Hyundai Ioniq 6 EV packs 320PS and 378‑mile range

That’s as maybe, but it’s still the look of this new battery-powered flagship for the Korean brand that gets your attention first. It certainly grabbed us when Hyundai first unveiled it earlier this year. Details were scarce then, now they have filled in a few of the blanks for us ahead of production starting in the autumn. Alas we still don’t have a UK sale date or price.

It’s a large car – same size as the Mercedes E-Class – and very much in the five-seat, four doors with a boot saloon mould, though with that extreme fastback tail you can hardly call it a traditional three-box shape.

The top Ioniq 6 comes with motors front and back for all-wheel-drive and a total power output of 320PS (239kW) backed by 605Nm (446lb ft) of torque. Running on equally distinctively designed 20-inch wheels, this is the version that can hit 62mph in 5.1 seconds. Standard is an 800-volt electrical system for fast charging, and batteries sizes up to 77kWh. Thanks to the modular nature of new-gen EV platforms, there’s a lesser model as well: think single motor, rear-wheel drive, smaller 53 kWh battery and 18-inch wheels. UK spec is however still to be confirmed.

The 800-volt architecture is thanks to what’s underneath: a version of Hyundai Group’s global electric car platform. That brings with it not just built-in fast charging but also over-the-air (OTA) software updates and a slew of driver-assist features.

Drivers will be able to rely on help from the Ioniq 6 with such chores as parking, staying awake, driving between the white lines and avoiding accidents. It is also likely to be one of the first new cars to go on sale in which speeding tickets could be a thing of the past. The car will be able to automatically restrict speed to whatever limit is in force, as is now required by EU regs (and likely in some form to be adopted by the UK).

There should be decent passenger room inside. Look at the profile shot and see where the axles are: almost three metres apart. Overall the Ioniq 6 is the same 4,855mm long as the E-Class but its wheelbase is longer, at 2,950mm. That, along with a new design of front seats that are thinner by 30 per cent, promises plenty of kneeroom in the back.

You need quite a long car to make one as low and smoothly curvy as this, with its overtones of Porsche from some angles and suggestion of a classic boat-tail rear end thanks to that descending line at the back. As we have already said, it’s a fresh approach that will surely make the Ioniq 6 stand out for all the right reasons.

The design is also good for aerodynamics, a key factor for cruising range. In the past Hyundai has cited an impressive Cd of 0.21 but that’s not been confirmed, only that it “may be Hyundai’s most aerodynamic styling to date”. Surely either it is or it isn’t?

As for inside, the company promises “a mindful cocoon that offers a personalized place for all." The secret? Lots of space, crisp lines, sustainable materials and twin 12-inch displays, along with a lot of connectivity for streaming entertainment through the Bose sound system. That’s all relatively unsurprising, but there are some novel twists inside, too, such as dual colour ambient lighting that allows you to mix and match any two hues from a range of 64. Not only that, the faster you go the brighter they get if you switch on “Speed Sync Lighting”. According to Hyundai, it “adds emotion to the driving experience”.

Then there’s that spaceship sound. Officially it’s e-ASD (electric active sound design), and according to the firm, the “optimum, spaceship-like sound…makes the EV more exciting and people-friendly”.

So all up, this Hyundai Ioniq 6 looks to be quite a lot more than a pretty face. And what colour for that face? The names of paint options are as original as the car, with tags such as Gravity Gold Matte and Abyss Black Pearl. But then in the name-game surely nothing beats what Hyundai has come up with for themes for the ambient interior lighting. Anyone for Healing Forest, Wonderful Day or Creative Moment?