Hyundai Ioniq 6 vs BMW 218i

What's the difference?

In the Ioniq 6 N Hyundai has built an incredibly quick and high-capable performance car. But that doesn’t mean it’s flawless and an obvious recommendation over its rivals.

Its looks remain divisive, and while obviously each individual will need to judge the design of the Ioniq 6 N themselves, objectively speaking there is a lot to like about this latest addition to Hyundai’s N stable. 

Yes, it’s very fast, but with all the N modes switched off it’s also a very quiet and relaxed sedan with a premium look and feel. So it will play the dual role of track terror and everyday family transport well. 

But it needs to be for the price, which is really testing the limits of Hyundai’s brand appeal. It obviously won’t be a best seller, but with the less-polarising Ioniq 5 N only selling approximately 300 cars since its launch, this could be a very niche proposition, reserved only for those who crave its special kind of electric performance.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with accommodation and meals provided.

The badge might say one thing, but the 2 Series Gran Coupe sticks to the time-honoured template of being a compact yet comparatively practical three-box, four-door sedan, complete with a big boot.

More importantly, it drives and behaves like a BMW – which means sufficient-to-strident performance depending on grade, athletic dynamics and pleasing refinement on one hand, as well as a stiff price and a hard ride on the other.

A true BMW in name and nature, then..

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

The original Prophecy concept, which previewed the Ioniq 6, was a thing of beauty, a case study in elegance and simplicity. The final production version of the Ioniq 6 is a case study in awkwardness, with a design that polarised opinions.

For the Ioniq 6 N Hyundai has been given a second chance to try and make it look more appealing and less divisive. To that end they’ve added this gloss black bumper with an integrated splitter, highlighted by the N-specific fluro orange strip, as well as unique fenders and 20-inch forged alloy wheels.

The facelift also introduces much more appealing slimline headlights that help reduce the awkwardness.

At the rear, there’s a new rear bumper design, with more black to try and hide some of its most awkward lines, plus an unmissable rear wing to further attract your attention. And while it undoubtedly provides a sportier, more dynamic look, it actually provides up to 100kg of downforce.

Inside, Hyundai has made a number of key enhancements to ensure the Ioniq 6 N looks suitably sporty. There’s a sports steering wheel, complete with a pair of N buttons to immediately activate the more dynamic driving modes, plus sports seats and even a soft knee pad built into the side of the centre console, so you can brace yourself when you're lapping the track at speed.

There’s a 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen in the centre, which houses all of the various car settings, including the very detailed N performance driving modes. This is where you can either program the N buttons or dial up the individual settings.

There’s also track-themed graphics that appear on the head-up display, if you really want to do your best Oscar Piastri impression.

BMW is calling the F74 a new-generation 2 Series Gran Coupe, and there have been obvious and even profound changes throughout and underneath, including to some of the sheetmetal.

But this is not an all-new car by any stretch, with the glasshouse, doors and roof amongst many other body items carrying over from the F44.

That now remarkably Kia Cerato-esque nose ushers in new LED lighting motifs and an updated kidney grille, but whether they sit easily with the rest of the car is debatable. Redesigned tail-lights, different colours and new alloys make up the majority of the exterior changes.

Betraying the latest 2 Series Gran Coupe’s newness claims are near-identical dimensions, with that redesigned front end and bumpers contributing to a 20mm increase in the F74’s 4546mm length, while revised suspension and damper settings help account for the 25mm boost in height (to 1445mm). The BMW’s 1800mm width and 2670mm wheelbase remain the same.

There’s a higher level of newness to be found inside.

The cabin is very practical too, despite its sportiness. There’s good storage spaces, including a pair of cupholders and a tray built into the centre console.

There’s also USB-C charging ports in the front and back of the cabin to keep small electric devices charged, as well as a smartphone wireless charging pad.

By relocating the controls usually found on the door (windows, mirrors, unlock/lock buttons), the door pockets have been sculpted out to create more width and space for the front seat occupants.

It’s comfortable and roomy too, especially in the back, where Hyundai has taken advantage of the Ioniq 6’s bespoke electric underpinnings to have a flat floor with good knee and legroom.

The boot measures 371 litres, which is on the smaller size for a mid-size sedan, and well short of the class leaders, like the 524L Toyota Camry.

During the media presentation at its launch, BMW described the 2 Series Gran Coupe as being almost as large as a 1990s E46 3 Series, and it is in all major dimensions except wheelbase.

