2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited HTRAC First Test: This Thing's *Good*

kia ev6 Full OverviewHey," we said to the MotorTrend test team as it pulled its instruments off the 2022 Kia EV6. "You guys all have something on your face. Something really odd-looking. Goodness gracious, are those … smiles?"Sure enough, the EV6 had elicited that rare sign of positive emotion among our jaded testers, and for much the same reason its platform mate, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, earned that same infrequent accolade. Given free rein from its electronic nannies, it turns out the Kia EV6 likes to go sideways—earlier and even more so than the Hyundai does.Unexpected Results at the Test Track"Wow, I was not expecting this," road test editor Chris Walton said. "Well, I was halfway expecting it because we noticed the rear weight bias [49/51 front/rear]. But I wasn't expecting entry and midcorner oversteer." While the Ioniq 5 showed signs of a willingness to rotate as it careened around the skidpad, the EV6, with its 4-inch-shorter wheelbase, proved to be even friskier than the Hyundai. Walton was so intrigued that he attempted to drift the all-wheel-drive EV6 all the way around the circle, but its front motor kept straightening the car out. "I tried to do the entire skidpad sideways, but I only got about a third of the way around." (The Hyundai, which began to straighten later, drifted through two-thirds.)We noticed the same tail-happy behavior = on our public-road test loop: Push the EV6 hard into a corner, and it leads from the back. Which is not to imply you should avoid following Kia EV6s for fear that one will suddenly spin out in front of you—the EV6 has decent grip, generating 0.89 g on the skidpad before Walton decided to do his pro drifter impersonation. Its stability control system will prevent tail-wagging when fully on and curtail it before it gets out of hand in partial-off mode. Nothing dangerous here—just good old-fashioned unleash-the-teenager-within fun."It's a back-to-basics car, surprisingly," Walton said. "You have to get all the braking done before starting the turn-in. It hates trail-braking. The steering is a little lifeless, but it's very precise and intuitive. It doesn't feel like the heavy car [4,693 pounds on our scales] that it is." The EV6's figure-eight time of 25.9 seconds at 0.71 g further highlighted its dynamic bona fides, a number just 0.2 second behind that of the Hyundai.How Quick Is the 2022 Kia EV6?For our acceleration test, we were curious to see how the EV6 stacks up against both the Ioniq 5 and the Tesla Model Y, the current benchmark by which dual-motor E-crossovers are measured. With 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque to motivate itself, the EV6 sprinted to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds, a tenth slower than the slightly lighter Hyundai but with similar acceleration characteristics. Even with traction control off, the test team reported that the EV6's launch was drama-free with no wheelspin. While its acceleration didn't feel quite as dramatic as the 2020 Model Y Dual Motor Long Range we tested at 4.1 seconds to 60, unlike many other EVs, the EV6's power doesn't feel as though it trails off at higher speeds. That said, the quarter-mile came up in 13.3 seconds at 101.2 mph, again a tenth of a second (and 1.5 mph) slower than the Ioniq 5 and almost a second behind the Model Y.Braking performance was a mixed bag. The EV6's best 60-0-mph stop of 117 feet was fine—better than the Hyundai and the Model Y. But our first hard stop elicited a worrying bang accompanied by a very long stopping distance. The second run gave us the 117-foot figure, but on subsequent stops the performance notably deteriorated. Although the Kia felt more stable under panic braking overall than the Hyundai, we felt the pedal should offer more feedback, and we wish the brakes were more robust in general."The brakes definitely won't last long when driving it like a hot hatch," road test analyst Alan Lau said. "Powerful powertrain but not enough stopping power."A Sporty SUV in a Strangely Shaped PackageWhile the EV6's driving characteristics elicited grins, other aspects of this vehicle seemed to elicit an itching in our scalps—yes, this Kia had us scratching our heads. For starters, there's the price. The as-tested MSRP for our top-of-the-range AWD GT-Line model just crested $58K, a long way from the base model's $42,115 starting price. Even after incentives, that seems like a lot of money given the EV6's price and packaging.The packaging itself was another puzzler. Kia advertises the EV6 as an all-electric SUV, yet its limited headroom—thanks to a rakishly low roof combined with a high floor under which the battery pack resides—make it feel like more of a hot station wagon. Even our shorter staffers noted with some alarm how close their noggins were to the EV6's headliner. That, and the EV6's half-pane sunroof effectively turns the back seat into a cave.Some