Preliminary Australian-market details for the upcoming Hyundai Ioniq 6 electric vehicle (EV) have been revealed during the global launch drive in South Korea, with two high-spec variants likely to be the initial offerings.
According to information supplied by Hyundai’s local division, the Ioniq 6 will be arriving in Australia during “early 2023” – indicating first quarter (January to March inclusive) – with a line-up likely mirroring the related Ioniq 5 range.
That means single-motor and dual-motor drivetrain options, both highly specified, and a standard long-range battery.
Pricing is still to be officially confirmed, but we’re expecting similar to the Ioniq 5 with a small premium, meaning the $70,000 to $80,000 bracket before on-road costs seems likely.
Overseas model shown 
Hyundai Australia has also confirmed the new Ioniq 6 will be the second model in the local line-up to feature the brand’s Bluelink connected services, featuring app-based remote functions as well as an on-board modem facilitating connected services via the infotainment system.
The Palisade was the first model in Australia to get this.
The company’s new-age digital side mirrors will also be “offered” on local Ioniq 6 models, though it’s unclear whether the camera-based units will be a standard feature like on the Genesis GV60, or part of an option package.
While Hyundai Australia won’t say too much about Ioniq 6 supply or sales projections ahead of the launch, it’s understood local allocation will be somewhere along the lines of the Ioniq 5, meaning only a few hundred units will be available to our market during the course of 2023.
“We expect demand for Ioniq 6 to significantly exceed supply for the foreseeable future,” the company said.
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is available with three different drivetrain options in its home market of Korea, including two battery sizes.
Standard Range 2WD versions get a 111kW/350Nm rear-mounted electric motor hooked up to a 53kWh lithium-ion battery pack, with a claimed driving range of 367km on the combined Korean efficiency cycle with 18-inch wheels.
There’s also Long Range 2WD and Long Range AWD versions, both featuring a larger 77.4kWh battery – likely to be the Australian offerings.
The 2WD gets a 168kW/350Nm e-motor on the rear axle, and the AWD adds another motor at the front for combined outputs of 239kW and 605Nm.
In terms of range, the Long Range 2WD is capable of driving up to 524 kilometres on the stricter Korean cycle with 18-inch wheels (452km with 20in rims), while the Long Range AWD drops that to 420-484km depending on wheels.
For reference, Hyundai is claiming the Ioniq 6 Long Range 2WD will offer 610 kilometres of driving range on the WLTP cycle, almost 100km more than the official Korean figure.
Pricing and specifications for the local Ioniq 6 range will be detailed closer to the new model’s launch early in 2023.
You can also read our international launch drive review here.
Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest, and let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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