Hyundai’s unrivalled new hybrid

THE IONIQ is the most impressive car Hyundai has yet brought to the UK.

And when the Koreans do something, they do the job properly.

Take hybrid and electric cars. Other brands offer a hybrid. Or a Plug-in Hybrid. Or a full-electric contender.

With this IONIQ model, Hyundai is able to offer all three!

To start with, there’s a choice of either a parallel hybrid variant (think Toyota Prius rival) or a fullelectric model (primarily up against the Nissan LEAF).

Shortly, we’ll see a Plug-in hybrid version, too, there to take on cars like Volkswagen’s Golf GTE and the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV. It’s quite a product offensive.

It’s even more impressive to note Hyundai hasn’t just copied its rivals but improved upon them.

The parallel hybrid variant, for example, has a combined power output of 139bhp; compare that to the 122bhp figure you get in that rival Toyota Prius.

This is probably the version most will choose and features a 104bhp 1.6-litre Kappa petrol unit that the Koreans say boasts 40% thermal efficiency; apparently, that’s very good. It works with an electric motor situated under the rear seats, that powered by a 1.56kWh battery.

The IONIQ is also likely to deliver its performance more smoothly than a Prius, too.

There’s the automatic gearbox hybrids of this sort have to have but, in this case, it’s a modern DCT dual-clutch affair, rather than the jerky belt-driven CVT auto unit Toyota persists with.

On the road, you won’t be expecting any handling fireworks - but that’s not the point of this kind of car.

The ride should be good, though, as this Hyundai gets an advanced multi-link rear suspension system — or at least the hybrid version does. The full-EV model has a simpler set-up for some reason.

Talking of the full-EV model, its party piece is an impressively long operating range by battery class standards. Hyundai reckons his car will go 174 miles on a charge, 20 miles more than the Nissan LEAF.

Pricing for this initial parallel hybrid model starts at around £20,000; that’s for the base ‘SE’ model; there are also plusher ‘Premium’ and ‘Premium SE’ variants retailing at just under £24,000.

This is over £3,000 cheaper than the Toyota Prius.

With this IONIQ, complete peace of mind comes as standard thanks to Hyundai’s Five Year Triple Care warranty.