Hyundai Ioniq Reviews

Hyundai's Ioniq range is nothing if not a flex in the face of Toyota. Sure, Toyota has a dominating position in the Australian market, with its well-received range of hybrid models, but what happens after hybrid? Hyundai takes on the blocky Prius formula with not only a directly competing hybrid model, but a plug-in and a fully electric version, too. This expansive range is as though Hyundai is trying to demonstrate it's ready for any future, near or far, and guess what, Toyota? Anything you can do; the Korean juggernaut thinks it can do better. These cars aren't really designed to sell so much as they are offerings for early adopters, but a few years after its launch, with a host of rivals set to take it on, and an entire sub-brand based on the Ioniq just around the corner, is Hyundai's top-spec Ioniq electric  worth a look? I took one for a week to find out.

Hyundai's Ioniq Electric Premium brings zero tailpipe emissions closer to the mass market with a practical five-door hatch body and a price that's steep but cheap for a full EV.

Hyundai's three-tier Ioniq electrified range opens with the Hybrid. Does the best seller stack up as the best in the range?

The Hyundai Ioniq range has been updated after barely 12 months on sale. The Plug-in Hybrid version has had no changes to its drivetrain, but got the rest of the update. Is it still the best bang for electric buck in the range?

The Hybrid is the cheapest way into the Ioniq range, and arrives in Elite ($34,790) or Premium ($39,990) trims. The Hybrid Elite arrives with cloth seats, LED DRLs, a 10.25-inch multimedia (the biggest that's ever appeared in a Hyundai) screen that's both Apple CarPlay and Android Equipped, and an Infinity eight-speaker stereo. The alloys are 15 inches, and you'll find dual-zone climate control, LED DRLs, push-button start and proximity unlocking.Stepping up the Hybrid Premium adds 17-inch alloy wheels, leather appointed seats, smart cruise, the seven-inch display in the driver's binnacle, LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats and a sunroof. All Hybrids blend a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with a 32kW electric motor for combined outputs of 104kW and 265Nm. It's paired with a six-speed DCT automatic.

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid forms a kind of stepping stone between a petrol-powered engine and an all-electric vehicle, offering an all-electric range of around 60kms.Opt for the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid Elite ($41,990), and you’ll find cloth seats, LED DRLs, a 10.25-inch multimedia (the biggest that's ever appeared in a Hyundai) screen that's both Apple CarPlay and Android Equipped, and an Infinity eight-speaker stereo. There’s smart cruise with stop and go, too, as well as 16-inch alloys and an electronic parking brake.Stepping up the Plug-In Hybrid Premium ($46,490) adds leather appointed seats, a seven-inch display in the driver's binnacle, LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats and a sunroof. The Plug-In Hybrid blends a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for combined outputs of 104kW and 265Nm. It's paired with a six-speed DCT automatic.

Think of Hyundai's Ioniq as the automotive equivalent of Goldilocks (only with less bears), with the brand putting forward three different eco options in the one vehicle, meaning all you need to do is choose the one that's just right. See, the just updated Ioniq is offered with three different powertrain options, starting with a hybrid, then a plug-in hybrid, and finally a fully electric version.And this 2020 update has seen the addition of a bigger battery in the EV, better interior tech across the board and, less happily, higher prices no matter which one you go for. So is the Ioniq truly a best of all worlds' proposition? Or is it a jack of all trades but master of none?Let’s go find out.

The Hyundai Ioniq Electric is the greenest option in the Ioniq family, ditching the petrol engine of the hybrids in favour of an battery and electric motor combo.The Ioniq Electric makes use of a 100kW and 295Nm electric motor, fed by a bigger-for-2020 38.3kWh battery.That power is fed through a single-speed gearbox. It will deliver 311km in driving range between recharging, and speaking of which, you’ll get from empty to 80 per cent full in a little under an hour using a 100kW fast charger, or a little over six hours when plugged into a wall box at home.The Ioniq Electric Elite ($48,490) arrives with LED DRLs, a 10.25-inch multimedia (the biggest that's ever appeared in a Hyundai) screen that's both Apple CarPlay and Android Equipped, and an Infinity eight-speaker stereo. You’ll din single-zone climate control, electric folding mirrors and rain sensing wipers and a seven-inch TFT screen in the driver's binnacle.The Ioniq Electric Premium ($52,490) adds leather appointed seats, smart cruise, LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats and a sunroof.

Electric cars are becoming more prevalent in Australia, and these three models represent some of the most affordable ways in to 'the future of motoring'. We've got the most affordable EV going, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric, and it's up against the attractively priced Nissan Leaf, and the intriguing new Tesla Model 3. The latter is a lot dearer, but does it stack up in other ways? Let's find out.

Sometimes the future is a hard sell, but Hyundai's plug-in Hybrid Ioniq shouldn't be. Here's why.