The Hyundai Ioniq 6’s Year With Us Is Over: It Was Mostly Rainbows and Labubus

Right now, there’s more drama than a Real Housewives episode swirling around how fluctuating tariffs, expiring tax credits, and ongoing backlash will impact the present and future of electric vehicle adoption in the United States. Automakers are rattled, prospective buyers baffled. Lost in the fog of ignorance and negativity are competent, affordable, and yes, largely drama-free EVs like the 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE Long Range we spent a little more than a year evaluating as part of our yearlong review program.

Hyundai’s sleek and quirky-looking Ioniq 6 sedan proved cucumber cool for the most part as we rolled up 15,703 miles on its odometer, with no time out of service, no lingering issues, and no major annoyances. It wasn’t all rainbows and Labubus, but we found precious little to complain about. It was that good, that easy.

Remind Me, What’s an Ioniq 6 Again?

The specific Ioniq 6 SE Long Range we evaluated is driven by a single, rear-motor arrangement with the juice supplied by a 77.4-kWh battery pack. Total system power is rated at 225 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Out at the test track, we recorded a 0–60-mph time of 6.0 seconds. No, we weren’t dragging anyone for pink slips, but in our time maneuvering around in the wilds of Seattle and L.A., where it split its time, we found it more than swift enough for any daily driving situation, be it highway merging or ducking and dodging on surface streets.

One of the Ioniq 6’s biggest strengths is how swiftly its sizeable battery can be re-energized, thanks in large part to Hyundai’s hugely impressive 800-volt E-GMP platform that underpins just about every Hyundai Group EV silently running around the U.S. It’s so adept at accepting electrons into its battery, in fact, it’s the second quickest-charging EV that we’ve evaluated to date behind the Porsche Taycan. Fast company.

See All 34 Photos34

In our testing, it took just 19 minutes to charge from 5 to 80 percent at a DC fast charger. During our drive back in it from Seattle to L.A., we’d hook it up, head into a local Walmart for some snacks, and before we could bust out our pickle-flavored kettle chips, it was back above 80 percent. Even better, Hyundai is moving its EVs to the NACS charging port standard, aka the Tesla Supercharger setup. Later in our test, we secured an aftermarket Lectron adapter and juiced it up several times at Tesla stations, opening a plethora of fast-charging options.

It’s good to have all those Tesla stations available now, because during that 1,300-mile road trip from the Pacific Northwest and back down to SoCal after several months in Seattle, there were precious few fast chargers in spots, and its range was less than stellar during our trip. One thing we continue to learn with our EV testing: Your range will vary depending on weather, driving style, and other factors. The good news is that it was one of the most efficient EVs we’ve tested over the long haul, at 3.9 miles per kilowatt-hour.

The Ioniq 6 is also a true sedan—a vehicle type that’s officially on the endangered species list. There are precious few electric sedans on the market, with its only real analogue being the Tesla Model 3. Back in 2023, we pitted the then-new Model 3 Highland rear motor against an Ioniq 6 mechanically similar to that of our long termer. The Hyundai came out on top thanks to its superior charging, better on-road behavior, and more impressive range. One of the Tesla’s key advantages at the time was its access to the Supercharger network, which is no longer a factor.

Some Minor Issues We Took Issue With

See All 34 Photos34

Putting aside its fluctuating range, which was much improved during the back end of the loan, there were a couple of minor drawbacks worth calling out, mainly inside. Although its interior is roomy for all passengers, especially in back where there’s enough legroom for an NBA 7-footer to stretch out, it’s sort of a drab cab. In addition, the front seats weren’t super comfortable on the long trips we took, the wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connector was an old-school USB-A unit, the center area isn’t arranged all that well, and the door armrests are classic form over function, with a long, swooping area that doesn’t attach to the door, leaving a strange, unusable space between the armrest and the door. Most of these issues have been addressed for the soon-to-arrive 2026 model.

As far as a sedan doing sedan things, the Ioniq 6’s trunk is on the small side at 11.2 cubic feet, with little more than two large pieces of luggage being its limit, and the awkward opening made it difficult at times to stuff in extra items, like more Labubus. But as a grocery swallower, it’s more than adequate, and the trunklid is powered, so it has that going for it. As for that 7-footer, he’s got legroom for days, sure. But he’d also be ducking his noggin in the back seat thanks to the sloped roof design and 36.9 inches of headroom. It’s part of another form/function compromise that, on the upshot, helps contribute to the car’s super slippery 0.22 drag coefficient, aiding its overall efficiency.

