The Hyundai IONIQ 6 is a unique and sleek all-electric vehicle that defies convention in the world of electric cars. Its low-slung four-door saloon profile is not just about style and desire, but also about aerodynamic efficiency. The IONIQ 6’s graceful, streamlined form has been defined and shaped as much by purposeful function as it has been by aesthetics. In fact, less drag and reduced air resistance means more range and less time spent charging, while also helping to minimize wind noise that could be more noticeable with the ultra-quiet accompanying soundtrack of an electric powertrain.
Hyundai’s designers went the extra mile to ensure that every tiny detail on the IONIQ 6 was honed to perfection. They looked to some of the most streamlined shapes in automotive and aircraft history and nature for inspiration, before using high-tech supercomputers and advanced virtual wind tunnels to shape and hone every detail of their design. The result is an astonishingly low drag coefficient for the IONIQ 6 of just 0.21 and up to 338 miles of all-electric range.
To achieve this level of efficiency, Hyundai’s designers took inspiration from a variety of sources. The IONIQ 6’s overall profile was heavily influenced by iconic streamliner designs that came out of the 1930s. Hyundai’s Head of Styling, Simon Loasby, cites iconic ‘streamliner’ cars such as the 1947 Stout Scarab, the Phantom Corsair, and the Saab Ursaab as key influences. The IONIQ 6’s design started with a single curve that defines its profile and architecture: the ultimate streamlined form.
The power of modern supercomputers means that a wealth of designs could be tested and honed to the finest detail, with faster turnaround of more ideas, helping Hyundai’s design teams find and pick exactly the right solution. For example, up to 70 different variants of the IONIQ 6’s ducktail rear spoiler were trialed using advanced computational fluid dynamics before being honed in a real-world wind tunnel, boasting airflow speeds of up to 122mph from a 3400hp fan.
Another key aero influence was the iconic Supermarine Spitfire. The Hyundai IONIQ 6 is shaped like an airplane wing to cut smoothly through the air, and its ‘ducktail’ rear spoiler generates downforce to balance out the lift that naturally occurs in a car at motorway speeds, ensuring improved stability and increased driving confidence. However, downforce also generates drag. So, Hyundai’s designers applied Spitfire-inspired winglets to the side of the spoiler to absorb airflow from the roof, reduce eddy currents from the side of the vehicle, and minimize vortices at the spoiler’s tip.
Hyundai’s designers also took inspiration from nature, especially the shape that a peregrine falcon takes when it dives after prey at up to 390kph. The vents that traditionally sit at the front of a car and guide air under the bonnet to cool the engine and brakes can account for up to 20% of its total air resistance. An electric car needs less cooling, so the IONIQ 6 has active air flaps on the bumper, which stay closed to streamline airflow around the front of the car, but which can open if cooling for the battery and powertrain is needed.
Wheels are essential to any car, but they are one of the biggest negative influences on a car’s aerodynamics, creating a wealth of drag. To address this issue, vents around the IONIQ 6’s front bumper and wheel arch guide air around the outside of the wheels, essentially creating an air barrier (or curtain) that acts like a solid surface, guiding the air more smoothly along the IONIQ 6’s flanks. The large turbulence-inducing gap between a car’s wheel arch and the tire is another enemy of efficiency. That’s why the Hyundai IONIQ 6 features wheel-gap reducers that subtly fill some of this space.
Finally, the IONIQ 6 boasts a flat underfloor that completely covers the underside of the car, guiding air more smoothly to the rear diffuser. Inspired by a ‘boat tail’ design, the diffuser also includes separation traps that effectively ‘fill out’ the volume of the IONIQ 6’s rear: the final step in a compelling story of drag reduction.
In conclusion, Hyundai’s designers went above and beyond to ensure that every tiny detail on the IONIQ 6 was honed to perfection. They took inspiration from a variety of sources, including iconic streamliner designs from the 1930s, aircraft like the Supermarine Spitfire, and nature itself. The result is an all-electric vehicle that is not only sleek and stylish but also incredibly efficient, with an astonishingly low drag coefficient of just 0.21 and up to 338 miles of all-electric range.