The Hyundai Ioniq 6 moves the goalposts for EVs | GRR Cars of the Year 2023

13th December 2023

Ethan Jupp

It's been an incredibly exciting year for the motoring industry. We here at GRR have driven so many brilliant cars over the past 12 months, and everything we’ve always loved is still right here, it’s just arguably better than it’s ever been. To evidence our point, we’ve pulled together nine cars that we consider to be among the very best of 2023, and we’re going to celebrate their brilliance right here at Goodwood.

No matter your thoughts about electric power, its introduction to the car industry has caused a seismic shift in their make-up, and has introduced some interesting opportunities for car designers. No one has capitalised on this quite so much as Hyundai, and the Ioniq 6 is case in point.

Hyundai and Kia’s E-GMP platform underpins a number of truly fantastic cars – the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 were two of the first – but the Hyundai Ioniq 6 takes pride of place as one of our cars of the year, for being such an interesting take on the three-box saloon concept.

Polarising, yes, but we reckon it looks absolutely fantastic, melding as it does cues from the Mercedes CLS and a whole host of wonderful old Saabs. With no hot oily bits up front and no big tank at the back, Hyundai’s designers were free to shape this car at their leisure, albeit with a focus on aerodynamic efficiency – the Ioniq 6 has a drag coefficient of 0.21. The result is extremely compelling.

It feels like a genuinely high-quality product, with comfort levels reaching the heights of Audi and even BMW. Upwards of £50,000 might seem steep for a Hyundai, but in this case, it’s almost entirely justified.
Simon Ostler Website Editor, GRR

It’s not included in our line-up on looks alone, though. The E-GMP platform thrives under this slippery body, with an airy, spacious, well-equipped cabin, a plush ride and sturdy performance. It’s got proper usable range too and being an 800-volt architecture, it’ll also charge up nice and swiftly.

That all adds up to an eminently pleasing, usable and pleasant-to-drive EV, on top of looking as interesting as it does. Above all else, it proves the future doesn’t have to be grey and homogenous, as well as silent.