressive 600-kilometer range and fast-charging capabilities.

Sporty edge

Thanks in part to these features, the IONIQ 6 is an easy car to maneuver on the road, despite its hefty length. Adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist also work extremely well, keeping the car neatly within its lane on the highway – without “ping-ponging” – and neatly away from its predecessor. Once you get off the highway, you can also have a good time steering yourself. The 6 is a lot sportier than the 5. You notice that in everything. The suspension is firmer and it steers more directly. A sports car it is not, but it certainly has a sporty edge.

Prices of the Hyundai IONIQ 6 start from 45,895 euros for the small 53 kWh battery, and the IONIQ 6 with large battery – with 614 km range – comes from 50,895 euros. In the video below, we tell you more about the sleek Korean.