Hyundai Ioniq Hatchback (2016 - 2022) Hybrid Premium 1.6 GDi auto 4d Owner Review

The Ioniq is a step change for Hyundai, as it offers 3 different drive trains for the same chassis, it is very quiet and comfortable on long runs, far less tiring to drive than previous cars I have owned. I have an owned a Ioniq hybrid Premium since November and covered well in excess of 10,000 miles. It offers Excellent value for money when you consider the amount of technology and safety systems that come as standard across all the trim levels, Performance while not rapid by some peoples standards is more than adequate for normal day to day driving with the fun of sport mode when you need it, Sport mode is useful at times such as for climbing some long hills as it alters the charge / energy recovery rate. The Ioniq does seem to prefer a more gentle driving style to get the most out of it and if you monitor the energy flow using the various displays you can get some eye watering MPG out of the car, my average mpg since new is about 66mpg, but I have personally seen 80+ mpg on long runs a number of times and recently got into the 90+mpg a couple of time on 150+ mile runs Braking is good, very smooth and linear with no obvious step as the electronics go from regenerative braking to regenerative and mechanical braking, One thing that does take a little while to get used to is that the Ioniq will creep forward at up 8mph if you release the brakes so you have to apply a little more pressure to the brake pedal to hold the car still at junctions, But the creep is great when in traffic on the M25 as the car stays in EV mode using no fuel The quirky foot operated don't take long to get used to but you can drive off with the parking brake on until the car "bongs" at you and flashes the brake warning light on the dash, you only do it a few times before the parking brake becomes 2nd nature The dashboard is very clear and logically set out, the menu system for configuring all the options of the safety and driver assistance systems are logical and the driver is prevented from altering most of these while the car is moving for safety reasons AEB is good, I have not had any false alerts, due to other drivers AEB has got to the brakes a fraction before me, the car stops quickly and in a straight line with no dramas LKAS works wells, the beeps as you drift across a line comes from the speaker on the side you are crossing the lane markings making it intuitive as to which way you are drifting Smart cruise works fine in light traffic, in medium to heavy traffic the braking could be smoother, also on A roads with bends it can lose track of the vehicle in front, but to be fair the manual does warn the driver of this The speed limiter is very good for average speed camera zones on motorways and in road works as you can't easily exceed the speed limit, but if you put you foot on the accelerator to the kick down part of the pedal travel the car takes off, so in an emergency situation you can got out of the way. I made a lot of use of the speed limiter when I first got the car for the simple reason coming from a normal petrol car when the Ioniq slips into EV mode you lose the normal queues like engine RPM to maintain your speed, so until you retune your senses for speed the limiter is a useful tool to prevent your speed creeping up and getting an expensive letter in the post and 3 or more points on your license The automatic headlights work well, although at times they tend to stay on a little longer than I would like and there brightness and range at night are good The interior is light and airy, visibility all round is generally good, the split rear window I did have my concerns about but in actual fact the bar between the two sections is actually at just the right height to cover the headlights of the car behind, the upper window although it doesn't have a wiper, once you reach 30-40 mph it stays clear in wet weather, the lower window and reversing camera do suffer with spray in bad weather but you soon learn to keep paper towel in the boot to give it a quick wipe over at the start or end of a journey The Nav / Media system is fully featured with a responsive touch screen apple carplay and android auto, there was an early recall on the media unit to resolve a Bluetooth issue and a firmware update in march which resolve an echo issue on calls via carplay as well as updating the maps You can also have an impress number of screens with information about the energy flow, economy and eco score for you to monitor as you drive to help you get the most out of the car, the energy flow screen can also be displayed to the right of the speedo The nav system is good and intuitive to use, if you tether the nav system to your phone via WiFi you can access tom tom live services for live traffic and speed camera alerts, the live traffic allows the nav system to intelligently reroute you around hold ups, but at times it seems a little to eager to change your route for traffic that may be over 100 miles ahead in your route. You get free map updates but the updates tend to be annual (A subtle hint to Hyundai, it would be nice to be able to update your maps over WiFi while outside your home using your home broadband without the need to visit the dealer except for firmware update) The worst thing about the car is the user guide, the little 40 page quick reference guide is great, you can find all the information you need to start driving the car quickly and concisely, the main user guide and media manual are another matter, trying to find relevant information is not the easiest I have had to deal with. Would I recommend it, YES without hesitation so long as you are not expecting the performance and handling similar to a Focus ST or Astra VRX, If you are looking for a good family car which is economical and comfortable for long runs with loads of tech and plent of luggage room then the Ioniq should be on your list to look at.