Ioniq puts a plug in your range anxiety
Hyundai PHEV offers best of both worlds — plug-in electric as well as gas power
If you want more than a hybrid, but you’re scared of running out of juice on a fully electric vehicle, the solution may be a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV). They run on electricity when you plug them in, but they’ll also work as a conventional gas-electric hybrid if you can’t.
They’re pricier than a conventional hybrid and Hyundai’s new Ioniq Electric Plus PHEV starts at more than the top-trim Ioniq Hybrid, but if you have a place to plug it in and your commute isn’t all that long, you could end up running on electricity much of the time and for less than the MSRP of a fully electric vehicle.
Hyundai sells three Ioniq models: A hybrid in four trim levels, an all-electric in three trims and the Electric Plus in two. The base SE trim is $31,999, while my tester, the Limited, is $36,499. Both are eligible for electric vehicle rebates; Ontario’s the most generous and hands you $7,000, while Quebec gives you back $4,000 and British Columbia rebates $2,500.
The plug-in uses a 1.6-litre gasoline engine that on its own makes 104 horsepower and 109 poundfeet of torque. When it’s operating as a conventional hybrid, with the gas and electric motors working together, you get up to 164 hp and 195 lb.-ft. of torque. Unlike most hybrids, which use a continuously variable transmission, the Ioniq sends its power to the front wheels through a six-speed dualclutch automatic unit. This gives it a more conventional car feel when it’s working as a hybrid.
Plug it into a wall and after about 21/2 hours on a 240-volt charger — eight to nine hours on a regular 110-volt outlet — you get about 47 kilometres of electric range. That’s about seven kilometres more than the range promised by Toyota’s Prius Prime, which at $32,990 to $35,445 is in the Ioniq’s ballpark.
Of course, that’s an approximate number on either car and you’ll lose some range when driving in cold weather or if you have a heavy foot. As with any hybrid, the regenerative braking system feeds power back into the battery as you drive, but you have to plug it back in again to get that initial full charge.
There’s a button on the console that lets you flip between hybrid and electric operation — switch to hybrid on the highway and then use the stored charge when you exit onto city streets. Even so, the Ioniq can have a mind of its own, even when you’ve selected electric only. Acceleration is leisurely on the electric motor alone and the gasoline engine soon kicks in if you demand more giddy-up or if you turn up the cabin heat. I drove fairly sanely and plugged in regularly and despite cold weather averaged a more than respectable 4.1 L/100 km.
I wasn’t overly impressed with last year’s Ioniq Hybrid, but it looks like the PHEV has addressed the issues I had with its non-pluggable sibling. While the steering is still light, the plug-in feels sharper. And while it’s definitely not a sports model, I think it’s is the better driver. The tight turning circle makes it easy to manoeuvre in tight parking spots, too. Even so, the throttle has an odd rubbery feel to it and it’s likely some of my great fuel efficiency was due to it being a chore to floor it.
I also thought my seat was more comfortable this time around; I had trouble adjusting the hybrid’s seat to my liking. Both trim levels feature heated seats fore and aft along with a heated steering wheel. Those features chew up battery power, but they make sense. If your hands and butt are warm, you’re more likely to turn down the power-hungrier cabin heater.
Despite the car’s technology, it looks conventional outside and in with only some blue trim accents and the gauge cluster hinting at the Ioniq’s electric ability. The front seats are roomy, while the rear seats have about the amount of space you’d expect in a car this small. You’ll be able to fit four adults into it with a fair amount of comfort, but of course don’t expect limousine-style leg room. The hybrid battery is at the back, but packaged in such a way that
there’s still a decent amount of cargo space.
Compared to regular hybrid models and even all-electrics, the plug-in hybrid is still a relatively rare bird, especially around this price range.
The biggest issue is whether a plug-in’s relatively short electric range is worth the jump in price over a hybrid. It can be for some, but sharpen your pencil and do all the math before you take the plunge. Driving.ca