Hyundai has lifted the covers off the Ioniq 3, its new electric hatchback that will arrive in the UK this year priced from around £25,000.
It has been positioned to rival an array of electric hatches, from the small Renault 5 to the larger Volkswagen ID 3 – and at 4.15m long and 1.51m tall, it sits bang inbetween them.
Its unusual shape is described by Hyundai as an ‘aerohatch’, a sleek new form conceived with the goal of maximising aerodynamic efficiency.
This approach has resulted in a raked roofline, similar to that employed by the old Hyundai Veloster, ending with a prominent duck-tail rear spoiler. The rear lip is moulded into the leading edge of the boot, but range-topping N Line cars get an extension for a sportier look. The front end, meanwhile, was sculpted to have the smallest frontal area possible.
Its efforts have yielded a drag coefficient of 0.26, which is better than the smaller but chunkier Renault 5 (0.29). As a result, the Ioniq 3 is said to be capable of driving 208 miles between charges when fitted with the standard 42.2kWh battery or 309 miles with the larger, 61kWh pack.
Lead exterior designer Manuel Schöttle said Hyundai began with the most efficient shape in aerodynamic terms for the Ioniq 3, but added it was “important to make sure it didn’t look like a soap bar”.
He said it was Hyundai’s first electric car designed in Europe, and noted that it uses Hyundai’s new Art of Steel design language.
Yet the radical silhouette also brought several compromises inside the Ioniq 3. For example, the roofline’s rake ate into the boot space, and the small front end combined with the model’s front-wheel-drive configuration meant there was no space for a frunk. The workaround was to create a large cargo space below the floor, similar to the ‘Gigabox’ in the Ford Puma Gen-E increasing load space from 322 to 441 litres. Indeed, that raked design also ate into rear cabin space, so Hyundai carved into the car’s headlining to free up a few millimetres more head room.
The Ioniq 3’s cabin was designed to free the driver of as much distraction as possible. Lead interior designer Victor Andrean said the “hands on the wheel, eyes on the road” philosophy brought a rethink of the dashboard’s layout.
That resulted in a thin new digital instrument panel that is set notably higher than in existing Hyundais; it is paired with a smaller steering wheel, resulting in a similar set-up to Peugeot’s i-Cockpit.
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" .... fight the R5" (impossible) and copied the C-style of the Clio IV.
Apart from long Hyundai warranty and keen discounting I don't see this being compelling enough.
Interior materials look cheap. It looks like an uglier Toyota CH-R
Polo, ID Cross and Epiq will be more desirable on the showroom floor.
Renault 5 with smaller battery will be very showroom friendly too even if it isn't very efficient or well packaged.
EV2 from sister brand, KIA will be more practical and have a longer warranty.
If Hyundai/Kia could sort out their plastics I'd consider one but they just look hard, cheap and greasy like Suzuki or Toyota.
LoL . H-K plastics look like new after 100,000km and seven Aussie summers. Ask me how I know.
I'm guessing you know because you like hard, cheap, greasy looking plastics.
I appreciate plastics that don't fade, blister, crack, degrade, deteriorate, have 'soft touch' foam/vinyl layer that can separate from the backing, discolour, have 'rubberised' finish that flakes/peels off when exposed to the elements, have chintzy 'chrome' paint that scratches/flakes/lifts. Is that what you were trying to say?
Judging from the numerous videos on the new Iconiq 3 on YouTube, your assertion is simply not true, the plastics are soft, the dashboard is quilted. Admitedly, the red car is in the highest trim and the dearest option, but the interior seems all good to reviewers actually sitting in the car.