I’ve been an automotive journalist long enough to know that some cars just appeal to the gay crowd as if they were designed especially for us. We call them “unicorns”. These are cars which typically have a combination of flamboyant style, in-your-face charisma and some kind of X-factor that mainstream buyers tend to think a bit much.
Enter The Hyundai Ioniq 6
For my automotive YouTube channel TestDrivenTV I recently spent a week with this gem of a modern day art piece on wheels. A fully electric sedan, it serves up a swoopy and curvaceous shape with fashion forward details that march to their own drummer. We hate that right?
Its long simple lines and svelte shape is reminiscent of Jaguar saloons from the 1960s and 1970s to the Mercedes Benz CLS with its sleek coupe like roof line. At the rear is a sexy butt with crisp angular shapes that cannot be ignored with multi faceted animated LED lighting ovations.
A Mid-Century Modern Cabin
Gush gush. I think it’s sexy AF but the interior is really where the Ioniq 6 gets your naughty parts all tingly. The dash design flat out looks like the back of a 1950s luxury car complete with campy fins on either side.
It’s high-tech dual screen 12.3-inch cockpit displays are surrounded by a very Jetsons looking escutcheon, the entire expanse of the dash lined with grilles and gridded detail. It’s high octane mid-century frottage for the eyes.
Then your eyes go to the door panels which continue the fashion show with simplified ribbed panels with multi-colored LED ambient back-lighting that can be customized with limitless colors. If that weren’t enough you can get this cruiser with a two-tone white and sage green interior. That is soooo gay!
The best part is that function doesn’t follow form. This interior is not only made with high quality materials but features levels of comfort, storage and versatility that exceed expectations. The rear seat passengers for instance enjoy limousine-like space afforded by its long wheelbase and fully flat floor.
That floor is afforded by the fact that a large Lithium-Ion battery pack about the size of a queen size mattress resided underneath. Powerful electric motors reside at the rear axle and also the front axle if you option all-wheel drive.
A Driver’s Pleasure
Power levels available on the Ioniq 6 range from 149 horsepower on the least expensive base model to a healthy 320 horsepower on the Limited trim shown in the photos. Our video highlighted here is of the SE Long-Range model which had 225 horsepower and the longest available range of 361 miles.
As such charging takes anywhere from 7 hours on a typical Level 2 home style charger to as little as 18 minutes if you find a high-speed Level 3 public charger.
It drives like the best of the American cruisers of the 1950s that it conjures up images of only better. It’s whisper quiet, smooth as silk and provides a peaceful daily drive existence both around town and on the highway. It’s a rare commodity in our modern car market in that way.
Oh By The Way, It Actually Makes Sense
I absolutely loved it, think it’s fabulous and I want one. Pricing starts under $40,000 and as of this writing the lease programs on these are eye-popping good. We’re talking $200-300 a month on 24 months leases with minimal drive-off.
If the self indulgence having a unicorn in your driveway has been calling you the great news here is that this is one that comes with a 10 year 100,000 mile power-train warranty, a 5-year 60,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty and also “pencils”. Rare that is.
Smoker of fine tires, eater of natural foods, connoisseur of aromatic leathers, pusher of limits.