Hyundai sure knows how to spoil its customers with choice, offering consumers no less than four different variant options for both its IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 offerings.

The Made-In-Singapore Hyundais are also dramatically different from a form factor perspective, with the IONIQ 5 adopting a hatchback-meets-SUV profile, whilst the IONIQ 6 looks more like a traditional saloon. Albeit one that is very aerodynamic and low-slung.

Both cars are built on the conglomerate’s e-GMP platform, which has also been used to build cars like the Kia EV6 and EV9. But of the four available variants of the IONIQ 6, I do happen to have a favourite.

And that happens to be the car I’m featuring in this article – the Prestige version of the IONIQ 6, which has been tuned to be eligible for Category A COE.

Retro, Modern and Futuristic. All Rolled into One

Hyundai has adopted its current love-it-or-hate-it design language for quite some time now. And whilst most of the Korean automaker’s models are blocky and retro (with the company saying it drew its inspiration from its first native mass-produced car – the Hyundai Pony), the IONIQ 6 debuts a slightly different take on that concept.

There are still elements clearly borrowed from said design language. For instance, you get the Parametric Pixels integrated in the head and tail lights of the IONIQ 6. However, every other surface has been reworked.

No sharp edges have been worked into the design of the IONIQ 6 – every surface and line is smooth, and every panel flows nicely into the next, visually and aerodynamically. From certain angles, there’s a sense that it drew its inspiration from iconic classics, with hints of 911 and old Saab in the rear three quarters.

The result of this design? A car with a drag coefficient of just 0.21 Cd, making this Hyundai’s slipperiest ever production car. And there are other aero smarts too, like the inclusion of two shutters on the front bumper that open only when cooling is required.

The Perfect Balance of Buttons and Screens

I still maintain that Hyundai has struck the ideal balance between tactile buttons, and touchscreen panels. And the same is true here, since all of its cars pull their bits from the same parts bin. Where you are left wishing for buttons in some of its rivals, Hyundai has ensured you still have rapid access to controls that you’d utilise regularly.

For instance, and whilst they aren’t actually buttons, all of your aircon controls are mounted on a touch-sensitive panel, allowing you to adjust your temperature, fan speed and ventilated seat functionality at your fingertips.

A bank of buttons allows you to access various sub-menus on its 12.3-inch infotainment screen. Your driving information is displayed on another 12.3-inch screen, mounted in the same enclosure adjacent to your infotainment panel. The UI feels very polished, and is extremely easy to read/use even on the move.

There are some plastic surfaces in the interior, but nothing feels low-rent. There’s a good amount of cabin space in the car, though the sloping roofline does eat into passenger space. The high floor pan to clear its under-floor battery pack means some interior comfort is compromised. Otherwise, there’s good visibility all round, and I actually enjoyed its highly adjustable driving position.

Calm and Serene

This sense of sensibility and quality continues in the way the IONIQ 6 conducts itself. Being the sensible pick of the range, it doesn’t have the same raw power of its 321 bhp, dual-motor stablemate. But don’t think that it feels sluggish or slow.

Because it really isn’t. It may only have 143 bhp, but it has the same 350 Nm of torque as its RWD Cat B cousin. And instantaneous electric torque means you’d be able to slot this 4.8-metre-long car into any gap in traffic that you so wish.

It is even very confidence-inspiring in the bends. The car feels inherently stable, with little desire to have any front or rear slip when driven quickly (but sensibly). Part of this is also due to the car’s traction control system, which opts to taper the power off instead of cutting torque when it detects slip.

The lack of front propulsion also means the steering and front end feels lighter, with a sense of enhanced agility (and thus, fun). Hyundai’s excellent i-Pedal system is superbly calibrated, allowing you to drive in one-pedal mode through all kinds of traffic, weather and road. And as a result, it’d return close to an as-tested 8 km/kWh, a not-insignificant improvement over the 6.7 km that the Cat A IONIQ 5 achieved.

The Chosen One

As mentioned above, there are four variants of the IONIQ 6 available for Singaporean buyers. But I do know which I’d purchase if I was in the market for an IONIQ 6. The AWD Cat B car is definitely quicker in a straight line, but offers no significant liveability improvement over this Cat A Prestige.

It may have a bigger battery, but less range, and a much bigger price tag. As a result, I’d recommend you consider this 53 kWh Prestige model instead. Again, you get 178 less horsepowers, 24 less kilowatts and two less driven wheels.

But keep in mind it costs $60,000 less, and without a front motor, you actually have a usable frunk. And without any significant compromise as well, making this truly the chosen IONIQ 6 variant for the Singaporean electric saloon buyer!

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