Hyundai delays Ioniq 6 production start
It looks like Hyundai has decided to postpone the start of production of the Ioniq 6 by two to three months to May or June 2022. The design is apparently to be revised again and the Ioniq 6 is to receive a larger battery for more milage.
The Korea Economic Daily (KED) has reported the delay citing industrial circles. In addition to the redesign, another reason for the delay is the retooling of the Asan plant, where the Sonata combustion sedan is currently built.
The KED sources refer to internal Hyundai documents saying that the manufacturer still wants to redesign the front and rear bumpers as well as the lights. The changes are expected to make the Ioniq 6 a whole 20 millimetres longer, leaving it just under the 4.90-metre mark. Such a step only about half a year before the planned start of production (SOP) would be quite unusual – often the “design freeze” is a year or more before the planned SOP to give suppliers and factories enough time.
In terms of design, the Ioniq 6 is to be based less on the already offered Ioniq 5, but rather on the Prophecy study. Hyundai has already said that it would not rely on a brand design for all models, but would give each model series its own character. It remains to be seen how much the Ioniq 6 will deviate from the Prophecy study – the changes to the Ioniq 5 were rather minor compared to the Concept 45 study.
In June, Hyundai Mobis, a supplier belonging to the Hyundai Group, presented an “illumination grille”, a kind of illuminated front grille. This should not only be able to influence the look of the vehicle – it should also be able to be used for communication with other road users. According to rumours, the Ioniq 6 will use this technology even though the Prophecy study had a rather conventional front but a large LED panel at the rear.
A few prototypes of the Ioniq 6 have been spotted recently. The positioning of the door handles indicates that the Prophecy’s rear doors, which open in opposite directions, did not make it into series production. While a prototype spotted in South Korea had camera exterior mirrors (to maintain the look of the study), a vehicle was photographed in the US with conventional exterior mirrors.
Another possible change is said to concern the battery: According to the KED report, the 72.6 kWh battery familiar from the Ioniq 5 was initially planned for the Ioniq 6. However, in order to achieve a standard range of over 500 kilometres, the 77.4 kWh battery configuration known from the Kia EV6 will now allegedly be used. What remains to be seen is whether the 77.4 kWh battery will also be offered globally: this battery is offered in the USA in the Ioniq 5, for example, while in Europe and South Korea the 72.6 kWh is installed.
All this information has not been confirmed; the article in the Korea Economic Daily only refers to industry circles. A statement by the Hyundai Motor Group is not included.
1 Comment