DURING A week of many complements while evaluating the Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 – for the car not me – the highlight came when a particularly excited gentleman pulled up at the traffic lights and exclaimed: ‘I thought it was a Porsche!’

The fact that the stunning Ioniq 6 is placed in that company, says an awful lot about the South Korean manufacturer’s quality.

Hyundai made a big splash when it introduced the Ioniq 5, a compact all-electric SUV with retro-cool style. Just a year later, the visionary company has followed up with the Ioniq 6. It has much of the same EV hardware and features as the Ioniq 5 but takes the form of a sleek-looking saloon.

The Ioniq 6 has been designed to be as aerodynamic as possible to maximise its efficiency. Its 77.4kWh battery helps it achieve a claimed range of up to 338 miles. There is also a dual-motor version with 321bhp for those who want more kick.

Step inside the Ioniq 6 and you’ll find a spacious interior with plenty of room for five passengers

So, what’s the Ioniq 6 actually like to drive? Despite its looks, the car is not overly sporty. It handled itself well on some of London’s more dubious roads and performed admirably on the infamous A406, M11 and M1 on one particular journey.

Responsiveness to the accelerator is instant, thanks to the torque from the electric motors. The feel through the pedal is good, too, as it is through the brake pedal. There’s surprisingly decent power on the brakes but the way that it feels is pleasing for an electric vehicle.

Both single-motor RWD models and twin-motor AWDs can be had in either Premium or Ultimate trim. The latter gets flush door handles, upgraded front seats, leather-faced upholstery, a tilt-and-slide sunroof, all-round parking cameras, premium audio and a head-up display, as well as Premium-level equipment.

Before I list the car’s other traits, I have to deal with the ‘elephant in the room’  -charging time. This has often been a negative subject for many who, however briefly, might have pondered acquiring an EV but have been put off by having to sit in a vehicle that takes the best part of an hour to charge.

Well, the Ioniq 6 is a class leader in many ways and that includes the time it takes to recharge the vehicle. Just how quickly it can get back on the road is impressive (less than 20 minutes), leaving you with the aforementioned 300 miles to play with. This is all courtesy of its 800-volt electrical system. More volts means more energy can be provided into the battery cells quickly, so it can be recharged from 10 to 80% in rapid time.

Step inside the Ioniq 6 and you’ll find a spacious interior with plenty of room for five passengers. Space up front is plentiful, which took me by surprise, with good storage, and the rear compartment is roomy. Legroom and space for elbows is exceptional, although there’s very little space for feet underneath the front seats.

The infotainment is quick to respond to touch inputs and is fairly user-friendly in operation

My aforementioned A406, M11 and M1 journey compelled me to use the navigation system which proved to be accurate thanks to its online connectivity, and using the embedded system means you get turn-by-turn prompts on your head-up display and within the instrument cluster.

The combination of an efficient body style, 300 plus range, comfortable ride quality, and a quiet and refined interior environment, means that the Ioniq 6 is an excellent car to consider

Hyundai Ioniq 6 prices start from around £47,000, while the dual-motor all-wheel-drive model is a little over £50,000.

The combination of an efficient body style, 300 plus range, comfortable ride quality, and a quiet and refined interior environment, means that the Ioniq 6 is an excellent car to consider if you are in the market for an EV purchase.

With a 0 to 62 mph acceleration time of just 5.1 seconds, it certainly isn’t a Porsche but does have other qualities which make it attractive.