Hybrid, plug-in, or pure-EV. Choice is yours.
Korean carmaker Hyundai has launched its new 2019 Hyundai Ioniq range, which arrives in Australia as the very first ‘green’ vehicles from the brand in our market. The Ioniq may be one car, but it comes in three very distinct offerings, with the Ioniq Hybrid, Ioniq Plug-In, and Ioniq Electric all making it in one decisive and perhaps lucrative swoop, offering Australian buyers an unprecedented choice in electrification levels that have never before been offered.
“The new Hyundai Ioniq marks the opening of an exciting new chapter for our company. The Ioniq makes responsive, and eco-friendly electrified driving accessible to a wide range of customers, in an attractive and user-friendly compact package featuring standard safety & locally-tuned comfort and chassis-dynamics, with the peach of mind of our five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and Lifetime Service Plan.” — JW Lee, Chief Executive Officer, Hyundai Motor Company Australia
All three models (HEV, PHEV, and EV respectively) will be offered in Elite & Premium trims, with no powertrain differences between them. The range begins with the Hybrid (HEV), which pairs a 77kW/147Nm Atkinson-cycle petrol engine to a 32kW/170Nm electric motor, producing a total system output of 104kW. With a 1.56kWh Li-Ion polymer battery handling storage, this setup boasts fuel economy between 3.4L/100km-3.9L/100km, though in real-world scenarios, we’d say to expect around 5L/100km on average.
The Plug-In model (PHEV) uses the same Atkinson-cycle petrol with the same outputs, but instead gets a beefier 44.5kW/170Nm electric motor, paired to a larger 8.9kWh battery. So equipped, the PHEV can run up to 63km on a single full charge, and in doing so, boasts a claimed fuel consumption figure of 1.1L/100km. The PHEV offers charging at rates of up to 3.3kW, meaning that this model is best-suited for those who will readily plug their cars in to charge at home (or at work).
The electric model (EV) is one of the more interesting offerings, even if only from an academic standpoint. There’s a 28kWh Li-Ion polymer battery in here, feeding an 88kW/295Nm electric motor, allowing for up to 230km of range on a single charge. Its ability to be fast-charged at rates of up to 100kW means that you could, Hyundai claims, replenish 80% of the battery’s range in just 23-minutes, making it a capable long-distance companion (in theory). Should you find yourself at a more popular 50kW fast-charger, the same battery level can be achieved in 30-minutes.
Regardless which model you go for, the Hyundai Ioniq is impressively well-kitted as a family hauler. Within its diminutive fastback design lies big-car features like collision warning with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and driver-drowsiness detection. Intelligent cruise control completes the suite of ADAS systems, though the Ioniq Electric benefits from the addition of full Stop & Go functionality to the cruise control system.
All cars also come with features like an 8.0-inch colour touchscreen MMI system (multimedia interface), that sits high on the dash to ensure it’s always in the drivers’ line of sight. Replete with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the system is hooked up to an 8-speaker “premium” audio system by Infinity, which can either play your streamed music, or anything on DAB+ digital radio.
You also get things like a 4.2-inch TFT LCD display nestled between the dials on HEV & PHEV variants, while Ioniq EVs get a full 7.0-inch TFT display that shows more detailed powertrain information. In addition to this, Ioniqs in Premium spec will get things like heated & ventilated front seats, a heated steering wheel, powered drivers seat, climate control, and wireless smartphone charging. An electric parking brake, keyless entry & go, and electric parking brake are all standard, along with Hyundai Auto Link (that lets you connect to your car via Bluetooth to keep track of vehicle info, allowing you to maximise every drive).
|
Powertrain |
Transmission |
Elite |
Premium |
|
Hybrid |
6-speed DCT |
$33,990 |
$38,990 |
|
Plug-in |
6-speed DCT |
$40,990 |
$45,490 |
|
Electric |
Single-speed reduction gear |
$44,990 |
$48,990 |
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