• Roomy for passengers up front
• Not so spacious in the rear
• Plug-in has smaller boot than hybrid

How much space is there?

The Hyundai Ioniq isn’t the biggest hatchback around. It’s 4,470mm long and 1,820mm wide so its footprint is at the lower end of the compact family hatchback scale. It is wider than a Toyota Prius, though, if not as long. Space in the front seats is fine, with plenty of adjustment to accommodate all shapes and sizes. This is a comfortable car to sit in, and easy to see out of.

Switch to the rear seats and things get a little more cramped. Adults can sit behind tall friends, but you’ll struggle to get three across the rear seat, unless you’re transporting young children. Go for a top-spec Premium SE and you get heated outer seats in the back.

67

Boot space and storage

The Ioniq has different boot capacities depending on which model you choose, because the bigger battery in the plug-in model takes up space in the back. The hybrid model has a 443-litre load area, compared with 341 litres in the plug-in version.

The good news is that you can flip those rear seats forwards to extend boot space to 1,505 litres (hybrid) or 1,401 litres (plug-in). Whichever way you cut it, the hybrid’s boot is the one to go for if you want outright carrying capacity. The seats don’t fold completely flat, but the shallow incline means it’s not too much of an issue.

The boot features an extendable load cover rather than a parcel shelf to keep items out of sight, while the floor is set quite high in both cars. Surprisingly for an eco-focused model, and considering the hybrid tech that’s hidden beneath, there’s still enough room in the Ioniq to fit a space-saver spare wheel.

67

Is it easy to park?

While the Ioniq has a low-set driving position, the large window area means the view out is pretty good and you should be able to position the car where you want it. All models come with rear parking sensors as standard and a rear-view camera that overlays the image with guidelines that help you to position the car up when reversing.

Top-spec versions of the Ioniq add front parking sensors, too, while the top-spec model’s safety systems also incorporate rear cross-traffic alert. This warns you if there are vehicles moving behind you when reversing. Whichever Ioniq you choose, a split rear window – a corollary of the car’s aerodynamic shape – gives a great view out the back for reversing.

Safety

• Five star Euro NCAP rating
• Every Ioniq has auto-brake as standard
• Benign handling should keep you out of trouble

The Ioniq has a decent slew of safety equipment and was given a five-star rating by the experts at Euro NCAP in a full crash test in 2016. However, the test has been made tougher since then, so it’s not possible to make a direct comparison between the Ioniq and newer rivals.

Every Ioniq comes with autonomous emergency braking, a system that predicts if a crash is likely and can apply the brakes automatically if it senses a collision is imminent. Perfect for preventing rear-end shunts if you’re distracted on a motorway.

Lane keep assist, meanwhile, will warn you if you’re straying from your lane and top-spec models feature adaptive cruise control, which maintains a predetermined distance to the car in front, applicable at speeds above 6mph.

If that little lot doesn’t keep you safe, a suite of seven airbags should protect occupants in the event of an accident. Just watch out for some of the more insistent electronics, such as the blindspot monitor fitted to Premium SE models, that can beep annoyingly.