Inside the Hyundai IONIQ 6's range-boosting aero secrets

Learn more about the Hyundai IONIQ 6

#1: Inspired by Scarabs and Phantoms

The Hyundai IONIQ 6’s overall profile was heavily influenced by iconic streamliner designs that came out of the 1930s: an era in which aerodynamics became the defining form for anything that moved, whether it was planes, trains or automobiles. Hyundai’s Head of Styling, Simon Loasby, cites iconic ‘streamliner’ cars such as the 1947 Stout Scarab, the Phantom Corsair and the Saab Ursaab as key influences.

“The 1930s marked the true beginning of aerodynamic design,” he says. “Taking inspiration from that era was the perfect way to create a unique sense of sustainable performance in the electric car segment. The IONIQ 6’s design started with a single curve that defines its profile and architecture: the ultimate streamlined form. ‘Electrified Streamliner’ quickly became the car’s pet name.”

#2: Honed by Hyundai’s top fans

The Hyundai IONIQ 6’s overall silhouette may have been inspired by the heritage of 1930s streamliners, but the power of modern supercomputers means that a wealth of designs could be tested and honed to the finest detail, with faster turnaround of more ideas, helping Hyundai’s design teams find and pick exactly the right solution.

Take the IONIQ 6’s ducktail rear spoiler. Up to 70 different variants were trialled using advanced computational fluid dynamics, before being honed in a real-world wind tunnel, boasting airflow speeds of up to 122mph from a 3400hp fan.

#3: Look out! There’s a Spitfire on your rear

Another key aero influence was the iconic Supermarine Spitfire. The Hyundai IONIQ 6 is shaped like an airplane wing to cut smoothly through the air, and its ‘ducktail’ rear spoiler generates downforce to balance out the lift that naturally occurs in a car at motorway speeds, ensuring improved stability and increased driving confidence.

However, downforce also generates drag. So, Hyundai’s designers applied Spitfire-inspired winglets to the side of the spoiler to absorb airflow from the roof, reduce eddy currents from the side of the vehicle, and minimise vortices at the spoiler’s tip.

#4: Birds of a feather…

The Supermarine Spitfire isn’t the only aerobatic aviator that inspired the design of the Hyundai IONIQ 6. “We also took inspiration from nature: especially the shape that a peregrine falcon takes when it dives after prey at up to 390kph,” says Hyundai’s Head of Aerodynamic Development, Jinhyuck Chang.

#5: Hyundai’s designers got into a flap

According to Hyundai, the vents that traditionally sit at the front of a car and guide air under the bonnet to cool the engine and brakes can account for up to 20 per cent of its total air resistance. An electric car needs less cooling, so the IONIQ 6 has active air flaps on the bumper, which stay closed to streamline airflow around the front of the car, but which can open if cooling for the battery and powertrain is needed.

#6: It’s curtains for wheels

On an electric car, wheels are somewhat essential to the package. But as wheels are large chunky items, with spokes that rotate at high-speed, they’re one of the biggest negative influences on a car’s aerodynamics, creating a wealth of drag. So, how do you cut that, without losing the wheels themselves? It’s time to lift the curtain.

Vents around the IONIQ 6’s front bumper and wheel arch guide air round the outside of the wheels – essentially creating an air barrier (or curtain) that acts like a solid surface, guiding the air more smoothly along the IONIQ 6’s flanks.

#7: Mind the gaps

The large turbulence-inducing gap between a car’s wheel arch and the tyre is another enemy of efficiency. That’s why the Hyundai IONIQ 6 features wheel-gap reducers that subtly fill some of this space.

Given that the gap between the wheel arch and tyre shrinks and expands significantly as the tyre and suspension compress and expand, and as the steering is turned, keeping this gap small enough for efficient aerodynamics isn’t quite as simple as it sounds. We won’t reveal too many of Hyundai’s secrets, but you only have to look at how narrow the IONIQ 6’s wheel gap is to see that they’ve worked miracles.