Plus, being a front-drive-biased/transverse engine proposition instead of rear-wheel drive should make it roomier than the F74’s iconic ancestor.

The sense getting in is that this is certainly not too low or cramped as per a more-traditional coupe, with plenty of space for legs and shoulders, while even the optional sunroof fitted to our 218 left us with headroom to spare.

The redesigned dash is a visual and operational treat, with crisp, clear instruments, a logically presented and intuitive centre display screen offering fast and easy operation, excellent ventilation and ample storage. Full marks here.

Better still, attaining the perfect driving position is possible for most people, on brilliantly supportive front seats. This is the stuff BMW does right.

Improvement suggestions for the next update? Some people may complain about the somewhat less-than-premium feel of some of the lower-lying plastic trim; not everybody will love the swatches of colour stitching (we love it); why does the steering wheel have to be so wide-of-rim? Side and rear vision is restricted by fat pillars, rising shoulder lines and a shallow rear window; and there is quite a bit of road noise that enters the cabin at speed.

Still, even the back seat is sufficiently spacious for most users, with the sole exception of taller folk having to negotiate a sloping rear roofline. If you’re below 180cm, this should be fine. Most amenities minus overhead grab handles are also fitted.

Further back, the boot is surprisingly accommodating, with 430 litres of cargo capacity that’s enhanced by a 40:20:40 split-fold backrest, and the aperture should be big enough for bulkier loads, but the lack of a spare wheel will be bad news for many buyers. The supplied tyre-repair kit is just not good enough.

But, you know what is good enough? The engines BMW builds, that’s what.

This depends on how much you buy into this being a sporty Gran Coupe rather than a small sedan.

From $59,900 (all prices are before on-road costs), the German-made front-wheel-drive 218 base grade is slightly cheaper than the previous 218i equivalent, yet gains more kit. It also matches the A200 Sedan and costs a bit more than the (also recently facelifted) A3 Sedan, while offering similar performance and equipment to both.

Along with a host of advanced driver-assist safety (ADAS) systems like adaptive cruise control – to be covered in more detail later on – the base 2 Series Gran Coupe comes with the M Sport styling package inside and out as standard.

You’ll also find goodies like adaptive LED headlights with auto high beams, adaptive dampers, keyless entry/start, a curved all-in-one 10.25-inch instrument display/10.7-inch centre control display using BMW’s latest OS9 system offering cloud-based navigation, an M Sport steering wheel, heated sports front seats, a head-up display, surround-view camera, wireless smartphone charger, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, BMW Connected Drive with auto emergency call and other services, artificial leather upholstery, a 40:20:40-split backrest, an electric tailgate and 19-inch M-Sport alloy wheels.

From $62,900, the 220 ditches the 218’s 115kW 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol engine for a 150kW 2.0-litre four-pot turbo, while the 233kW M235 xDrive from $86,600 adds a lot more muscle to that 2.0-litre engine, all-wheel drive, more ADAS tech, massaging front seats, a Harmon/Kardon audio upgrade, uprated brakes, a panoramic sunroof, a heated steering wheel, rear spoiler and higher-gloss trim.

Many of those items are available with a $6700 Enhancement pack on the lower grades.

These more-or-less line up with rival premium small sedans.

Note, though, that they are expensive compared to fine mainstream C-segment alternatives costing far less, like the Subaru WRX, Toyota Corolla hybrid and Mazda3. Or Hyundai’s criminally underrated Ioniq 6 EV. Labels, eh!

Still, for some folk, the 2 Series Gran Coupe’s swoopier silhouette might make it seem like more of a rival to the sleeker CLA than a mere A200/A3 competitor, and that Benz kicks off from about $15K more than the 218. If that’s you, the BMW might be construed as a bit of a bargain.

Since we’re talking about styling, let’s take a deeper dive into the F74’s newly minted looks.

As mentioned earlier, while it may be expensive for a Hyundai, if you want a car capable of making 478kW and 770Nm you’ll typically need to spend a lot more than $115,000. This makes the dual-motor electric powertrain the star of the show in many respects.

Those figures are the maximum performance available when you use 'N Grin Boost', a 10-second burst of ultimate power. The ‘normal’ performance is a still an incredibly impressive 448kW and 740Nm.

These come from a 166kW front motor and 282kW rear motor, to give you all-wheel-drive capabilities.

