- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
Perm Magnet, LI
- Engine Power
NA
- Fuel
12h 0m chg, 280km range
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Red'n Gear
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2016)
2018 Hyundai Ioniq review – She says, he says…
They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, in which case Toyota should feel humbled by rival Hyundai.
The South Korean brand has followed Toyota’s template for the Prius in creating a stand-alone hybrid small car - the Ioniq. It’s roughly the same size as an Elantra but is motivated by a petrol-electric powertrain.
What are your first thoughts, Ali?
She: First off, it looks better than the Prius in my opinion. I still don’t like the old ‘cut the rear windscreen in half and slap a mini spoiler on there’ look that the Ioniq shares with the Prius. But overall, it’s a lot less polarising and doesn’t stand out as a “look-at-me” hybrid.
Interestingly, Hyundai plans to take the concept further and will offer the regular hybrid option we tested, plus a plug-in hybrid and a fully-electric version.
He: I’m not really sure what to make of the Ioniq and its looks. It’s not quite a copy of the Elantra and is nice on the outside, but the interior comes across as quite conservative and lacking anything to really make it stand out as something special.
Hyundai has left that to the powertrain, which combines a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with 77kW and 147Nm paired with a 32kW/170Nm electric motor. How did the performance grab you?
She: I was impressed. The Ioniq felt strong during take-off and cruised nicely the rest of the time - it felt more powerful than I expected which I think people will really enjoy once it officially hits the market next month. And it was smooth, taking bumps and dips in its stride and still feeling grounded. It does sip around 3.9-litres per 100km which makes it slightly thirstier than the Prius - but then the plug-in and EV will be even more efficient.
He: I’m surprised and disappointed Hyundai didn’t manage to beat the Prius at fuel economy, which is arguably the most important element of a hybrid. And yes, the ace up Hyundai’s sleeve is it will expand the Ioniq range with both a plug-in hybrid and full-electric vehicle before the end of 2018, which is something Toyota doesn’t offer locally.
The wild card element of the Ioniq at the moment is the price, which hasn’t been confirmed yet, but our sources suggest the Premium model will start close to the Prius' $36k sticker.
She: For the equipment you get, I think it’s well worth the price. The Ioniq’s hybrid powertrain feels solid, and it gets great safety features like autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, blind spot detection, reverse camera and smart cruise control with stop/start function.
The 8-inch infotainment unit is integrated nicely and the row of buttons underneath it fit in well. The addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also gets a thumbs up, as does the addition of heated and ventilated leather front seats and wireless smartphone charging.
So, Steve, do you think Hyundai has created a more well-rounded version of Toyota’s Prius - or do you think it still has further to go?
He: Given the late arrival to the hybrid party, I was expecting a bit more from Hyundai. However, I think its powertrain is likeable and the more conservative styling appeals to me. That being said, I’d wait and see how much the Ioniq plug-in is before I made a commitment.
2018 Hyundai Ioniq price and specifications
Price: From $36,000 plus on-road costs (estimated)
Engine: 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol-electric hybrid
Power: 77kW (petrol), 32kW (electric)
Torque: 147Nm (petrol), 170Nm (electric)
Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 3.9L/100km