KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 29 ― In the past year, Hyundai Sime Darby Motors has launched two interesting electric vehicles, the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Hyundai Ioniq 5. The official distributor for Hyundai vehicles has teased some upcoming models that are coming to Malaysia very soon and one of them is the Hyundai Ioniq 6, the sleeker and sporty-looking brother of the Ioniq 5.

The other three incoming models are SUVs with internal combustion engines. This includes the Hyundai Creta compact SUV and the facelifted versions of the Hyundai Santa Fe and the Palisade.

What’s new with the Hyundai Ioniq 6?

Unlike the Ioniq 5 which is a crossover SUV with a boxy design, the Ioniq 6 gets a streamlined exterior aimed at making it as aerodynamic as possible. It looks like a 4-door coupe with a Porsche-inspired rear-end design. As part of the new Ioniq family, it also gets a lot of pixel design elements around the car including the daytime running lights, rear lamps and the large third brake light on the spoiler.

The Ioniq 6 is built on Hyundai/Kia’s e-GMP platform which means you get loads of space since this is an EV-dedicated platform. Like the Ioniq 5 and EV6, it uses an 800V electrical architecture and it can also charge from 10-80 per cent in just 18 minutes when it’s plugged into a 350kW DC fast charger.

The range-topping AWD model with two motors can deliver 320hp and 605Nm of torque, which is similar to the Kia EV6 GT-Line. It can go from 0-100km/h in just 5.1 seconds and it is also speed limited to 185km/h.

On the inside, it features a familiar dashboard design from the Ioniq 5. On the driver’s side, the Ioniq 6 has two large displays, a two-spoke steering wheel and the gear selector is still a rotating stalk placed behind the steering wheel. The major difference is that the bezels for the two large screens are in black and there’s now a large non-movable console in the centre that houses the controls for the power windows, two cup holders and a wireless charging pad. There’s still a large space underneath the centre console to put a handbag and other personal items.

The Ioniq 6 is said to be one of the most efficient EVs available with a rated energy consumption of 13.9kWh per 100km for its base spec 2WD model with a 53kWh battery. On a single charge, the 2WD model with 18″ wheels and 77.4kWh battery boasts an impressive driving range of up to 614km on the WLTP cycle. However, it is worth pointing out that the range-topping AWD model with 20″ wheels and 77.4kWh battery has a claimed maximum range of 519km on a single charge. That’s about 13km more than the equivalent Kia EV6 model.

The improved efficiency is made possible by its extensive aerodynamic design which boasts an impressive drag coefficient of just 0.21. As a comparison, the Ioniq 5 has a drag coefficient figure of 0.288 while the Mercedes-Benz EQS is still the most impressive at 0.20.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is expected to cost significantly more than the Ioniq 5. In the UK, the Ioniq 5 starts from GBP 43,150 (about RM229,496) while the Ioniq 6 is priced from GBP46,745 (about RM248,616).

At the moment, imported EVs are currently exempted from road tax, import and excise duties in Malaysia. The Ioniq 5 is priced at RM207,808 for the base Lite model and RM270,408 for the top-of-the-line Max model. However, there’s currently a long wait for the Ioniq 5 and we’re told that the estimated stock availability is 18 months. You can learn more about the Ioniq 5 in our full review. ― SoyaCincau