Hyundai’s electrifying new trio
INNOVATION: Automaker’s Ioniq line offers three different ways to spare the gasoline
It’s testimony to how far electric vehicles have come in the last half-decade that Hyundai Canada chose the B.C. Interior in February to launch its all-new Ioniq.
With EVs of just a couple of years ago, the very notion of having the nation’s automotive press crank up the heat and fire up the seat heaters — and in the process watch the battery range get nearly halved — would have been a PR case study in how not to unveil a new EV.
But in the case of the all-new Hyundai Ioniq EV — with a fullcharge range in the 200-kilometre neighbourhood — turning up the heat in the vehicles did not turn up the heat on the collars of the company’s communications staff in Kelowna during a cold and snowy snap.
Quite the opposite in fact, as experiencing the Ioniq EV in winter conditions demonstrated to the assembled automotive journalists just how adaptable the vehicle is for Canadian drivers in far from ideal driving conditions. With the heat turned up to high, the two front seat heaters on and the rear defrost activated, the full-charge display went from 197 to 160 kilometres, still more than any EV apart from a Tesla could boast until this model year without any heat on.
The Ioniq EV is only a third of the Ioniq story, as it counts two other electrified siblings in its stable: a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and a hybrid (HEV). This trio makes the Hyundai Ioniq the world’s first vehicle to be offered with three distinctly different electrified powertrains.
At the Kelowna launch were the EV and HEV models, with the PHEV scheduled to make it to Canadian shores in a few months’ time.
Think of the Ioniqs as triplets with almost identical appearances and slightly different personality traits (in this case, powertrains).
They are almost identical as the only noticeable exterior differences in the three models are found on the front grille, tail lights and wheel size/design.
The HEV and PHEV share an active air flap in the front grille that takes into account engine coolant temperature, vehicle speed and other variables to control airflow relative to air resistance. The EV’s grille is closed off, designed to be incorporated into the Ioniq’s slippery shape.
How slippery? With a 0.24 drag coefficient, all three Ioniqs share the lowest CD in the industry with the Prius, Tesla Model S and Hyundai Sonata Hybrid.
In silhouette, the Ioniq defies its hatchback configuration with a sedan-like appearance thanks to an integrated split-view rear window and integrated spoiler.
That spoiler is key to that low CD number, as are the wheel air curtains and underbody cover.
As to alloy wheels, the EV gets 16-inch eco-spoke rims, the base Hybrid — the Hybrid Blue — sports 15-inchers and the remainder outfitted with 17-inch wheels.
Inside, apart from dash displays and powertrain-specific controls, the three Ioniqs are the same. In keeping with the sleek exterior, the interior design is a study in future-forward thinking.
The environmental theme of the Ioniq’s “green” efficiency carries over here too, with plenty of “eco-friendly” materials used throughout the cabin.
These include an interior softtouch component that features 25 per cent sugar cane in its makeup; plastics made from recycled material, powdered wood and volcanic stone; metallic paint with ingredients extracted from soybean oil; and a bio fabric composed of 20 per cent sugar cane.
The cabin design itself maximizes the Ioniq’s size in an equally efficient way to give the HEV model more interior volume than the Prius, and the EV and PHEV more space than the Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf.
What the three Ioniqs truly share is remarkable fuel economy in their respective compact segments.
With a combined fuel economy rating of 4.1 L/100km, the Hybrid Blue will be the most efficient non-electric vehicle in Canada, and its Hybrid stablemate claiming runner-up status with a 4.3 rating. Those best the current fuel-sipping champ in the segment, the Toyota Prius Liftback with its 4.5 rating.
Likewise, the Ioniq EV climbs to the top of the all-electric heap with its combined 1.7 Le/100km rating, beating the 2017 Chevrolet Bolt’s 1.9 number (but when it comes to range, the remarkable Bolt almost doubles the Ioniq’s). The VW e-Golf is third with a 2.0 rating, followed by the Nissan Leaf (2.1), Ford Focus EV (2.2) and Kia Soul EV (2.3).
