Hyundai IONIQ EV 104
Hyundai IONIQ EV 107
Hyundai IONIQ EV 112
Hyundai IONIQ EV 113
Mike Sinclair24 Feb 2017
REVIEW

Hyundai IONIQ 2017 Review

An attractive, affordable, spacious five-door hatch which offers the choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric variants? Sounds too good to be true
Review Type
International Launch
Review Location
Songdu, Korea

Don’t tell Hyundai we told you, but IONIQ is Korean for Prius. Well, sort of… Instead of settling for a conventional hybrid with unconventional styling, Hyundai’s new IONIQ will be offered as three electrified and spacious hatches including plug-in and full EV variants. It’s good looking and far more engaging to drive than its Toyota counterpart but alas still not a definite (at least in all three forms) for Australia.

With its new IONIQ, Hyundai says it's bringing a choice of e-mobility to the people. The big question right now is whether those people will include Aussies. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves.

For the uninitiated into the wonders of green motoring, IONIQ is Hyundai’s new green car. Think Toyota Prius or BMWi and you get the idea.

In this case, there’s a single IONIQ body style – an attractive five-door hatch about the size of the current Elantra. But in what Hyundai claims is a world first, IONIQ is offered in petrol-electric hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure-electric (EV) variants.

The hybrid features a petrol-electric powertrain coupled to a dual-clutch gearbox and it's undeniably a better drive than its established Toyota counterpart. The plug-in adds 50km of electric range while retaining the flexibility of a petrol drivetrain. And the full EV version of IONIQ claims a class-leading range of 280km.

No other car-maker offers this trio of electrified drivetrain options in one model. Nor at the sort of price segment – think sub-$40K for the EV. Hyundai says this innovative approach “democratises” e-mobility, making “low-to-zero emission driving more accessible to everyone”.

Everyone but Aussies, it seems.

You see once again, the lack of any real incentives from our governments could mean that this technology falls at the first hurdle and doesn’t even come Down Under. Or perhaps that Hyundai Australia limits the choice of variants to the cheapest and perhaps least engaging offer, the Prius-aping IONIQ Hybrid.

What a shame that would be, but we have our fingers crossed that all three will come here. That’s certainly Hyundai Australia’s aim. Just don’t believe everything you read elsewhere – it is not a done deal!

Hyundai IONIQ EV 112

Conventional hybrid
Against the weird Harold looks of the latest Prius, the IONIQ Hybrid and its IONIQ Plug-in and IONIQ Electric stablemates look positively conventional. Fastback hatches, they're still styled for aero efficiency and quote an aerodynamic drag figure of just 0.24Cd.

But unlike the Toyota and its pufferfish lines, there is no doubt that from most angles and in silhouette, the IONIQs just look like a sporty hatch. That’s a plus for wider uptake.

The Electric dispenses with the grille of the hybrids (itself a smart ‘active’ design to minimise drag and deliver only the amount of cooling air the engine needs) and features a more disc-style alloy wheel, but the weirdness is kept to a minimum. That’s a second tick.

There’s also decent comfort and plenty of luggage space in all three versions. In fact, the IONIQ Hybrid we drove in Korea last week was better able to swallow our luggage than the new i30 we drove alongside it. That’s something other hybrids and EVs can't always deliver… and three ticks!

Genuine room for four is right on par for the class. And I stress again – your friends won’t run and hide when you turn the corner at the designated pick-up time… Another elephant stamp?

Hyundai IONIQ HEV 109

Shared parts
As you’d expect, there’s a reasonable commonality of mechanicals across the three IONIQs.

The platform itself appears to be closely based on the previous-gen Elantra. I write ‘appears’ as for some reason Hyundai’s tech team in Korea were unwilling to confirm the details. I suspect that’s in part because the overall dynamics of the Hybrid we drove feel a generation behind – certainly when compared to the all-new i30.

To help offset the weight of batteries, electric motors and the like, IONIQ substitutes aluminium for steel in panels including bonnet and rear hatch. Aluminium is also used in the front suspension on all models and in the rear multi-link suspension of the hybrid pair.

For the record, the EV uses a torsion-beam rear suspension instead to provide additional space for the larger battery.

