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The Hyundai Ioniq 5 doesn’t excel solely due to its overwhelming amount of technology or futuristic design. The Ioniq 5 is a great vehicle because it gives you all the technology and retrofuturistic design you want, without being overbearing. Despite the Ioniq 5’s huge success, there is one touchy subject among the Ioniq 5 fan clubs; range. Luckily, the new Hyundai Ioniq 6 offers one huge advantage over the Ioniq 5 in this crucial category.

Hyundai Ioniq 6: what you need to know

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is a brand-new 2023 full-electric vehicle from Hyundai. It uses the Hyundai E-GMP platform, which is also shared among the Hyindai Ioniq 5, Kia EV6, and the Genesis GV60.

The Ioniq 6 is a unique vehicle in this lineup, however, because it is the only sedan in the lineup. All of the other vehicles that use this platform are crossover EV SUVs. This means that the Ioniq 6 offers a wide wheelbase and a beautiful large body design, even though it is technically in the midsize sedan class. The Ioniq 6 starts at $41,600 according to Hyundai, and comes with an abbreviated list of trim levels to choose from.

The base model, the SE Standard Range, offers around 240 miles of range to the rear wheels. The SE offers the same features as the SE Standard Range but adds a larger battery pack goof for 361 miles of range, and all-wheel drive as an option.

Up from the SE is the SEL, which adds key features like larger wheels, Hyundai’s Digital Key 2.0, and wireless device charging. At the top of the lineup is the Limited trim, which adds a large sunroof, premium audio, Blind-Spot View Monitor, and Premium Remote Parking Assist.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 beats the Ioniq 5 in range

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 shares the same trim levels as the Ioniq 6, including the low-range SE Standard Range model. Unfortunately, the range found with the Ioniq 5 is even worse than the Ioniq 6 at just 220 miles for a base range.

However, with the SE model, Ioniq 6 beats the Ioniq 5 in range by a huge amount. The Hyundai Ioniq 6 SE with rear-wheel drive is capable of achieving a range of 361 miles. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 on the other hand, only archives a range of 303 miles out of the exact same battery pack.

Of course, the Ioniq 5 is more dynamically styled than the Ioniq 6, and many consumers would rather drive the more visually appealing Ioniq 5 overall. But these two vehicles are built on the same platform with the same battery pack, and they are the same price at $45,500 MSRP.

The Ioniq 6’s design may not be as striking as the Ioniq 5, but to gain so much range due to the smoother, more aerodynamic body style, it is easy to see that the Hyundai Ioniq 6 has one huge advantage in range over the Ioniq 5.

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MotorBiscuit Contributing Writer

Steven Teleky

Steven Teleky holds a bachelor’s degree in education and music from Western Kentucky University and served as the educational specialist for the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he published an information newsletter titled Corvette Profiles.

An expert in classic American cars earned through his restoration work, Steven also has a deep passion for analyzing automotive history. His skillset in researching and explaining why certain models were highly successful or why a new car failed to sell was fine-tuned while he served as a museum educator.

Steven is also a semi-professional rally driver. He is a member of Monterey Bay Mopars, Malaise Car Club of Oregon, the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), SCCA Rallycross, California Rally Series, and NorCal Rallycross. He has been contributing to MotorBiscuit since 2022.