of the ergonomic choices are really baffling, as well, such as the combination stereo and climate controls. We don't mean that they're combined on one panel; rather, a capacitive-touch LCD screen and a pair of dials switch between these two functions—the left-hand dial, for example, serves as either power/volume or driver-side temperature control, depending on which mode the panel is in. Therein lies the trouble: If, when reaching for said dial with the intention of changing the volume, your finger happens to come close to the auto climate touch-pane next to it, the volume stays the same but the temperature changes. Hopefully you weren't planning to turn the volume down in a hurry, because you're now unable to change it (or press it to turn the stereo off) until you press another section of the screen to change the panel back to the stereo controls. This didn't happen to us just once or twice—it happened repeatedly, even after we knew to look out for it. It's hard to imagine Kia coming up with a worse idea short of mounting the horn inside the cabin.Speaking of inappropriate noises, while all EVs are required to have an external noisemaker at low speeds (to warn the sight-impaired of their otherwise-silent approach), the Kia pipes in a droning faux engine note at all speeds, not unlike what Audi does in the E-Tron GT. Except in the E-Tron GT it sounds cool. In the EV6, it just grated on our nerves.Kia EV6 May Not Be a Great SUV, but It's Pretty GreatSo yes, the EV6 has some challenges. Perhaps if Kia marketed the EV6 as a hot hatchback rather than an SUV, we might be a little less baffled. As a sporty electric car, though, we're as pleased as can be with the Kia EV6's test-track results and their real-world implications. We've known for a while now that the speed and smooth power of electric cars can make them a lot of fun to drive, but the Kia's tail-first antics were not the sort of fun we were expecting from an EV—and we call that a very pleasant surprise, indeed. Hey, Kia, how long before we can get a rear-drive version of the EV6 in for testing? Walton's eager to drift it all the way around the skidpad.Looks good! More details?2022 Kia EV6 AWD GT-Line Specifications BASE PRICE $57,115 PRICE AS TESTED $58,105 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door SUV MOTOR TYPE Permanent-magnet electric POWER (SAE NET) 320 hp TORQUE (SAE NET) 446 lb-ft TRANSMISSION 1-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,693 lb (49/51%) WHEELBASE 114.2 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 184.8 x 74.4 x 60.8 in 0-60 MPH 4.5 sec QUARTER MILE 13.3 sec @ 101.2 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 117 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.89 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.9 sec @ 0.71 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 116/94/105 mpg-e EPA RANGE, COMB 274 mi ON SALE Now Show All

With the way that Hyundai has been going here lately, we can't help but think the future is bright thanks to its Ioniq EV brand. Its original Ioniq gave us mixed feelings but then came the Ioniq 5 and we were rather impressed with its futuristic design, multiple battery and motor configurations, and fast charging. The Ioniq 6 will have a lot to live up to and, at least on paper, looks to achieve that. Off paper, Hyundai has also elaborated on some notorious details about the Metaverse and NFTs, too.Different In AmericaThe 2024 Ioniq 6 will have a 12 inch touchscreen infotainment system and a 12 inch digital cluster. Out on the far edges of the dashboard are two screens, one for each side and these will be used for the side views using digital outside rearview cameras. At least, if you're outside the U.S. Due to Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS), the U.S.-sold Ioniq 6s will not receive the digital mirrors and will only get a pair of boring, conventional exterior mirrors. They also come with a drag penalty that we mentioned earlier in this story, with the 0.21 Cd increasing to 0.25 Cd. We also will not get those monitors at the edges of the dashboard and the "wingtips" they are set into are shorter on the U.S. version of the Ioniq 6.What will remain are those four LEDs on the airbag of the steering wheel that serve as status indicators on the Ioniq 6, in which the four "dots" are also the same Morse code signal for the letter "H." Remember, pixels are a theme with Ioniq and the four dots on the airbag are much better looking than a large chrome "H," in our opinion.The battery sizes, by the way, are identical to those offered by the Ioniq 5, which delivers 220 miles of EPA-estimated range with its smallest 53-kWh battery; 274 miles with the 77-kWh battery and dual-motor all-wheel drive; or 303 miles with the larger battery and rear-drive. Given the 6's air-cheating shape, it likely will improve on those figures here.Same Battery, More RangeThe 77.4-kWh battery is estimated to deliver around 379 miles on a single, full charge under