THE RULE OF 3

Can BMW's M division repeat its combustion success in electric vehicles (EV)? Can Hyundai leap to the top with the loniq 6? Or is the Model 3 still the best?

- Ben Whitworth

RADICAL" IS AN OVERWORKED AND undervalued word, attached to everything from wayward politicians to faddish diets. It is, however, the perfect word to describe Hyundai's rise from peripheral player to the rock star in the nascent world order of electric cars.

When it launched the Ioniq 5 in early 2021, the Korean colossus did not simply follow the Tesla playbook; it amped it up to II by wrapping its advanced electric architecture in one of the freshest pieces of design we had seen in a very long time.

Equally bold models underpinned by the same platform followed from sister brands Kia and Genesis. While Volkswagen, Nissan, and Ford dithered, Hyundai wrested away the electric crown and powered near-silently into the future. And now they have done it again with the Ioniq 6, a sleek four-door saloon so radically different in looks and positioning from the Ioniq 5 that it could have come from a different marque in a different continent.

As the car that fired the starter's gun in this race to electrification, the best-selling Tesla 3 is the new Hyundai's natural rival: also a saloon, also endowed with advanced battery and controls technology, and also likely to be on every buyer's shortlist. And what better assessment of Europe's battery-powered status than BMW's first electric M car, the i4 M50? With massive firepower and driver-focused technology lurking beneath a familiar silhouette, we are keen to see if its fresh take on the old-school saloon will create headaches for the Hyundai and Tesla.