Ioniq 6 Euro NCAP ‘best’ large family car

Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 has been awarded ‘Best in Class’ of 2022 by the European New Car Assessment Programme (Euro NCAP) in the ‘Large Family Car’ category.

The newest model in Hyundai’s electric Ioniq line-up brand excelled in Adult Occupant, Child Occupant and Safety Assist categories and is expected to be on sale in New Zealand early this year.

Last year was the independent vehicle assessment organisation’s busiest year, as it tested 66 new passenger cars.

“This latest Euro NCAP ‘Best in Class’ 2022 title for Ioniq 6 follows on from last year’s maximum five-star safety rating and proves that it is one of the safest EVs on the European market,” says Hyundai Motor Europe marketing, product and PR vice president Andreas-Christoph Hofmann.

“Hyundai is committed to providing all road users with the highest level of safety, while at the same time offering innovative mobility solutions to our customers. This latest accolade by Euro NCAP underscores our industry-leading position in the field of future mobility.”

To define the Euro NCAP ‘Best in Class’, a calculation is made of the weighted sum of the scores in each of the four areas of assessment: Adult Occupant Protection, Child Occupant Protection, Vulnerable Road User Protection and Safety Assist. This sum is used by the organisation as the basis for comparison of the vehicles.

Cars qualify for ‘Best in Class’ based only on their rating with standard safety equipment. Additional ratings based on optional equipment are excluded.

Euro NCAP says the Ioniq 6 achieved “exceptionally high results” in the Adult Occupant Protection (97%), claiming first place in the category. It also praised Hyundai’s Electrified Streamliner in the field of Child Occupant Protection (87%), the Ioniq 6 also getting 90% on the Safety Assist section.

“Ioniq 6 provided good protection for all critical body regions of both the 6- and 10-year dummies in the frontal offset and side barrier tests and scored maximum points in this part of the assessment,” Euro NCAP says.

The EV is equipped with the next level of Hyundai Smart Sense Advanced Driver Assistance Systems, which include Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2), which helps to maintain a set distance and speed from the vehicle ahead when driving on a highway and helps to centre the vehicle in the lane while driving, it can even overtake the vehicle in front. HDA 2 allows Ioniq 6 to reach Level 2 autonomous driving.

Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control (NSCC) helps to maintain distance from the vehicle ahead and drive at a speed set by the driver by reflecting the learned driving style of the driver. It also uses the navigation system’s road information to optimise automated driving and perform speed adjustment for safe driving through corners and intersections.

The Ioniq 6 has seven airbags as standard, including a driver seat centre-side airbag for additional passive safety.

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