See All 34 Photos34

When it comes to its styling, polarizing is a word that pops to mind. Yes, keeping that drag low meant making some design compromises, and in some ways, it works in the car’s favor by helping it stand out as something different and future-forward. As always, opinions will vary, with most of the critical chatter we heard centered on its droopy rear, augmented by its, um, novel double rear spoiler and vertical strakes on the rear bumper. Many of the car’s more controversial cues are also being updated for the 2026 model year Ioniq 6, so there will be more to critique soon enough.

Driving and Sensing Things

Once underway, the Ioniq 6 is easy enough to drive, with a steering feel on the heavy side, although it’s not that quick at pointing the front wheels when you turn it. It wafts along with a silent confidence, equally at ease at being hustled briskly as it is trundling from stoplight to stoplight. Could it be a bit more complaint over sharper road imperfections? Probably, but for most day-to-day scenarios, we weren’t terribly bothered by how the suspension handled its business. It’s a car that’s sort of caught between a sport sedan and a luxury cruiser from a ride and handling standpoint, and you eventually get used to its duality.

As for Hyundai’s advanced driver assist systems, although there’s no Super Cruise–style setup, its adaptive cruise and lane keeping/steering assist are well executed, and we used them extensively, more so during our long highway jaunts. Hyundai’s i-Pedal feature, which enables one-pedal driving as part of a five-step graduated regenerative braking system, also got plenty of work, and it worked well. We also used the MyHyundai app quite a bit. As far as car apps go, it’s one of the better ones, with helpful info on the vehicle and several cool features like auto locking and climate start. It has room to improve from an EV charger route-planning standpoint, but it’s decent as is.

See All 34 Photos34

While we were mildly annoyed at times by the car’s overactive proximity sensors that sometimes sounded off out of nowhere (even when stopped), we greatly appreciated useful features like the chime to announce the car in front of you is moving, and the frontal crash warning saved this author’s ample bacon at least once. That, and upscale touches like door handles that open as you approach are the kind of luxury features you don’t normally see from a car that stickers for just north of $43K.

The Ioniq 6 was subject to one recall during its time with us, to fix a potential issue with what’s known as the ICCU, or Integrated Charging Control Unit, a module that helps control charging for both the 12-volt and the traction batteries. We brought it in, and some software fixes were applied to make sure it didn’t happen to our car. It went in one more time for a scheduled service that set us back $49.99 for a tire rotation. Speaking of spending money, our running costs stuck right at $0.11 per mile during its time in our fleet, a number that could and would have been much lower had we spent more time charging at home during off-peak hours. All in, we spent $1,729.92 on charging over the 14-plus months.

See All 34 Photos34

Already Good, Only Getting Better

As we’ve alluded, this verdict comes at an interesting time in the evolution of the Ioniq 6. Several of the minor irritations we pointed out in the 2024 car we drove almost 16,000 miles are getting ironed out for the soon-to-arrive 2026 Ioniq 6, not to mention the super-duper Ioniq 6 N following hot in its tire tracks.

It all points to the fact that Hyundai remains committed to its EV sedan, not only in the face of the adversity and uncertainty surrounding EVs, but of sedans in general (not to mention the Ioniq 6’s less than stellar sales). Yes, you can argue whether the Ioniq 5 SUV sibling is the better all-arounder given its indisputable ability to haul more Labubus, but there’s something about a traditional four-door car that still stirs our senses. Does it make sense rationally? Maybe not, but the Ioniq 6 proved to be a drama-free car we were glad to have parked in MT’s garage for a year.

More on Our Yearlong 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE Long Range:

• Our Hyundai Ioniq 6’s EPA-Estimated 361-Mile Range Remains Out of Reach

• The Hyundai Ioniq 6 Carried Us Through a Winter of Content

• ICCU: The Four-Letter Word Ioniq Owners *Hate*

• Are the Kids Alright in Our 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE Long-Range?

• Long Hauling in Our 2024 Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE Long-Range
• A Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE Long-Range Just Arrived for a Yearlong Test: Style or Substance?