TopSpeed’s Best Electric Car Of 2024: Hyundai IONIQ 6

Summary

• The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 is the best electric car of the year, surpassing expectations and offering value, amenities, and performance at an affordable price point.
• The IONIQ 6 features a unique, aerodynamic design with a drag coefficient of 0.22, allowing for excellent range and efficiency, outperforming competitors in its price range.
• The IONIQ 6’s interior is spacious and comfortable, attracting attention with its distinctive appearance and challenging Tesla in terms of performance, range, and charging capabilities.

Determining the best electric car of the 2024 model year wasn’t easy. In a world where Tesla is still leading the way in terms of range, charging, general technology and user experience, our winner not only needed to deliver on these key criteria, but it also had to do more. How many models can do more, though?

The best electric vehicle had to change the game. It had to make us all feel like we had just traveled into the future inside Doc. Brown’s DeLorean Time Machine. In other words, our winner had to surpass expectations. This is why we feel that the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 deserves the prize for Top Speed’s best electric car of 2024.

In order to determine the best vehicle in this category for 2024, our in-house experts have voted on a number of factors, including but not limited to value for the money, performance, and expected reliability and safety. The aggregate review score you see in the display card below is indicative of the average score (rated 1-10) between these factors and is based on real-world experience. Further information regarding our methodology of rating vehicles can be found on the TopSpeed’s methodology page.

Why The 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6 Is The Best Electric Car Of 2024

The IONIQ 6 proves that an EV can be more than just range on a spec sheet. It’s also proof that form follows function design still gives birth to the most interesting cars. If you find that this thing looks like an upside down banana from the side profile, that’s because it needs to look this way. In the name of aerodynamics, the IONIQ 6 was designed to be as streamlined as possible, allowing it to boast a drag coefficient (Cd) of only 0.22 (in North America due to the physical door mirrors). This not only allows this electrified Hyundai to be one of the most aerodynamic cars on the road, but it also explains why its rear end reminds you of an old Saab 900 or – ahem – an air-cooled Porsche 911 Turbo (the Porsche nerds will crucify me for writing this). Amusingly, the IONIQ 6’s rear fascia also looks like an Infiniti J30.

Let’s be honest with ourselves here, the IONIQ 6 is the kind of car styling we’ve been blaming carmakers of not doing. Like it or not, the fact that Hyundai had the balls to design it this way makes the IONIQ 6 plain cool. That, and the added Pixel theme that Hyundai is so obsessed with these days, really helps drive the point home that this car looks like nothing else on the road. The beauty about all this aero stuff is that it actually works in the real world. According to the EPA, the IONIQ 6 Long Range RWD (with 18-inch wheels) will cover up to 361 miles on a single charge. The last time I checked, that was better than any electric vehicle in this price range, including the Tesla Model 3 (272 miles).

Performance Specifications

The IONIQ 6 comes in a variety of different configurations. For starters, all cars are powered by the same 77.4-kWh liquid-cooled, lithium-ion battery. You can then choose between rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, in which case the range will change. Wheel sizes will also have a tremendous impact on how many miles you can travel on a single charge.

But no matter which version of the IONIQ 6 you choose, the range will be highly competitive. So will its performance. Even a base RWD model still churns out the equivalent of 225 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The IONIQ 6 is also a segment-leader in terms of fast charging speeds, capable of accepting up to 239 kW in ideal conditions on a compatible level 3 charger. This, according to Hyundai, allows the car to charge from 10 to 80% in under 30 minutes.

By far, the IONIQ 6’s best quality is its efficiency. During my first drive with the car, during its Canadian launch in Vancouver, I was able to get an energy consumption rating of 3.57 miles/kWh in the all-wheel drive model, the least efficient one of the lineup. This translates to a real-world range of 277 miles, on par with the carmaker’s claims.

On the road, the IONIQ 6 is quick off the line, feels well put together, and its cabin is spacious and highly comfortable for long drives. My only gripe is its tiny trunk which holds less gear than a Honda Civic’s.

Performance Specs

Best Features of the 2024 Hyundai IONIQ 6

• Class-leading range
• Highly efficient
• Looks like nothing else on the road
• Very well put together
• Spacious and comfortable cabin

The IONIQ 6 attracts people’s stares. It’s a vehicle that gets people talking. From an efficiency standpoint, it’s also one of the few cars in this segment that truly challenges Tesla from a performance, range and charging standpoint. Its interior is very spacious, with a lot of neat storage solutions, while the rear seat can comfortably hold two full-grown adults.

The Runners Up

There are a lot of great EVs currently on sale, which complicated out decision. We did consider the 2024 Tesla Model 3, but it’s not yet available on North-American soil. The Lucid Air definitely attracted our attention, but we felt that since the IONIQ 6 is more attainable for the commun folk, that it was a more interesting product. It’s the same story for the BMW i7, an impressive machine no doubt, but not one that the hard-working middle class can necessarily afford. The IONIQ 6 even challenges much more expensive EVs from an efficiency standpoint.

Final Thoughts And Predictions For 2024

The 2024 model year will be a year filled with great new EVs, which could give the IONIQ 6 a solid run for its money. Volkswagen is preparing the ID.7 sedan, while Kia could spin something off from the Stinger-inspired EV concept it showed us earlier this Fall. Mercedes-Benz is also preparing an all-electric CLA. Let’s not forget the sleeping Chinese giant, Geely, which could surprise us by importing its Mexican-built EVs into our market. The EV revolution is among us, folks. For you, the consumer, this means that even more exciting models will soon be available for you to choose from.