Years back, I went along with a salesperson to present a prototype of something that I had helped design, based on what we thought were the requirements of the client. The only way the meeting could have gone worse is if the customer had expressed their displeasure with baseball bats, Casino style. They didn’t like the shape, the size, the functionality, or the price point. Heck, not even the color met with approval.
The ride home was understandably near-silent until the salesperson finally spoke up. “Well,” he said, rather sheepishly, “I think we need to repaint that thing and present it again.” He was not joking.
You can laugh all you want (I did), but this sort of customer rejection happens with products still today, particularly cars, and the manufacturers don’t seem to accept the reason why. One automobile I can think of that might fit this description is the Hyundai Ioniq 6.
In his reviews, our Thomas Hundal has praised virtually every aspect of this car:
The Hyundai Ioniq 6 is one of the greatest electric cars on the market. We’re talking about a reasonably priced electric sedan with full-sized interior space, up to 342 miles of EPA range, an 800-volt architecture, and proper luxury car ride quality that’ll put many German machines to shame. Unfortunately, it’s also not a huge seller.
Indeed, while Tesla (up until recently) was pushing hundreds of thousands of Model Ys, and Hyundai was moving over 44,000 Ioniq 5s, the Ioniq 6 only found 12,264 buyers in 2024. Worse, that’s a decline from 2023 for the Ioniq 6, while the 5’s numbers improved by 33 percent. Clearly, people ain’t digging this thing.
If this car is so good, is there something holding it back in the market? You bet your ass there is. Or its ass.
Butt Seriously…
When a company is doing a rather significant facelift to a car that is barely two model years old, there must be a reason. This seems to be the case with this rather controversial Ioniq 6.
Introduced for the 2023 model year, the Ioniq 6’s styling looked like nothing else on the road, though some felt it bore a partial resemblance to a Porsche 911 or even a thirties streamliner car.
For the just-revealed facelifted version, Hyundai made some detail modifications such as removing the “whale tail” spoiler, toning down the busy diffuser, and de-felining the “cat-like” face of the original car with a set of slim headlamps for a squintier visage.
All of these changes were well received by Thomas and the story commenters alike, but they didn’t address the main issue that many if not most people have with the car: its rear end.
Some funny comments here from Thomas’s post, unless you’re a Hyundai PR person of course:
I still don’t like the rear “droopy butt” look.
Pretty face; sagging butt.
Still looks like a melted bar of soap.
It doesn’t need a facelift so much as a buttlift. Yes, I said it.
It still looks like it was pinched at both ends
Infiniti J30 called, it wants its butt back
Ah, the J30! Are the designers and marketing people here too young to remember that the melted Peugeot 504 tail on the Nissan J.Ferie/Infiniti J30 was sales kryptonite?
Hey, I liked the J30! I found the styling of the original Ioniq 6 very unique and intriguing as well, but you can try to defend it until you’re blue in the face, and still nobody is going to buy it. Generally speaking, the public seems to hate this car’s ass.
What is funny is that Nissan released another car about the same time as the J30 that had a very similar shape yet just ever so slightly tweaked, and with the taillights mounted up a bit higher. This car went on to be a sales juggernaut for the hamburger-logo brand and spawned a whole cult of Big Altima Energy.
With the Ioniq 6, though, it’s worse than aesthetics, as one commenter pointed out:
The styling changes, although a plus to my eyes, don’t appear to have done anything to expand the 11 cubic-foot trunk, which is my main sticking point.
Wow, that is indeed rather pathetic cargo space. This thing could be the most beautiful car in the world, but it still ain’t gonna sell with luggage capacity like that.
What can be done? Is it too late to save this car without a total redesign? Maybe, but I have to at least try.
Your Butt Is Mine
Anything is possible in a facelift (or buttlift), but a car maker will want to reserve changes for parts that can be easily removed and replaced without making major changes to the body structure. This often means parts that are bolted on like the bumpers, taillights, and even hoods or trunk lids. In the case of the Ioniq 6, those parts would appear to be the sloping trunk lid and the bumper / rear fascia panel. I’ll work with the N-Line model since I think that’s the most aesthetically successful and best starting point.
The idea is twofold. First, visually raise the back of the car to make it look more wedge-like in profile and less like it was pinched in at the back. Next, increase the luggage space by enclosing more space at the back of the car. Is that possible? To some degree, yes. Take a look at the old:
..and now the new:
You can see that I’ve added a raised trunk lid to create almost a “bustle back,” but far more integrated than the infamous Cadillac Seville that had such a protuberance on it. Next, I’ve moved the taillight band up higher to visually really help bring your eye up. Finally, almost all of the black fascia that used to contain the taillights will be painted body color, except for the section at the bottom that would line up nicely with the rising curve of the grey rocker panels to continue that sweep around back.
