South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co. on Thursday unveiled its second dedicated EV model IONIQ 6 at the Busan International Motor Show ahead of its local launch in September.

The IONIQ 6 is the second model embedded with Hyundai Motor Group's EV-only electric-global modular platform (E-GMP) following the IONIQ 5, which launched in April last year.

Hyundai will begin receiving preorders for the new model on July 28 and aims to sell 12,000 IONIQ 6 models in the domestic market by the end of this year, Cho Won-sang, vice president in charge of marketing at Hyundai Motor, said in a press conference.

The company will start the production of IONIQ 6 in the third quarter to export it to some European markets late this year and to the United States in the first half of next year, he said.

The IONIQ 6, which Hyundai describes as an electrified streamliner, is aerodynamically sculpted and adopts some sustainable materials to reflect EV customers' values, the company said in a statement.

"The distinctive streamlined design is the result of close cooperation between engineers and designers, with focus on detail and customer-centric values. We have created the IONIQ 6 as a mindful cocoon that offers a personalized place for all," Lee Sang-yup, executive vice president and head of Hyundai Design Center, said.

IONIQ 6's cocoon-shaped interior serves as both a comfortable hideaway and a personal space, with some practical features and sustainable materials, the statement said.

The electric sedan is available in two versions. One is a standard model with a 53 kWh battery pack, and the other is a long-range model with a 77.4 kWh battery. The latter can travel up to 524 kilometers on a single charge.

The company plans to install SK Innovation Co.'s car battery in the IONIQ 6 this year due to supply issues but will use LG Energy Solution's battery from next year, the executive said.

Hyundai said it has no plan to bring batteries from Chinese battery maker CATL at the moment.

The model sells at the starting price of 55 million won ($42,000), with the prices rising up to 65 million won depending on features.

The IONIQ 6 is reportedly aimed squarely at US electric car maker Tesla Motors Inc.'s Model 3 in global markets.

Hyundai plans to introduce the platform-based IONIQ 7 SUV model in 2024. For its all-electric models, Hyundai uses alphanumeric names, like its bigger rivals, such as BMW, whose models are named Series No. 1-8.

On the same day, Kia unveiled the EV9 flagship SUV concept ahead of its domestic launch next year. Kia's EV6 and EV9 models share the E-GMP platform. (Yonhap)