Hyundai Ioniq 3 News

Hyundai plans to make the humble hatch great again next year with the arrival of its all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 3.Hyundai's local sales boss David Rodda has locked in a 2027 launch date for the new EV Down Under.“Our existing EV lineup already covers 85 per cent of the market, and with the introduction of the STARIA Commercial Van later this year and Ioniq 3 hatch early next year, we expect to reach 96 per cent overall EV market coverage," he said.The Hyundai Ioniq 3 is actually officially dubbed an 'aero hatch' by the Korean brand, as the BYD Dolphin or MG4 rival has an ultra-low, class-leading 0.26Cd drag coefficient, which helps unlock a range of up to 500km.The new Ioniq 3 will serve as an indirect replacement for the old i30 hatch that was axed in Australia over the high costs involved with sourcing it from Europe.The first Hyundai to be designed under the brand's Art of Steel design language, the Ioniq 3 blends a sleek front end, rakish lines and some unashamed classic Alfa Romeo styling elements at the rear.The version we saw in the flesh was the sporty N Line variant that added larger 19-inch alloy wheels, a more prominent ducktail rear spoiler, diffuser, side skirts and aggressive front bumper that are all finished in gloss black.The four LED light elements within the slimline grille, meanwhile, are said to signify an 'H' in morse code.All future Hyundais will draw plenty from the Ioniq 3's styling that when applied to a small hatch handily also provide plenty of space within.Built on the Korean car giant's 400-volt E-GMP platform, the small Hyundai measures in at 4155mm long (4170mm for the N Line), 1800mm wide and stands 1505mm tall with a 2680mm wheelbase that delivers head- and legroom on par with the old larger i30 hatch, while in the rear boot there's up to 441 litres of luggage-swallowing potential.Inside, the good news continues as there is a either a large 12.9-inch or even more generous 14.6-inch infotainment that runs the brand's latest Android-based software.High grade material, tactile physical buttons, plus general high levels of attention detail all shame budget rivals.Comfort within is boosted by the firm's heated and ventilated 'Relaxation Seats, which said to employ fabric inspired by 1970s Italian furniture that is recycled and said to be bio-based. There's also a powerful Bose premium sound system, dual-zone climate control and ambient LED lighting.When it lands in Australia, the Ioniq 3 is expected to come with either a 42kWh lithium-iron-phosphate (LFP) battery that provides for more than 335km of range or a bigger 61kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) that engineers are confident will see the Dolphin rival travel up to 500km on the Euro WLTP test cycle.Plug into a DC fast-charger and Hyundai says the Ioniq 3's standard battery takes 29 minutes for a 10-80 per cent refill, with 30 minutes for the same charge on the long-range NMC battery.AC charging is limited to 11kW, but a 22kW capability will be offered as an option from launch. Vehicle-to-load (V2L) is standard on all models, allowing the Hyundai to charge laptops or e-bikes.Whichever Ioniq 3 you plump for, the small battery-powered hatch comes with a single e-motor that drives the front wheels and produces either 108kW or 99kW in the long-range version.Both produce 250Nm of torque, with the entry Ioniq 3 accelerating from 0-100km/h in 9.0 seconds, while the heavier less powerful long-range variant takes 9.6 seconds to reach the same benchmark. Top speed is limited to 165km/h.Designed to achieve a five-star ANCAP rating, all versions of the new EV hatch comes with bright LED headlamps, seven airbags, a blind-spot monitor, a 360-degree camera, adaptive cruise control and remote auto parking.Available with the choice of eight exterior paints and four interior colour combinations, the Hyundai Ioniq 3 has yet to be officially locked in for a launch Down Under, but once confirmed, expect the striking all-electric hatch to be priced from around $42,000 plus on-roads when sales start in Q1 of 2027.