Hyundai Ioniq Review

Hyundai have a range to cater for all buyers from the practical i30 hatchback to the Tucson SUV and they’ve been leading the way with the eco conscious ix35 hydrogen fuel cell car. Now they’ve launched the Ioniq which they’ve managed to score a world first with their offer of three electrified powertrains for one model.

With the UK launch taking in the urban environment of Liverpool to the sweeping lanes of North Wales, how would it fare?

With a plug-in hybrid not available until next year the powertrains at the launch were the hybrid and the full electric.

The hybrid is powered by a 1.6-litre GDI petrol engine producing 105PS and 147Nm of torque with an electric motor that combined delivers 141PS with 265Nm of torque. If you’re using the hybrid mainly for short commuting trips then it can run on pure electric and it uses a seamless six-speed automatic transmission. It’s available to drive in Eco and Sport modes, the latter offers greater performance and holds gears longer to get the most out of the hybrid set up.

For those wanting the full electric experience then the 88Kw electric motor offers a range of up to 174 miles and produces 120PS, don’t be fooled into thinking that it lacks in power as with 295Nm of torque available it can get from 0-62mph in 9.9 seconds and has a top speed of 103 mph. 

The Hyundai Ioniq has a good ride if you’re driving it on motorways or zipping it around town, steering is also nicely balanced and light and it really feels at home in urban environments.

The launch had us taking it on some of the Evo Triangle roads and it’s where it didn’t perform as well, it didn’t feel such a solid, planted ride, steering wasn’t as reactive and it just didn't feel very stable.

The cars at the launch were the top of the range Premium SE spec and to be honest it felt like a costlier car, the full leather with the contrast blue or copper stitching (latter for the electric, blue for the hybrid), the heated steering wheel and electronically adjustable seats certainly give it enough equipment to take on the likes of the Toyota Prius.

As expected the electric is really quiet, the hybrid makes noise when the petrol engine kicks in and filters quite obtrusively into the cabin at the top of the rev range.

What was noticeable about the Hyundai Ioniq is how well laid out the cabin is, a display screen dominates the centre of the car flanked by air vents with blue or copper edges, while the driver has a very clear, yet simple 7-inch TFT instrument cluster featuring plenty of information relating to speed and efficiency.

There is also the option of a wireless smartphone charging dock and there is connectivity via Bluetooth and a USB port.

Each Ioniq version comes with plenty of standard equipment with even the entry level SE featuring DAB with Bluetooth, 15-inch alloy wheels, cruise control, rear parking sensors and a rear view camera.

The top spec Premium is our pick as the leather seats are comfortable, heated and ventilated and the steering wheel is also heated - ideal on cold mornings.  One great edition on the electric version is the ability to have heating and air-conditioning available just for the driver, so it saves using it unnecessarily around the cabin.

If you’re looking for plenty of cupholders then the Ioniq has them in all the doors and between the front seats, there is a large area underneath the centre stack in the electric version whilst in the hybrid there’s an ipad holder by the centre armrest.

With a sloped roofline, rear passengers get less headroom but there is plenty of legroom for all passengers.

The boot holds 443-litres and with rear seats folded increases to 1,505-litres, Hyundai have also placed the battery system under the rear seats so it doesn’t interfere with the boot space. You do have to make way for the charging cable bag.

The Hyundai Ioniq range starts at £19,995 for the entry level hybrid SE, which is £3,000 less than the Toyota Prius, the electric version costs from £24,495 which includes the government grant of £4,500.

They come with a five year/unlimited mileage warranty for the car and an eight year/125,000 mile one on the high voltage battery.

It is possible to charge the electric version at home in 4.5 hours with a Pod Point charger which currently costs £300 and a fast charger will get 80% of it charged in just 33 minutes.

The hybrid emits just 79g/km of CO2 so will be VED exempt with Hyundai predicting a combined 83.1mpg in fuel economy, which in real world terms will be a struggle to get close to; on a mixture of city and B road driving we managed late forties but if you have a less than heavy right foot and keep to city driving then it could manage more.

The Hyundai Ioniq is a solidly built car, it certainly feels and looks premium; the soft touch leather to details like the stitching on the seats make it well designed and the blue and copper coloured bumper accents help to differentiate the powertrains.

Hyundai have improved in the reliability stakes, the i30 scored well in that area in the Driver Power results this year and already the Ioniq is award-winning having won the 2016 Red Dot Design award.

The Hyundai Ioniq hasn’t been tested yet in the Euro NCAP ratings but it comes with seven airbags including a knee one for the driver. Assistance systems for the driver include Autonomous Emergency Braking, a lane keeping assistant, blind spot detection, rear cross traffic alert, smart cruise control and a tyre pressure monitoring system.