Here’s an animation to show the original and modified version:
If anything, I think it’s made the car less distinctive but also far less polarizing; that’s what’s needed when you’re trying to be a mainstream seller.
In back that addition to that new trunk lid I made seems rather BMW “Bangle Butt” like, yet people did in fact buy those and they don’t purchase the Ioniq 6, so maybe such a change is a good thing. Here is the original:
… and the raised back:
The animation shows the change:
From the side, the changes are not as pronounced looking, but they do work to make that back appear taller (since it is) and add more of a wedge shape to the car’s profile. The original:
…and modified:
Truth be told, I really want to change the rear fenders and quarter window as well, but as I said, at that point you might as well just redesign the whole car. The idea is to salvage as much of the existing car as possible and get a few more years out of it before Hyundai is ready with an all-new model.
Here’s the animation of the change to the tail, which is very subtle from this view:
Most importantly, I hope that such a change might give you enough room to get that last suitcase in there that won’t have to be shoved into the back seat.
No Ifs, Ands, Or Butts
The Ioniq 6 seems to be a great car, and it deserves to be a hit in the market with more than just the few crazies like me who go for its unique and controversial styling.
Are these bolt-on changes a total success? Of course not, but it’s a rather dramatic difference for minimal tooling work. Like that salesperson at my old job, Hyundai seems to be missing the point; their star EV has an Achille’s Ass and changing everything but (excuse the pun) that is not likely to turn the tide.
Here’s Why American Hyundai Ioniq 6 Owners Are Getting Shortchanged On Frunk Space – The Autopian
The 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Limited AWD Could Teach Mercedes-Benz A Thing Or Two – The Autopian
The Base Hyundai Ioniq 6 Probably Isn’t The One You Want – The Autopian
That comment lamenting the I6’s small 11 cubic foot trunk feels familiar. Hmmm…
Anyway, it feels the solution to the trunk space issue falls somewhere between the original sloping trunk and its bangled buttlift rending. Even minus a redesigned trunk, the simplest design change to add visual heft to the I6’s rear end is adding a sharply angled “Hofmeister kink” at the rear pillars that flows into the trunk seam.
a wise man made the comment I think
I honestly really like the design of the original, even the back. Im shocked to see how low they are price-wise, top-trim models are already close to 50% below their original MSRP. I might be tempted to see if I can make an EV work as a daily…
I so agree with the rear 1/4 panel that accentuates the droop. Having said that I like what you did, and like you I also really like the original, droopy butt and all.
I do like the original, too, but also like the Citroen DS and Tatras and Saabs (I actually owned one). So I am NOT the customer you should consult if you want to sell more than 12,000 cars a year.
I dream of owing a real DS. Have had 2 Saabs (real ones), will have to google Tatras, and am thinking about having a ‘to be restored house’ in Italy so I could have a parking space for the forbidden fruit.
This car has always reminded me of the Citroen DS. I like it the way it is but understand why most people don’t.
Spot-on. When I was in the market for a new car (late 2023) this was a paper contender, but the combination of weird tail, tiny trunk, and $5k ADM quickly made it a non-starter. And given how seemingly every American (except me) wants either an SUV or a pickup truck, it’s no surprise that sales have been sluggish.
it doesn’t need fixing. its great as it is! i think the ioniq 6 is RAD.
Great skills, I still don’t like the rear. I think it’s the downward curve of the side profile window and character line that really makes it look sad and droopy. I think that line needs to be brought up and integrated into the higher trunk lid. I never liked that BMW ‘bangle butt’, looked like an after-thought to me.
Messing with the rear fender is required. The stock trunk matches the roofline and fender lines. Need to divorce the unity of the taper to fatten the trunk.
It’ll take a lot more than that since the curve continues into the rear doors. Beyond the trunk lid and rear bumper panel, you’re really at the point that you might as well redo most of the car if you want to remove the saggy back.
Fun and interesting as always!
I might have liked this change more before the refresh, but I feel like the 2026 is as good as it’s going to look without essentially starting over. The more aggressive looking styling up front and the slight weirdness reduction in the back have made the silhouette and overall styling choices go together much better than they did at launch. In fact, I sort of like looking at it now.
What I really think hurts it the most is just being a sedan in 2025.
Anyway, I think of the J30 every time I see the Ioniq 6, even more than I think of J30s when I’m looking at a J30.
I don’t know if the J30 was a saggy; it was actually more of a rounded off or melted Peugeot 504; our family had two of the them in a row so maybe that’s why I’m partial to the look
I think it’s being a low sedan, the sloping rear and full width tail lights that make my brain go to the J30. They also fall into my very small category of “always catches my eye but I’m still not sure how I feel about it.”
My girlfriend got me soap in the shape of a very detailed octopus. I like the look of it, so instead of using it I displayed it on a little shelf in the bathroom. Years have passed. It has started to melt and completely stuck itself to the shelf, and if that octopus had started as a Peugeot 504, it would be a J30 now.
ahh yep, the saggy diaper car.