the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicle Test Procedure (WLTP) estimate. Compared to the Ioniq 5's 315 mile WLTP range, that's an impressive improvement. Most of its range is due to its swoopy aerodynamic design and more efficient motor and controller technology. The Ioniq 6 also features flaps in its bumper that open only when cooling is needed for the battery and motor system.At the rear comes in its dual spoilers, which aren't quite used for downforce but instead help with the separation of the wind as it flows down the rear window. That separation can cause drag and the upper rear spoiler is designed to break up a vortex that's created as air separates away from the roof. The lower rear spoiler catches any leftover air and straightens it out as it leaves the vehicle. The upper spoiler also lights up with "pixels," which is a huge theme of the Ioniq brand. The good news is that, despite its dramatic departure from the roof, the view out of the rear windshield isn't too bad.While the electronics use next generation semiconductors with a more efficient design, the motor uses hairpin windings, which use a solid core wiring over the stranded wire used in typical motor windings. This solid wire allows for a high fill factor and better thermal performance, and those help lead to a more efficient use of power. Hyundai claims the Ioniq 6 with its standard range 53 kWh battery and standard 18 inch wheels (20 inch wheels are optional) with a single motor will get roughly 22.5 kWh/100 miles for the RWD model.For comparison, the Mustang Mach E RWD gets 33 kWh/100 miles and the Ioniq 5 RWD gets 31 kWh/100 miles. Unfortunately, Hyundai didn't say what the range was using the AWD version. However, the AWD dual motor version is capable of 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque when both motors are combined. The Ioniq 6 hits 60 mph in 5 seconds in its highest-performance configuration, a conservative figure given how an identically powered and blockier Ioniq 5 did the deed in 4.4 in our testing.Even more impressive is the time it takes to get to 80 percent charge. From 10 percent it only takes 18 minutes to get to 80 percent because the Ioniq 6 uses an 800 volt ultra-fast 350 kW charge rate. Suddenly, range and time to charge aren't the issues they were just a few years ago. While that might worry you if you only have a 400 volt infrastructure, you won't have an issue as the car works with that system, as well.Tuning Without The Need For A Handheld TunerJust because the Ioniq 6 is being sold to us as an extremely efficient EV, it's not lacking performance. Even better, that performance can be adjusted to suit your needs using Hyundai's EV Performance Tune-up system in the Ioniq 6. With just a few button clicks (and without the need for some sort of tuner like you would on your ICE vehicle), the steering effort, motor power, accelerator sensitivity, and driveline mode can be adjusted to the liking of the driver.No, this doesn't require a special N-version of the Ioniq 6, but that's not out of the realm of possibility, according to Hyundai. You can even change how your Ioniq 6 sounds on the inside with its e-ASD. While an EV will be silent, the Electric Vehicle-Active Sound Design (e-ASD) will allow owners to tailor when its "spaceship-like" sound is piped into the cabin, and it's capable of changing based on the Ioniq 6's driving status.Of course, Over The Air (OTA) updates are common on many vehicles today and the Ioniq 6 will be no exception save for one thing. Rather than just updating firmware and navigational maps, Ioniq 6 owners will be able to add and improve functions via OTA. Hyundai says this will "provide a safer and more convenient driving experience." When you think about it, your Ioniq 6 will be as customizable and unique as the smartphone in your hands. Sure, someone else will have the same model but not everyone will have the same apps and features.Trashion DesignerTo demonstrate the capabilities of the interior, Hyundai used people connected to the Metaverse. Yeah, kind of cringy, but hear us out. While a spacious interior should be a given on a dedicated EV platform, the Ioniq 6 will look to expand interior room for all passengers in its roughly 9.68 feet long wheelbase by using innovative seating materials. A woman that was a "trashion designer," who uses recycled materials like old fishing nets and plastics to make materials for fashion design, was shown laying back using the Relaxation Comfort Seats in the first row.The use of high-density foam and high-strength steel frames means these optional Ioniq 6 front seats can be thin. According to Hyundai, these seats are 30 percent thinner than conventional passenger seats while still being comfortable to sit in and we can attest to that. The seats are very "Volvo-like," as one of our editors pointed out when they sat in the car. They also noted how the texture on the center arm rest and console are both visually interesting and soft to the touch. "It's almost as if it's