Hyundai and Kia make some of the best electric vehicles available today, and most of the models they sell are based around the same E-GMP dedicated EV platform. That setup brings high range, fast charging times and even a strong degree of performance. However, even though they are all mechanically quite similar, sales of the E-GMP cars vary quite dramatically from model to model.
One of our favorites in Hyundai’s U.S. lineup is the Ioniq 6, a streamlined sedan that looks like nothing else on the road. Its combination of a super slippery body with a very low 0.21 drag coefficient and the efficiency of its 800-volt architecture give it unmatched efficiency allowing it to travel up to 361 miles on one charge.
It’s one of the coolest and most compelling EVs you can buy today. And we’ll probably like the upcoming Ioniq 6 N hot version even more if it’s infused with some of the character of the ludicrous Ioniq 5 N.
Gallery: 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Review
However, it seems the Ioniq 6 is just not striking a chord with buyers.
It was Hyundai’s worst-selling EV in September, with a 64% drop in sales compared to the same month last year. Just 599 were delivered last month, which is more bad news after a 51% dip in August too.
Ioniq 6 sales got off to a great start after it launched last year, but they seem to be losing momentum. Even with the weaker sales performance in August and September, year-to-date sales are still up on last year, with 9,097 vehicles delivered so far in 2024 versus 8,318 in 2023. Its Q3 numbers were also down this year compared to 2023, with a 57% decrease from 5,073 to 2,185 units sold.
While we can attribute some of this to Hyundai’s historically poor sedan sales, both of its combustion sedans, the Elantra and the Sonata, did better in August of this year compared to 2023. Sales were up 28% and 75% on those, respectively, and the positive performance was maintained through September. It’s not as simple as saying buyers are moving away from sedans solely because they want a higher-riding vehicle.
There’s also the apparent drop in demand for electric vehicles to factor in, especially ones with three-box bodies. The Ioniq 6’s taller cousin, the Ioniq 5, has been selling consistently better. So far in 2024, it has sold 30,318 vehicles compared to 25,306 in 2023, a 20% increase year-over-year.
But ultimately, the Ioniq 6 suffers for being a sedan in a crossover-crazed market. While some buyers still prefer the four-door family car setup, they're increasingly few and far between. Even sales of stalwarts like the Honda Accord are a shadow of what they were in decades past. So the Ioniq 6 may just be ignored for what it is—but that's a tragedy, since it's also one of the longest-range, best-driving EVs you can buy.
