Best Electric Sedan Under $80K: Hyundai Ioniq 6

In a strange twist of fate, electrification has made medium sedans cool again. Camry, Sonata, and Mazda 6 are the only notable names left in the ICE camp besides Skoda’s liftbacks.

The Tesla Model 3 is the default and sells strongly month-on-month but new faces, such as the BYD Seal, Hyundai Ioniq 6 and recently updated Polestar 2 have rejuvenated competition in the middle class’s old favourite segment.

For simplicity, we’ve ignored (Seal notwithstanding) the high-performance variants because they push beyond $80K, and Jez is examining dearer sedans in detail next month.

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Forty-nine thousand dollars is where the nearly 4.8-metre long BYD Seal Dynamic starts with a 460km driving range, 150kW, connected technology, and a 12.9-inch rotating central touchscreen.

There’s also enough space for four on board. The Premium ($58,798) ups driving range to 570km WLTP and the Performance ($68,798) allies two electric motors for 390kW and a claimed 0-100km/h time of 3.8 seconds. That's bloody enticing.

It all starts to fall apart from the driver’s seat, though: clumsy drivetrain calibration, unpleasant steering and unpredictable handling. We’d put our circa-$50K towards the Atto 3 small SUV which, without any performance pretense, isn’t so disappointing.

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The Polestar 2 was overhauled in August with minor styling tweaks and a major powertrain reconfiguration – switching from front- to rear-wheel drive.

A more compliant ride and enhanced efficiency improved the Polestar experience and customers retained the ability to choose myriad options to personalise their 2.

Style was never a shortcoming for the Sino-Swedish sedan; nor was material tactility. But it’s not a cheap option despite an attractive starting price of $67,400 for the Standard Range and the back seat experience could certainly be better.

If you want the Long Range ($71,400) getting stuck into the configurator easily pushes the price to and beyond $80K. A great choice for design-oriented buyers who appreciate the finer things in life.

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That leaves the two we awarded equal scores in a three-way comparison (including the Seal, Wheels February 2024).

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is saddled with a higher price and quite a lot less kit in the entry-level Standard Range ($65,500) with a WLTP-certified 429km from a charge. We reckon the Dynamiq RWD (514km WLTP, $77,500) is the Ioniq 6 sweet spot.

Tesla, however, gives you pretty much everything in the $61,900 Standard Range spec including LFP battery chemistry that will more regularly accept 100 per cent charge with less degradation. It’s also more efficient than the Ioniq 6 with that on-paper gulf opening in real life – the base Tesla scores 513km in the combined WLTP.

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A bigger NCM battery (629km WLTP) and AWD justify the $10K upcharge for the Long Range.

It gets the same upholstery, seat adjust, ventilated seats, and although the base stereo is plenty good the upgraded 17-speaker item is fabulous. The Hyundai has greater legroom but the Tesla has more toe and head room.

Technology-wise, the Ioniq 6 gets a pair of 12.3-inch screens, one touch for the main HMI and an attractive digital driver’s display – something Tesla misses out on. The power and ability to connect the car to your phone will excite buyers in touch with cars rather than the world of consumer technology.

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That said, Tesla’s phone-like software is deeply intuitive and will please those who love talking tech.

There’s also the ability to stream video (including on the new rear-seat screen) as well as run Spotify and other applications natively rather than using phone mirroring (wired in the Ioniq 6 and non-existent in the Model 3). Computer on wheels is an apt cliché in the Model 3’s case.

Tesla’s latest update (which, like the Polestar 2, was heavily focused on what’s underneath) did away with ‘unnecessary’ indicator and shifter stalks – though after experiencing it we question how unnecessary stalks are – that save construction complications and lower costs. There's also a more compliant chassis tune with new knuckles and bushes.

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This brings the Tesla closer to the Ioniq 6 for driving experience but the overall package remains unsophisticated.

Where the Model 3 will hit bump stops and deviate its course over nasty mid-corner bumps, the Ioniq 6 remains steadfastly composed.

In town, the Model 3’s suspension is still noisy despite a focus on NVH improvements (there’s almost no wind noise), the same can’t be said for the Ioniq 6 – you could hear a pin drop onto the Hyundai’s plush interior carpet.

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Both have fantastic drivetrain calibration, though, with just the right response from the accelerator and brake pedals. All variants are quick, but both Model 3 trims deliver a more savage snap when you squeeze the accelerator.

Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 range is broader, charge time shorter, and from behind the wheel you can tell it’s engineered by a car company rather than a tech one – not to mention its 18-minute fast-charge time.

The updated Model 3 is agonisingly close, but it’ll probably take Tesla’s eager engineers another generation to produce a car that beats the Ioniq 6 entirely on engineering and driving experience. So the Hyundai remains our pick.