Hyundai Ioniq
Hybrid hatch is facelifted, and we drive it for the first time
THE Hyundai Ioniq has lived in the shadow of the pioneering Toyota Prius since it was launched in 2016. But the Korean maker thinks some mid-life updates, focused largely on tech and infotainment, will help its hybrid to rise to the top.
It still comes in three different flavours: Hybrid, Plug-in and Electric. Historically, the conventional hybrid has accounted for around 85 per cent of sales, and it should retain the lion’s share going forward.
Save for a few external tweaks, the new Ioniq looks much like the car it replaces. The Hybrid gets a fresh ‘cascading’ grille with active air slips, which open and close to improve efficiency. There are new lights and new alloy wheel designs, too.
Inside, the changes are easier to spot. The dashboard has been completely redesigned, with a new 10.25-inch infotainment system and a seven-inch digital instrument cluster. Bizarrely, Hyundai switched its intuitive climate control scroll wheels for an admittedly sleek, but rather fiddly, touch-sensitive display.
Quality is good in the most part, but some scratchy plastics still exist; it’s disappointing that Hyundai didn’t spruce up the panel that runs below the central screen, especially because your fingernails brush it every time you switch on the car.
Another big issue with the interior of our test car was the distracting reflections from its light-coloured dash. Not only do they project on to the windscreen, they also obscure the view of the side mirrors. If we were specifying a new Ioniq, we’d choose one of the darker trims.
The touchscreen is filled with easy-tooperate tech. It’s light years ahead of Toyota’s set-up, and can be customised to display the information you use often. The system is online, too. Using a built-in SIM card, the Ioniq can offer live traffic, parking and fuel station information, as well as real-time charge point availability for the Plug-in and Electric versions. The BlueLink app offers new functionality for all three models, including the ability to set the air-con temperature remotely, or send satnav destinations straight to your car.
While the Ioniq Electric gets a bigger 38.3kWh battery (for a 182-mile WLTP range), the hybrid models are unchanged. That means the same combined 139bhp and 265Nm of torque. The Plug-in model will do 32 miles on electric power alone.
However, unlike many electrified family cars, the Ioniq Hybrid feels a little lethargic. The car starts in ‘Eco’ mode by default and it won’t win any traffic light drag races. Even in Sport (selected by pushing the gearlever to the left) it struggles to pick up pace with any sense of urgency. So the Ioniq is at its best in town, where even the standard Hybrid will pootle between junctions without waking the engine. And when it does kick into life, it’s about as unobtrusive as in any hybrid currently on sale.
The DCT gearbox isn’t perfect, but it slurs changes gently. The steering wheel paddles double as controls for the regenerative braking system, too; flicking the left paddle increases the system’s strength, slowing the car to a crawl in its most aggressive setting. It’s incredibly intuitive to use, if not quite as effective as the Nissan Leaf’s e-Pedal.
The ride, as before, doesn’t feel as well damped as it does in the Toyota, but it’s far from uncomfortable. The seats are a little flat, however, not offering the support of more conventional family cars such as the Volkswagen Golf or Vauxhall Astra.
“The ride, as before, doesn’t feel as well damped as in the Prius”
“The touchscreen is filled with easy-to-operate tech and is light years ahead of Toyota’s set-up”
“Specify a darker dashboard top if you want to avoid distracting windscreen reflections”