New Ioniq a cruise machine
A much bigger battery for the Electric model leads the changes for Hyundai’s Ioniq eco-hatch, writes David Linklater.
The Hyundai Ioniq has done more to establish plug-in car technology in the New Zealand new-car market than any other model.
It’s become the go-to EV for fleets and as such, will become a go-to model for buyers wanting a three-to-four-year-old New Zealand-new plug-in model in the years to come.
It’s no longer the biggest-selling EV; year-to-date it’s well-beaten by both Hyundai’s own Kona electric and the initial rush of Tesla Model 3 deliveries.
But Ioniq remains an important model in the EV sphere and it’s still the best-selling pureelectric model of all time in New Zealand. Now it’s reached its midlife facelift phase, otherwise known as Ioniq Series II.
Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?
The basic premise is the same: a very Toyota Prius-like hatchback available with three separate electrified powertrains. You can have your Ioniq as a petrolelectric hybrid, plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) or battery electric vehicle (BEV); pure electric, in other words.
The labels are all a bit confusing, actually, and Hyundai isn’t always consistent. So from this point forward let’s identify the models the way they are badged: the ‘‘Hybrid’’, the ‘‘Plugin’’ (that’s the PHEV) and the ‘‘Electric’’ (BEV).
The headline changes are to the Electric version. The battery has increased 37 per cent in size, from 28kWh to 38.3kWh. That’s still well short of the Kona Electric’s 64kWh, but it’s enough to give the Ioniq a real-world WLTP range of 311km.
The Ioniq Electric’s EV motor has increased in power from 88kW to 100kW and even the on-board charger has now bulked up – up from 6.6kWh to 7.2kWh.
Indicative charging times are 18 hours on a home socket (or 15km of range per hour of charging), five-six hours on a 7.4kWh ‘‘wall charger’’ (48km per hour) and 75 minutes for DC fast charging (230km per hour) on a public station. Hyundai NZ offers a 10-year/160,000km warranty on the high-voltage battery.
The Ioniq Plug-in retains its 1.6-litre petrol engine, with an 8.9kWh battery giving 52km of pure-electric range (again, under the real-world WLTP test).
It can be charged in five hours on a household socket or two-tothree on a wall charger.
You can spot the upgraded model by some visual tweaks. The Electric now has a more aerodynamic grille with active air flaps either side of the central badge.
All models have dual LED daytime running lights on the lower corners of the front bumper and there are new wheel designs for the Electric and Plug-in.
Inside, all models now have a gloss satin panel for the centre console. The Electric and other Elite-specification models get a new digital instrument cluster and 10.25-inch touchscreen with Infinity sound system.
The Ioniq Electric has picked
up the regeneration-level paddles from the Kona Electric and all models except the entry-level Hybrid have an electronic parking brake.
Where did you drive it?
Hyundai NZ recently gathered media for a bit of an EV show, tell and drive in Central Otago: everything from the new Ioniq to the popular Kona Electric to its evaluation examples of the Nexo hydrogen car.
Despite the powertrain upgrades, the Ioniq driving experience hasn’t changed dramatically. The Ioniq isn’t a driver’s dream and isn’t supposed to be. But it is an incredibly refined and quite luxurious-feeling cruising machine.
EV running is near-silent anyway of course, but in many models the lack of an engine simply highlights wind and road noise. Not in the Ioniq: it’s one of the most aerodynamic cars on the market (0.24Cd) and the chassis resists the intrusive soundtrack of Kiwi coarse-chip roads really well.
Driving Ioniq back-to-back with Hyundai’s other EVs did highlight how well executed the new interior is – especially the Elite with its new multimedia screen.
It’s well-made and quite classy looking: more elegant than the Kona and actually much nicer even than the Nexo, which has some interesting textures but goes too hard on the cockpit-style switchgear.
What’s the pick of the range?
It’s got to be a plug-in, right? That’s the future. Globally, the Ioniq Plugin simply hasn’t connected with buyers in the same way as the Electric: the latter outsells the former by about four to one. The gap isn’t quite as large in New Zealand, but the Electric still sells at more than double the rate of its sister model.
So for future-proofing it’s got to be the BEV, right? The choice is really between the entry and Elite models.
The former is still really well equipped, but the latter offers good value for its $6000 premium including full leather, extra active safety features, that big touch screen and rear seat air-con outlets.
Why would I buy it?
Ioniq is a well-proven and popular electrified model in New Zealand.
The upgraded Electric now has a truly useful range.
The interior is a nicer place to be than either Kona Electric or the Nexo hydrogen car.
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
The styling’s still a bit eco/aero weird. It’s not really a car for carpeople. Ioniq is more expensive in its Series II incarnation; with price rises of $6000 across the board, the top Electric Elite is climbing dangerously close to the more fashionable, even longer-range Kona Electric (start price $77,990).