Charging times for the Ioniq EV’s 28 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery are 24 hours using a 120-volt; 4.5 hours using a 240V; and 30 minutes plugging into a 450V fast charger.
Those numbers — economy ratings and charge times — are of course at the very essence of electrified vehicles — their raison d’être if you will — but just as important are the numbers prefaced by a dollar symbol.
Official pricing down to the penny has yet to be finalized by Hyundai Canada, but ballpark numbers were presented at the press launch for the two models in attendance.
The HEV will come in four trim levels: Blue, SE, Limited and Limited w/ Tech. These will range in price from $24,000 up to $33,000.
The EV comes in two trims — SE and Limited — and Canadian consumers have an option to add a Cold Climate Package to the SE trim for what is expected to be about $1,000 (this includes a heat pump, battery temperature management system and heated rear seats). The EV SE will be in the $35,000 range, while the Limited will come in around $42,000 (that includes the Cold Climate Package).
But as any EV owner, and prospective one will tell you, that’s not the true price, at least in the three Canadian provinces that offer government rebates on electrified vehicles. So, Ontarians will knock off $14,000 of that price; Quebecers $8,000; and B.C.ers $5,000.
Likewise, Ioniq PHEV buyers will get rebates of, respectively, $8,200, $4,000 and $2,500 in those three provinces.
And Quebec residents will get a $500 rebate when buying the Ioniq HEV.
The HEV and EV might look almost identical inside and out, but after a half-day behind the wheel of each, there were certain characteristics that separated the two.
What they both share is a very comfortable and well-designed cockpit for the driver and front-seat passenger.
Rear passengers too, as the legroom back there is surprisingly spacious for a compact vehicle.
As with most every automaker that produces an electrified vehicle, Hyundai went to some length in underscoring how performance and a fun-to-drive quality were upmost in their designers’ and engineers’ minds when creating the Ioniqs.
Translation: “Gas sippers don’t need to be boring.”
The snowy city streets, backroads and highways we tested the vehicles on weren’t conducive to pushing them to the limits, but it was readily apparent that both powertrains certainly provide performance and handling characteristics that cannot be classified as boring.
The EV in particular was high in the fun-to-drive quotient. Acceleration was excellent, and the battery pack’s location in the floor provided a fantastic low centre of gravity to aid handling. Despite a horsepower equivalent of just 118 feeding a single-speed reduction gear transmission, it’s peppy and responsive.
And its unique brake regeneration system really adds to the fun. Not unlike gear selection paddles on a manumatic, the two steering wheel-mounted paddles allow you to engage different levels of regenerative braking depending on the terrain and traffic.
The left-hand paddle “upshifts” the levels — from zero to 4 with four being the strongest regen — while the right-hand paddle “downshifts” the levels.
On twisty roads with 80 km/h signs, once you get the hang of it you can use the regen levels just like upshifts and downshifts, a benefit not just to the performance of the car, but also to the battery pack as regen braking puts energy back into the battery.
Likewise, hit the “downshift paddle” as you approach a red light and you can manage crawling to a near stop without touching the brake pedal.
The HEV, like the PHEV, has a rear multi-link suspension that makes for a comfortable ride but also ups the handling prowess of the Ioniq. In this regard, the HEV outdid the EV, which has a rear beam axle due to the battery pack location.
Powering the HEV is a 104-hp, 1.6-litre Atkinson Cycle four-cylinder working with a 43-hp equivalent 32 kW electric motor. An allnew dual clutch transmission provides direct, six-speed feedback to the driver.
The HEV also features a world first: a consolidated 12-volt battery that never needs replacing and can be reset by the push of a button on the driver’s door. This provides a weight-saving of some 12 kilograms and is smaller than a traditional on-board 12-volt.
Yet another reminder of the ongoing ingenuity of engineers and designers as they fully embrace electrified vehicles.
In the case of the Ioniq, Hyundai has done just that, times three.