Hyundai kicked off the global introduction of its new all-electric Ioniq 6 by differentiating not just the design of the new sedan, but also the target its aiming for with the new EV — young professionals looking for a luxury feel, without a luxury price.
It also offered up a few new details about the sedan — not pricing, unfortunately — revealing the fact that it will arrive in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2023. Production will be in South Korea, starting in the third quarter of this year, with deliveries beginning in Asia and Europe early in the fourth quarter.
Not only is the exterior design dramatically different from its predecessor, the Ioniq 5, the marketing efforts behind the new model will take a unique approach as well. Hyundai’s created the Ioniq 6 Digital Studio.
It houses extended reality content that provides an “immersive experience for people to encounter (Ioniq) products in a virtual reality space,” said Thomas Schemera, executive vice president, Global CMO and head of CX Division, Hyundai.
Potential buyers can access the studio using computers, laptops, or smart phones. Users will be given the opportunity participate in online challenges, including races and other online driving events. The Ioniq 6 will be available in leading Metaverse platforms like Roblox and Beto.
Additionally, it will offer a collection of NFTs, which will be released July 14, after the digital premiere of the vehicle. There will be curated online and offline experiences for NFT holders the company’s dubbed Ioniq Citizenship.