Hyundai IONIQ EV 118

The Hybrid features a 1.6-litre naturally-aspirated direct-injected petrol four-cylinder engine rated at 77kW and 147Nm. The engine uses Atkinson-cycle cam and ignition timing to maximise fuel economy – standard practice with petrol hybrids.

While this tuning reduces low-down torque, that is supplemented by the tractive efforts of a 32kW electric motor that can produce up to 170Nm. That means the Hybrid is reasonable spritely. No, it won’t beat an i30N hot hatch away from the lights but if that ability is on your shopping list, you’re probably looking in the wrong place.

That said, while the IONIQ was hard pressed to match poise of the new i30 we drove the same day, it is clearly a more sporty drive than its Prius competitor. One key contributor to this is the choice of a dual-clutch gearbox rather than CVT.

Hyundai IONIQ EV 105

There are no gearshift paddles in the Hybrid but in sport mode the transmission does a reasonable job. You can also change manually via the shift lever.

During our day-long drive in sub-zero temperatures in Korea the Hybrid delivered actual, real-world fuel consumption of around 5.4L/100km. Good numbers given the conditions and sporting clip at which we were driving.

Time to Plug-in
The IONIQ Plug-in retains the same 1.6-litre engine but upgrades the electric motor to 45kW. It also features a six-times-larger 8.9kWh lithium-ion battery pack. As noted above that should be good enough for a pure EV range of 50km and speeds of up to 120km/h.

The Plug-in is anticipated to be the last IONIQ to come to market and as such missed out on our Korean test drive. A shame, as it strikes me as the best technology for many Aussie buyers. Especially if it can be delivered at the sort of competitive pricing that has been telegraphed in the USA.

Still, the focus of many will be on the IONIQ Electric. In the EV version of IONIQ, the battery grows further to a 28kWh unit. This powers an electric motor rated at 86kW and 295Nm.

Hyundai IONIQ HEV 010

Hyundai claims a top speed of 165kmh and also rapid are the charging options. An 80 per cent charge can be achieved just 23 minutes using 100kW DC fast-charge system.

While the EV drivetrain features a single-speed reduction gear, there is no transmission per se. Shift paddles on the steering wheel allow the driver to adjust the severity of EV's regenerative braking across four settings.

In the most aggressive setting the EV is almost a ‘one-pedal’ car – simply stepping off the accelerator slows the car enough in most traffic situations. It doesn’t appear, however, that it will bring the car to a complete stop as is the case with, for example, BMW’s i3.

A choice of ECO and Sport drive modes add or subtract range and performance as you’d imagine.

We didn’t have time to get a decent appreciation of the bona fides of the range claim, but I can vouch for the step-off performance of the IONIQ Electric in Sport mode. It’s rapid enough to have the low rolling resistance Michelin tyres regularly scrabbling for traction.

Hyundai IONIQ EV 128

Next steps
Officially, Hyundai Australia says it is still studying the introduction of IONIQ Down Under. We believe the button has been pushed on the Electric already, but the scope to introduce the rest of the range will be reviewed. Money talks…

IONIQ is a world-first in terms of production cars. Add a fuel cell version (not impossible) and Hyundai would have every base covered. It would also be a great calling card for Hyundai Down Under, but the bottom line is cost.

Aussies are willing to pay a premium for choice in many segments, but in the world of hybrids and EVs it’s a harder sell. It really is time incentives were put in place to help stoke the low-emissions vehicle fire…

Hyundai IONIQ HEV 101

2017 Hyundai IONIQ Hybrid pricing and specifications:
Price: TBC
On ale: TBC
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder GDI petrol with permanent magnet synchronous motor and lithium-ion battery
Output: 104kW/265Nm
Transmission: Six-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 3.4L/100km (NEDC Combined)
CO2: 79g/km (NEDC Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested

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Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Expert rating
71/100
Engine, Drivetrain & Chassis
14/20
Price, Packaging & Practicality
15/20
Safety & Technology
14/20
Behind The Wheel
13/20
X-Factor
15/20
Pros
  • Doesn’t look or drive like a Prius
  • Hybrid’s twin-clutch drivetrain
  • EV has proper welly
Cons
  • Steering too light
  • Some interior finishes look cheap
  • Still to sample Plug-in
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