fabric, but it's not, it's soft touch plastic," they noted.Another scene showed off a guy who worked as a show designer that worked in the Metaverse. He was also the type of person who uses driving to get his mind clear and come up with unique ideas. What was interesting about his drive was the Hyundai's use of dual color ambient lighting. Not only are these lights capable of further interior customization with its 64 color spectrum, but it was also capable of "Speed Sync Lighting," which would change the brightness of the first row ambient lights depending on the speed of the Ioniq 6. The faster he drove, the brighter the lights became and the slower, the dimmer. Hyundai claims that this adds some emotion to the driving experience.Power EverywhereThe final example was a woman who ran a livestream on the topic of shows and events in the Metaverse. Just a warning, that's not the last time you're going to hear about the Metaverse in this article. Anyhow, the features she used were related to the center console and the multiple power outlets within the Ioniq 6's cabin. For power, you'll get no less than four USB Type-C ports (two up front and two for the rear passengers) and a single USB Type-A port.The front passengers also get wireless charging in the front center console area. You'll also get power outlets under the back row seat for laptop, phone, and other device charging with a 12 volt port down in the bin under the center console and a 120 volt outlet below the rear seat in the center. If you want to use your laptop inside, as our livestreamer did, the Ioniq 6's center console is also helping to redefine the work space. It's able to fit a standard laptop on the front center console without any need for special trays or transformations. The only issue is that is also where the window controls are for the front passengers, but it does at least have a huge space under it for storage thanks to its very flat floor.Unfortunately, the rear passengers are going to need to be a little bit on the short side. While they get "tons" of rear leg and shoulder room, the headroom is just enough. "Long torsos beware," said one editor, "my hair was touching the ceiling." This is inherent to the body design for its aerodynamic shape. It also cuts into the cargo room, of which the trunk is very deep back to front and lift over height is pretty low, but it's not very tall, you'd have to lay down large suitcases flat and not on their taller edges.The good news but bad news is that there is no spare tire, but that allows for a little bit of hidden storage under the trunk floor. The trunk lid is also powered on the upscaled trims. Another issue is the way the 60/40 split rear seats fold down. Rather than have releases on the seats so they can be reached from the cabin, the only releases are located in the trunk. You also get a two-tier storage in the "frunk," but due to its design for aerodynamics, the frunk space is smaller than the Ioniq 5. Fortunately, you do get extra pockets in the rear doors just in front of the speakers and the glovebox opens like a drawer, which should allow for a much deeper storage area there.The Ioniq 6 is also the latest Hyundai EV to allow its owner to use the vehicle as a large, mobile generator. Just like the Ioniq 5, the 6 has vehicle-to-load (V2L) functionality and allows its owners to charge devices using an adaptor from Hyundai that plugs into the vehicle charging port. This allows Ioniq 6 users to charge devices when the power's out (hello, Texas), camping, or when just when you're doing outdoor stuff like tailgating at a sporting event.The infotainment system will be able to work with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a multiple Bluetooth connection can allow two devices to connect to the Ioniq 6 at the same time. This allows you to have one phone used for calls and the other used for music streaming, for example. That music will come out of a Bose sound system with eight speakers that includes a subwoofer. Navigation is enhanced by the Ioniq 6's connected car services that helps you find chargers and plans your best route depending on its charge state. Finally, if you need to remind yourself of an idea or note, the Ioniq 6 has a voice memo feature so you can recall that in your own voice.Color It ImpressedFor the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6, there will be 12 colors available at launch that include Gravity Gold Matte, Abyss Black Pearl, Serenity White Pearl, Curated Silver Metallic, Noctume Gray Metallic, Noctume Gray Matte, Transmission Blue Pearl, Biophilic Blue Pearl, Ultimate Red Metallic, Digital Green Pearl, Digital Green Matte, and Byte Blue. Inside there will only be four color options: Dark Gray with light gray, dark olive green with light gray, black with pale brown, and black.There is another reason as to why they choose to go with this "Efficient Streamliner" design on the Ioniq 6. Hyundai's design language today is like a chess set rather than Russian nesting dolls. Each