I like the original butt, reminds my of the rear end of my own DS. I also understood the shape of the Ioniq 6 helps in increasing the range. It will go a lot further than the equivalent Ioniq 5. But in the end I think people choose the practicality of the body shape over the range.
You turned it into a Chrysler Concorde!?!?
Concorde is a lot nicer- I always like the LH!
If they had just made the damn thing a lift back/fastback it would have been so much better.
The other problem for the car now is that if you like streamlined sedans with lots of range and divisive looks you can buy a used EQS or an i4 with a reasonable number of miles for under $40k or $30k respectively. That gets you a much nicer car inside, similar fast charging and a liftback. In the case of the EQS 400+ miles of range as well.
If you get either one with under 50k miles(under 2 years for MB, 4 for BMW) you’ll still have full warranty coverage for any little hiccups that show up. And like most EVs, for the battery/HV powertrain the coverage is super long; out to 8/100k on the BMW or 10/155k on the MB.
AND you don’t have to got to a Hyundai dealer.
Why not make it a hatchback while you are at it? That would add a lot of practicality.
I would, but like I said I was looking at simple changes that could done quickly. Pretty sure that a hatch would take some major structural revisions.
Fair point.
I was in the minority who actually liked the styling of the J30…I used to joke that the ‘J’ was an homage to the XJ-6 like taper of the back end (albeit, with appropriate bubble era styling).
My biggest issue with the original 6 (I liked the original front end, and don’t mind the revision to it) was the double spoiler. Unlike say an XR4ti, it looked like they farmed the styling out to two different teams, and then tacked both of the results on for the production model.
The new back end is at least more cohesive, tho the color blocking makes it difficult to appreciate. I do think it still falls away a bit too much, but I (like other commenters) would argue that your taller trunk solution ends up being a bit too banglish to really fix the issue.
Driving up behind one, at first I thought it was some new Porsche variant.
A B pillar back redesign as a station wagon is what it needs. That arching taper design that Mercedes Benz started is getting really tiresome, although maybe Hyundai is wise to benefit from the confusion.
I like it a lot. Now make it a wagon and I’m in!
I like the new look, and never really had issue with the rear, It was the front that seemed off to me. Now it looks pretty cool, futuristic even.
What effect does this change have on the aerodynamics (and thus highway range)?
I wouldn’t just assume that the drooping tail is more aerodynamic.
Far more, the rejoining of air from top and bottom is a huge source of drag.
The best comment I read about the design of this car was that it looks like it’s dropping a deuce….
And as I walk my dog three times a day waiting for him to do his business, I am very familiar with this stance. I like the design of this car but I can’t get that image out of my head and I would never buy one for that reason alone. It’s cursed. They need more critical design review as they’re taking too many chances. Assuming their true goal is to sell cars!
I think the main issue is the Ioniq 5 exists, right next to it in the showroom, has easier step in, hatch back with more cargo room, and subjectively looks better, front and back.
It’s like going to buy an R3 unit when the R2 is sitting right next to it. Yeah the R3 has some better performance specs but the R2 is just better, and at the same price or cheaper.
Agreed. I liked the original, and the refresh looks even better, but for even-ish money I’m going with the 5 every single time.
The problem is the paint scheme. It looks fine otherwise.
I like the 3/4, I like the rear, I just don’t like the 1/4, for some reason.
God no, don’t Bangle that butt.
The current rear is actually nice, but it’s just different, so it has people clutching their collective pearls. The front had issues I think are largely solved with the redesign. The more standard rework looks tacked on.
They’re clutching their wallets too. 12,000 units of a mainstream family car is a third of Corvette sales. What I’ve shown likely isn’t exactly the answer, but mark my words, that facelift is bullshit- with that butt it will never sell.
Bad design can sell for sure. Just look at BMW’s sales once they went full fugly. But it is still bad design.
The other issue is that pushing all their models into the exact same space might equalize sales across models, but it doesn’t necessarily equate to greater overall sales. If I was looking for an EV, the Ioniq 6 would be interesting enough to make me consider Hyundai. There is nothing else like it. If it goes more mainstream, I would likely just get the Ioniq 5.
Smaller selling but unique designs have the potential to find incremental sales. A normalized design doesn’t. The fact car makers want to do what you did and make everything more of the same is how we got to CUV everything beigeness.
Might just be me but the silhouette reminds me of the original Citroen DS.
It looks great post-facelift.
The Bustleback is not a great look – and it makes the drooping rear window line completely pointless.
Which I suppose is fine if you miss your Grandma’s 1980 Seville.
how can you NOT like your Grandma’s 1980 Seville??
I don’t know that I have enough fingers and toes to enumerate the reasons – but I’m glad my Granny had stopped driving long before the 1980 Seville happened.