That’s enough for the Ioniq 6 N to do the 0-100km/h sprint in just 3.2 seconds with N Grin Boost activated (0.2 seconds faster than the Ioniq 5 N). Top speed is limited to 257km/h, which is obviously too much for the road, but Hyundai is pitching this as a track car and in that sense it will struggle to keep up with some supercars at the end of long straights, but that’s probably a minor quibble in the grand scheme of things.

Like most electric cars, the Ioniq 6 N has a single-speed transmission. But like the Ioniq 5 N, Hyundai has developed an artificial ‘manual’ gearbox, which it calls N e-shift. By torque limiting the engine to create a false ‘rev limit’ there are eight virtual gears for you to use via the paddles on the steering wheel.

But this is only part of the story, Hyundai has included a number of N-specific driving settings for the powertrain beyond N Grin Boost and N e-shift. N Torque Distribution has 11 different settings that allows you to adjust the torque split between the front and rear axles up to 95 per cent in one way or the other.

Then there’s N Drift Optimiser, which helps you do big skids, on the safety of a track, of course. Plus N Launch Control to shock your mates with V8s at the drag strip and N Track Manager to keep track of your lap times.

It all sounds very complicated but Hyundai has done a nice job of integrating the systems into the car and making the menu easy to navigate. And because these systems are largely digital, rather than mechanical, it actually helps make the car easier to drive in some regards.

Three F74 powertrain choices are available for Australia in 2025. And none even remotely reflect what their respective badges imply on the boot.

The 218, for instance, is not powered by a 1.8-litre engine, but BMW’s long-lived B38 1.5-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol unit. Making 115kW of power at 6500rpm and 230Nm of torque between 1500rpm and 4600rpm, drive is channelled to the front wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission (7DCT).

With a kerb weight of 1420kg, the 218 has a power-to-weight ratio of 81kW per tonne, helping it achieve the 0-100km/h sprint time of 8.6 seconds, on the way to a 230km/h top speed.

Not enough? The 220 features the ubiquitous B48 2.0-litre (not a 2.2-litre) four-cylinder turbo petrol engine/7DCT combo, pumping out 150kW at 6500rpm and 300Nm from 1450-4500rpm. Tipping the scales at 1525kg for 98.4kW/tonne, its 0-100km/h time is 7.3s and top speed is 250km/h.

Want more? Stretching to the M235 xDrive sadly doesn’t mean a 3.5-litre in-line six, but a modified B48 2.0L/7DCT duo, delivering 233kW at 6500rpm and 400Nm from 2000-4500rpm to all four wheels. Result? Weighing just 50kg more than the 220, it boasts a heady 148kW/tonne, for a 0-100km/h of just 4.9s and a 250km/h v-max.

As with all of the UKL2/FAAR transverse-engine front-to-AWD platform models from non-electric Minis through to sub-X3/3 Series BMWs, you’ll find MacPherson-style struts up front and a multi-link independent rear end out back.

If you’re reading this outside of Australia, you may notice that none of the current F74 models offer mild-hybrid tech, in contrast to their European counterparts. And don’t go expecting any manual gearboxes either, unfortunately.

To power this track-focused EV, Hyundai has had to upgrade the 84kWh battery with specialised heating and cooling systems.

Range is rated to 487km, which is good without being great. And, unsurprisingly, if you access all the power available you will end up using the battery quicker, much like you’ll use more fuel if you drive an internal combustion engine hard.

For track use, Hyundai suggests a ‘20-20-20’ cycle of 20 minutes of track driving, 20 minutes of cooling and then 20 minutes of charging to ensure you get maximum out of a track day. Although we were able to do closer to 30 minutes of track driving from a single charge.

To make this possible, there is a special N Battery mode, which is able to maximise track usage by managing the cooling and output depending on the scenario. There are Drag, Sprint and Endurance settings, with Drag making the battery warmer for sudden acceleration, Endurance trying to keep it cooler to extend on-track range and Sprint automatically applying N Grin Shift when needed.

It’s an incredibly complex system but it speaks to the challenges of making an EV capable of the rigours of high-speed driving consistently.

In terms of charging, the key detail to know is, with the maximum charger, you can go from 10 to 80 per cent charge in as little as 18 minutes, according to Hyundai’s claim, and is compatible with either 400V or 800V charging infrastructure.

OK, so is the 2 Series Gran Coupe cheap to run?

BMW reckons the 218 and 220 will average 6.3 and 6.7 litres per 100km, which means combined average carbon dioxide emissions ratings of 143 and 152 grams/km respectively.