model is clearly related, but not same design on a differently sized vehicle. The idea is to design each vehicle to the target customer and their lifestyle and rather than body designs, details like the pixels carryover to each Ioniq to give some brand continuity.That pixel motif is also carried out where ever Hyundai could get away with it. It's in the lights, the fabric, and anywhere else it would work visually, even if it was just subtle. The other reason for the Ioniq 6 shape is that they already have an EV SUV in the works with the Ioniq 7, which we got a computer generated tease of during the press event. They really just didn't need another boxy, SUV-like vehicle.Remember That Metaverse Warning…2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Electric Car 11What's become common recently, despite the crashing state of cryptocurrency at the time of writing, is new cars getting NFTs. The Ioniq 6 is no different and there will be a tie-in NFT when it launches in 2023. You'd think that after the failure of the Corvette NFT manufacturers would stop this, but it appears they won't. Despite that, there are slightly more fun and interesting ideas within the whole metaverse systems out there that Hyundai participates in.There is the extended reality (XR) content called the Ioniq 6 Digital Studio. This allows users to experience a variety of interactive content related to the Ioniq 6 through their laptops, mobile devices, virtual reality (VR), and augmented reality (AR) including the ability to use head mounted displays for both AR and VR. Quite possibly the oddest is the Roblox Hyundai Mobility Adventure tie in that exists in the Roblox metaverse. Yeah, we don't quite get that either, but there is Planet Hyundai on ZEPETO. Both experiences allow users to do virtual test drives and even experience the core features of the Ioniq 6.Hyundai closed by saying that the Ioniq 6 will begin production in the third quarter of 2022 for the world but U.S. production starts in January of 2023. Sales will then start in Q1 2023 for the North American market. Of course, that does all depend on how the supply chain is able to serve Hyundai by that point. As the saying goes, your mileage may vary, and your order might be built at a much later date.

February Update: The U.S. Postal Service Rejects EPA PleaA statement released by the U.S. Postal Service announced the organization would move ahead as planned with its procurement deal with Oshkosh Defense's In the Postal Service's announcement, Postmaster DeJoy did offer that the current procurement plan does already include 5,000 battery-electric vehicles, and that aspect of the program could be expanded with additional funding provided through internal means or congressional budgeting. However, DeJoy says "the process needs to keep moving forward" with the current plan—which has satisfied all of its strictly legal requirements that do not include the EPA's audited requests. DeJoy previously claimed additional BEV procurement would require up to $4 billion in additional funding.The nature of the deal with Oshkosh Defense also allows the Postal Service to shift its procurement powertrains as orders are delivered, not placed, so if funding for the more expensive BEV next-gen delivery vehicle is approved by the U.S. Congress in the future, then the Postal Service can update the order to fulfill more BEVs. From the statement: "The NGDV contract is an indefinite delivery, indefinite quantity (IDIQ) contract, meaning the Postal Service will have the ongoing ability to order more NGDVs over a fixed period of time, in this case 10 years."Mark Guilfoil, Vice President for Supply Management at the U.S. Postal Service said, "We thank the federal agencies, including the EPA, for their input. [...] After thorough review and study we determined that EPA's request for a supplemental EIS and public hearing would not add value to the Postal Service's already year-long review. It is also important to note that a supplemental EIS and public hearing are not legally required."It's important to highlight the true value of these new vehicles for the Postal Service, despite their many efficiency shortcomings, which is how much more comfortable they're meant to be for workers. From the Postal Service: "The search for replacement vehicles for the Postal Service's delivery fleet, which started in 2015, resulted in the purpose-built NGDVs that will deliver air conditioning and heating, improved ergonomics, and some of the most advanced vehicle and safety technology — including 360-degree cameras, advanced braking and traction control, air bags, a front-and rear-collision avoidance system that includes visual, audio warning, and automatic braking." This story was originally published February 3, 2022, and has since been updated to reflect developments in the USPS' purchasing of new trucks. The rest of the original article continues below. How Bad Is the New Mail Truck?Why Is the EPA Arguing Against the New Trucks?A Measured Warning