The new Hyundai IONIQ will be the first car in the world to offer separate hybrid, full electric and plug in hybrid powertrains within one body type.
The idea is to present a “no compromise” offering, according to Hyundai, an Plug in hybrid vehicle that’s driven by emotion and fuelled by affordability.
The hybrid model is equipped with a 1.6-litre 105bhp four-cylinder engine, has a 1.56kWh lithium-ion polymer battery under the back seat and a 32kW electric motor. This is all mated to a 6-speed dual clutch transmission.
The system works in the same way as other hybrids do: it uses braking regeneration and surplus engine power to charge the battery, which then drives the motor. At low speed you can drive on electric only, switching to both on harder acceleration, or engine only when maintaining higher speeds.
With efficiency in mind, the 10.8-seconds to 62mph is fast enough, and switching to sports mode does make things a little more aggressive.
So perhaps the best description of the Ioniq is that it’s modest; an economical car, giving you 83mpg with Co2 emissions down at 79g/km for the new vehicle.