Filling the 49L fuel tank with 95 RON premium unleaded, that translates to around 775km in the 218, and 730km in the 220 between refills.

Predictably, the M235 xDrive uses more, at 7.7L/100km for a CO2 rating of 176g/km. That’s a distance of about 635km.

Over our launch run, which took us from Sydney’s Circular Quay to Wollongong, the 218’s trip meter was reading in the high 8s and about 10 for the M235.

To put it bluntly, the Ioniq 6 N is sickeningly fast. Literally, it can make you feel car sick from the passenger seat if the driver unleashes the power a little too frequently, which isn’t hard because the Ioniq 6 N offers near-instant torque.

The dual motors mean this swooping sedan launches out of corners with a ferocity usually reserved for supercars - it is that quick under hard acceleration. But pure acceleration is only part of the story when it comes to a proper performance car.

As impressive as the Ioniq 5 N is, it was always going to be handicapped by its taller SUV body, meaning the handling was somewhat dulled by its size and shape. The lower, more aerodynamic Ioniq 6 N is therefore noticeably more dynamic and responsive to drive.

The suspension and steering tune isn’t specifically tuned for Australian conditions, instead it’s based on the globally developed setup designed for the Ioniq 5 N, which Hyundai Australia did have input into.

Despite not being tuned specifically for Australia it still rides with impressive compliance for such a performance-orientated electric car. Even on the choppier back roads we tested it on, it feels controlled and compliant while still being responsive, without feeling uncompromising or uncomfortable.

But to really experience the true performance potential of the Ioniq 6 N, you need to hit the racetrack. Thankfully, Hyundai Australia allowed us to test it to its limits at Sydney Motorsport Park.

Free from speed limits the immense power can be unleashed and to make the experience even better you can use the N e-shift and the N Active Sound+ - three separate artificial soundtracks that are designed to mimic engine noise.

There is one that can broadly be described as ‘futuristic’ and another that is meant to sound ‘electric’ but neither are good enough to bother with. Instead, if you stick to the one that sounds like Hyundai’s petrol engine you’ll enjoy it.

While it is clearly an artificial sound, and there will be haters who just don’t like it (and they can leave it switched off), Hyundai has done a brilliant job mimicking the sounds of a proper petrol performance car. So much so that when you lift off the accelerator, you actually hear a ‘snap, crackle, pop’ from the rear of the car, as if there is an actual exhaust making the sound.

What the noise does do is really help you with a sense of speed, as does the N e-shift, not only helping you drive faster but also just making the experience more fun.

For the serious track-day drivers the amount of adjustability in the Ioniq 6 N is brilliant. In particular the N Torque Distribution system, which allows you to shift the drive split front-to-rear on the move. Experimenting with this system, there is a clear difference between the handling not only as you switch between modes, but if you’re really, really serious, you can even adjust it during your on-track run. As the tyres get hotter, shifting more drive rearwards helps the car rotate better and punch out of the corners easier.

However, while Hyundai may have designed it as a track-capable, ‘Corner Rascal’, as they like to say, the reality is, most of the time you’ll be driving, you won’t be on a racetrack.

Even so, N Road Sense is a special setting that is able to recognise a double curve road sign and urges the driver to activate N mode and have more fun, so it’s always looking to encourage you to have a good time.

But what about when you’re not driving fast? How does the Ioniq 6 N stack up as a daily drive? Well, one of the elements of  performance EVs that I personally appreciate, is how quiet and relaxed they are when you don’t need to go fast. Unlike an internal combustion performance engine, which can feel like a caged animal at suburban speeds, an EV with 448kW is as smooth and quiet as an EV with 148kW.

It means it plays both its roles - weekday commuter transport and weekend fun machine - with equal ability.

Earlier, we mentioned that the 2 Series Gran Coupe is way more expensive than fine alternative sedans like the Mazda3 and Toyota Corolla.

And while that still stands, there is a remarkable solidity and refinement difference between those and the BMW that helps justify the premium. And nowhere is this more evident than from behind the wheel.

Sat on body-hugging seats and clutching that (too chunky) steering wheel, there is a sense of sporty occasion, backed up by quality trim and an aroma of expensiveness.

For a turbo three-cylinder car weighing 1.5 tonnes, the 218 does a lot with a little, offering spirited off-the-line acceleration and pleasingly lag-free throttle responses at lower speeds. You’d never call it fast, but it is a quick point-to-point urban mover. Only the unavoidable three-pot thrum lets you know you’re in the lowest mechanical spec. And, also, the delay at freeway speeds in building momentum when overtaking.

