Hyundai improved the Ioniq 6’s design and range, but buyers still hesitate

Hyundai improved the Ioniq 6’s design and range, but buyers still hesitate. Strange, because on paper it feels finished now, calmer, more complete than before. Maybe people just don’t feel that yet. Numbers look right, shape is better, but something still doesn’t quite stay with you after you see it. Some cars work so hard to be liked, and this one might still be trying. I think maybe that’s the problem.

Hyundai Ioniq 6

Feels smoother than before, softer around corners too. Doesn’t get the same kind of attention anymore, which might help, or maybe not. Good to drive in that quiet way newer EVs are. Then there’s a space between it and the driver that doesn’t close easily. Maybe that’s all it is. Feels lighter somehow but still not sure what that means.

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Feels more natural, kind of gets daily life better. Big lines, short front, it seems from another time but also not really. People notice it for a second, then move on quickly. Seems fine with being a little odd. Maybe that’s why it works. In some ways, it feels like the Ioniq 6 still wants what this one already figured out.

Tesla Model 3

Still the one people mention first, even if they sound bored doing it. Everything feels usual now—the screen, the silence, the stiff confidence. Park it and forget it. Used to feel exciting, I think. Now just blends in, the way too many of them do. Almost feels like it stopped trying a while back.

Polestar 2

Feels serious before even starting. The weight, the color, the small logo that doesn’t say much. People pretend to understand it faster than they actually do. Calm but kind of cold, like a workspace with no warmth in it. Some prefer that, I guess. Maybe that’s the point, or maybe it isn’t.

Kia EV6

Fun to look at, maybe too much sometimes. Tries hard in the turns, and you can tell. Inside, everything leans forward, like it’s impatient to get going even when it shouldn’t. Feels good to drive but maybe a little overacted. Still better than it probably needs to be. I think that keeps it interesting in a weird way.

BMW i4

Smooth but not loud about it. Understandable why people like it—it’s easy, familiar, a bit expensive but not slippery. Hard to connect with though. Like a neat hotel room that doesn’t have any smell or story. Feels slightly distant. Maybe that’s fine. Kind of how BMW has been for a while.

Volkswagen ID.7

Feels like an answer to a question nobody remembers. Drives fine, but quietly so. The silence feels too precise sometimes. Makes you wish for a wrong note somewhere. Maybe I’m overthinking that. Reminds me a bit of the Ioniq 6 actually, like both aren’t sure what being friendly means now.

Toyota bZ4X

Still uncertain somehow. Sit down inside and think it’s close to done, but not yet. Range’s better, fine I guess. Toyota seems to want to belong but doesn’t quite relax into it. There’s something half-settled here. Maybe it’s waiting on the next version to remember how to feel right.

Nissan Ariya

Quiet, heavy steering, nice seats, that’s kind of it. Everything checks but doesn’t connect much. Thoughtful but not really interesting. Can tell there’s effort behind it, not much fun though. Does what it’s supposed to, sometimes more, sometimes less. Not much else to say about it, probably fine.

Chevrolet Blazer EV

Has presence, can’t miss it. Looks one way in daylight, different at night, like it changes mood or something. Drives fine, maybe even smooth in places. Heavy though, feels heavier than it looks. Tries hard to compete, still shy about it. Might get there later, maybe just takes time.