2022 Los Angeles Auto Show: Best in Show

The 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show was a small but mighty show featuring reveals from heavy hitters including the Toyota Prius and Subaru Impreza. But the star of the show — and Cars.com’s Best in Show — is the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6, the latest electric vehicle from the South Korean automaker.

Here’s why our panel of editors chose the Ioniq 6 as Cars.com’s Best in Show.

Related: More 2022 L.A. Auto Show Coverage

Jennifer Newman, Editor-in-Chief

With the Ioniq 6’s unveiling, Hyundai has hit back-to-back home runs as it adds to its EV lineup. To my eye, the Ioniq 6 gives off Porsche vibes, especially when viewed from the rear. The Ioniq 6 also picks up the Ioniq 5 electric SUV’s pixel theme, with small squares sprinkled across the interior and exterior, including the turn signals, taillights and across the spoiler. The Ioniq 6 retains the Ioniq 5’s roomy interior but swaps the SUV’s slidable center console for a flat bridge. As an Ioniq 5 owner, what had me most excited is the button that takes you directly to the controls for heated and ventilated seats rather than forcing the driver to dig through menus to adjust these controls; it’s a small but thoughtful and appreciated update.

Brian Normile, Road Test Editor

I’m more lukewarm on the Ioniq 6’s lines, but it’s undeniably distinctive and very much an Ioniq EV. The swooping lines make a strong statement about its efficiency goal, and the promise of more range from both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive Ioniq 6 compared to the Ioniq 5 — using identical powertrains — is compelling. The roomy interior and its sustainable materials also win points with me, as do the mostly physical controls. The choice to move the window switches to the center console a la the Ford Bronco is an interesting one, but not a deal-breaker by any means. The swooping roofline cuts into backseat headroom, but there’s so much legroom that it feels like a fair trade.

Damon Bell, Senior Research Editor

What impresses me most about the Ioniq 6 is that it is unabashedly a car. Its overtly streamlined shape really stands out in the sea of boxy trucks and wagon-shaped SUVs that dominate today’s new-vehicle landscape. It’s one of the sleekest, smoothest sedans I’ve seen in recent memory, and the look is emphatically “form follows function.” Its unconventional proportions make me think of the 1930s Chrysler Airflow or 1970s Citroen SM — classic cars with similarly unorthodox profiles. The Ioniq 6’s cabin is as original as its exterior and more spacious than you might expect given the swoopy, sloping roofline. I’m 6 feet, 6 inches tall, and I fit in the backseat better than I thought I would thanks in part to the generous legroom and flat floor with no center driveline hump. Hyundai has crafted a bold, design-forward vehicle that doesn’t neglect practicality.

More From Cars.com:

• Up Close With the 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6: The Latest Ioniq Swoops In
• Hyundai Ioniq 6 Expected Range to Rival Tesla
• Is the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 a Good Electric Car? 5 Pros and 4 Cons
• 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Review: The EV We’ve Been Waiting For
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 Vs. Kia EV6: What’s Really the Difference Between the Two?
• Hyundai Ioniq 5 Vs. Tesla Model Y: Functional Vs. Funky

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