Hyundai’s lineup of electric vehicles (EVs) will expand, with a curvaceous compact sedan and an electric version of the Genesis GV70e both appearing next year. That’s the news from a presentation to investors yesterday.
A Curvy Small Car
The small car will be known as the Ioniq 6. It follows the funky, angular Ioniq 5 crossover EV revealed in February. We have no photos of the Ioniq 6 shown to investors, but Hyundai says its styling is derived from the Prophecy concept car (pictured).
Automakers usually tone down concept cars before production, so it’s doubtful the finished Ioniq 6 will look exactly like the Prophecy. But a car borrowing some of its lines would be a radical departure for Hyundai and something likely to win attention from new buyers.
The fact that the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 may look nothing alike is also a bold stroke. Most automakers follow a particular design theme and make all of their cars visually similar. Hyundai appears to be developing its EV lineup with no particular design language in mind, and the result may be some stunning and distinctive cars.
The Ioniq 6 will ride on the E-GMP platform. This is a skateboard-like configuration of frame, chassis, and electric motors that Hyundai plans to use for an entire lineup of battery-powered cars. Sister company Kia also uses the platform for its EV6 hatchback. That doesn’t tell us much about the car’s capabilities, though. Cars currently built on the platform have anywhere from 167 to 576 horsepower and come in rear- or all-wheel-drive.
Hyundai didn’t discuss pricing.
An Electric Luxury SUV
The Genesis luxury brand is taking a more subdued approach to electric vehicles. It will release an electric version of its upcoming GV70 compact SUV next year. Genesis hasn’t named a price for the GV70 itself yet, so we don’t know the price of its electric version. But we anticipate a figure near $55,000.
Genesis has previously unveiled an electric version of its G80 sedan. It looks quite close to the gasoline-powered model, but with a solar roof, an elegant reverse-chainlink grille, and an interior built of vegetarian leather and reclaimed wood. An electric GV70 is likely to follow a similar path.
We’ll bring more information on both models later in the year.