Which is why, for less than five per cent extra, the 220 with the 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo would probably make a better buy. Sadly, that isn’t on sale yet in Australia, so we missed out on driving it during the Sydney launch. But in the scores of other BMWs and Minis we’ve tested this in, it’s a cracking little powertrain.

Whether the big leap (nearly $25K worth) to the M235 is worth it depends on how fast you drive and how much you value/need AWD. This is a terrifically muscular machine, since it provides rapid performance via a tidal wave of power, even with the lightest flex of your right foot. On-point and on-brand, this fun and fiery flagship possesses the grand-touring spirit that the rakish design and tech-heavy engineering promise.

To that end, in both the 218 and M235, the steering makes the driver feel connected to the car, resulting in precise and controlled handling. The driver-assist safety tech is beautifully calibrated and nuanced in its intervention, and the brakes are second-to-none.

What is also on-topic for a BMW is the firm suspension, despite the adaptive dampers fitted as standard equipment.

It isn’t stiff or overly uncomfortable, but bumps are certainly always felt, and they’re accompanied by fairly constant road-noise drone over some surfaces.

As such, you’re constantly reminded that dynamic athleticism is the priority here, rather than sumptuous comfort. We’ve experienced much worse from BMW, but a magic-carpet ride isn’t what’s in store for the 2 Series Gran Coupe owner.

So, what’s our verdict then? The 218 is a rorty little tryer that never fails to involve the driver, while the M235 ushers in an elevated level of acceleration, grunt and grip. We suspect that the 220 will be the Goldilocks-zone happy medium.

For (largely) better as well as for (occasionally) worse, these drive and feel like a BMW should.

The latest, F74 2 Series Gran Coupe scores neither an ANCAP nor EuroNCAP rating at this stage, but its F44 predecessor managed a five-star result back in 2019.

For the latest version, BMW is highlighting an elevated level of advanced driver-assist safety (ADAS), including lane-change/departure alerts, forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking tech that detects vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, rear cross-traffic warning, exit warning, adaptive cruise-control with full stop/go functionality, blind-spot monitor and traffic-sign speed-limit alerts.

No information on AEB operating parameters is available as yet for the F74, but the earlier series’ low-speed AEB worked from 8km/h to 85km/h and inter-urban AEB kicked in between 5-80km/h, while the lane-support systems functioned from 70-210km/h.

Tyre-pressure warning, 360-degree surround-view cameras and six airbags are also included, along with Parking Assistant Plus that brings sensors, automatic parking, a reverse assistant that automatically retraces the last 50 metres travelled and a drive recorder.

Note that the 218 misses out on the 220/M235 grades’ ADAS-related crossroads warning, evasion assistant tech, lane-keeping assist with active side-collision prevention and front as well as rear cross-traffic warning. These are available in the aforementioned Enhancement Pack, but at this lofty price point, they should be standard.

Finally, there are ISOFIX child-seat anchorages in the rear-seat outboard positions, along with a trio of child-seat tether latches.

Hyundai covers the Ioniq 6 N with its usual seven year/unlimited kilometre warranty, with any non-competitive racetrack usage also covered. So you can do a track day, including the official N Australia organised ones, with peace of mind.

This applies even if you upgrade your tyres and brake pads in search of faster lap times, as long as you don’t enter into a competition, Hyundai will look after most mechanical on-track problems.

Service intervals are every two years or 30,000km, whichever comes first. Hyundai offers a ‘lifetime’ servicing plan that covers the first four years, but with only two services required - one for $645 and the second for $667.

As one of the best-selling brands in the country, Hyundai has an expansive nationwide dealership network, including extensive rural coverage and service centres trained to deal with EVs.

Here, however, is where BMW can do a bit better.

While the five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty is where most premium brands are, it falls short of several Asian alternatives. Roadside assistance is for just three years and there is no capped-price servicing.

Service scheduling is also condition-based, meaning the vehicle will alert the driver when a service is imminent. This may not suit everybody, and we always recommend at least every 12 months or 10,000km, just to be on the safe side.

BMW does offer pre-paid service packs that take in basic maintenance for the first five years at $2369 or $3782, including brake-pad replacement, which works out to be about $475 and nearly $760 annually respectively. There is also a cap on mileage during that time frame: 80,000km.