Hyundai Ioniq review
Class-leading economy and efficiency
At a glance |
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| New price | £22,695 - £31,950 |
| Lease from new | From £248 per month |
| Used price | £10,775 - £24,805 |
| Used monthly cost | £269 - £619 |
| Fuel Economy | 61.4 - 247.8 mpg |
| Road tax cost | £0 - £135 |
| Insurance group | 10 - 12 How much is it to insure? |
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PROS
- Extremely competitive pricing
- Hybrid gets dual-clutch gearbox
- Cheaper and better warranty than Prius
CONS
- Hybrid still quite noisy, albeit works well
- Some interior plastics are unappealing
- Prius still more efficient
Hyundai Ioniq Hatchback rivals
The Hyundai Ioniq takes a unique approach to the dedicated hybrid and electric car market. A standalone model, distinct from the rest of the Hyundai range, the Ioniq is the only car in the world available in Hybrid, Plug-in Hybrid and Electric variants in the same bodystyle - we've covered the latter in a separate review.
It's part of a huge elecitrification drive for the Korean maker, sitting alongside the Kona Electric and Hybrid, Nexo and 48V hybrid models elsewhere in the range. This hatchback represents the affordable end of Hyundai's advanced eco-friendly vehicles.
Two hybrid options
The Ioniq Hybrid combines a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a small battery pack, driving the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
It is capable of travelling on electric power alone, but only for short distances – in most circumstances petrol and electric work together, boosting performance and (hopefully) saving fuel.
It is a direct rival for the Toyota Prius, and has similar aerodynamically optimised styling; the Kia Niro is based on the same platform and technology as the Ioniq Hybrid, but has more of an SUV-style appearance.
Boosting this performance, all-electric range, and of course efficiency is the Plug-in Hybrid version. This has a bigger battery pack and more powerful electric motor, allowing it to travel up to 39 miles petrol-free.
Distinctive styling without looking alien
Ioniq variants have the distinctive, aerodynamically swoopy silhouette of an eco-car, but are intended to have wider-reaching appeal than the slightly awkward and wilfully 'different' looking Prius and Leaf.
Of the Ioniq variants, the Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid have the more conventional styling, with a slatted grille and blue accents inside and out.
Facelift in 2019
An update three years after the car's launch brought new styling inside and out, a 10.25-inch widescreen media unit and tweaks to the drivetrain.
Driver-controlled regenerative braking was added as well as Bluelink connectivity (a phone-based telematics app) plus the ECO DAS efficiency assistant.
Typically competitive pricing
The Electric version is cheaper and travels further on a charge than an equivalent Leaf, and the same can be said for the EV and PHEV versions compared with their rival from Toyota.
Both versions come with Hyundai’s five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, with coverage for the battery components extended to eight years (albeit perhaps confusingly, this is limited to 125,000 miles).
