Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

Overview

With the Ioniq, Hyundai has indeed proved that it can make cars for the future as well. The only hybrid car in Hyundai’s Malaysian lineup, for the time being, the Ioniq is available in only one standard variant, which comes with a petrol-electric powertrain and is priced at RM 99,888. The color options available for the Hyundai Ioniq are Polar White, Platinum Silver, Aurora Silver, Phantom Black, Iron Grey, Marina Blue, and Phoenix Orange.

Interior & Features

On the inside, the Hyundai Ioniq might not look as flashy as one could expect to be, however, it is far from being conventional and looks quite modern.

The steering wheel is a flat bottom unit, something rarely seen on a Hyundai, with the upper portion of it inspired from the other new generation Hyundais. The instrument console behind it has a normal layout but, it is the full LCD screen and blue backlit which makes it look very impressive.

The center console looks quite wide, thanks to the presence of a large touchscreen infotainment system at the center flanked by large trapezoidal AC vents. This entire housing gets a blue colored bordering, which inserts a sort of ‘cool-factor’ in the cabin. The blue bordering has been executed even around the side AC vents as well.

Other premium features of the Hyundai Ioniq include tilt and telescopically adjustable steering wheel, dual zone climate control, push-button start with keyless entry, height adjustable driver’s seat, rear AC vents and steering mounted audio, Bluetooth and cruise controls.

Exterior

The Ioniq blends in Hyundai’s fluidic design philosophy with some really nice looking design cues borrowed from some of its concept cars, thus making it look very different from other Hyundai offerings.

The Ioniq has got a hexagonal front grille with horizontal slats, the upper and side portions of which are garnished with black finish. This side black garnish extends towards the lower portions of the headlamps, thus making it look like as if they are integrated into one long unit. Talking about the headlamps, they do integrate projector units as well as daytime running lights on the inner edges. The other two unique design elements are large trapezoidal housings for the fog lamps and a cool looking blue colored front bumper garnish.

The side profile of the Hyundai Ioniq might remind you of the previous generation Prius, however, the design is more eye-pleasing and fluidic here. Thanks to the long wheelbase, the Ioniq looks elegant, with the machined alloy wheels, as well as chrome garnish on the door handles and around the window frame, being a couple of other premium touches. The roof nicely tapers down towards the rear, thus giving the Ioniq a stance of a notchback.

At the rear, the Ioniq looks a bit huge, due to the broad looking boot and high mounted loading lip. The curvy looking tail lamps integrate with the boot mounted spoiler quite nicely, and like at the front, the rear bumper too gets a blue colored thin skid plate as well.

Ride & Handling

The only conventional sounding thing on the Hyundai Ioniq happens to be its suspension setup – the Macpherson struts at the front and Multilink at the rear with coil springs and stabilizer at both the ends. The overall suspension, as seen in any other new generation Hyundai, feels stable but not wallow. Even the steering feels light and precise as the speeds rise.

Engine & Fuel Consumption

Powering the Hyundai Ioniq is a combination of a petrol engine and a hybrid electric motor. The petrol engine is a 1.6-litre four-cylinder unit, which runs on the Atkinson cycle and produces 105 PS of maximum power along with a peak torque of 148 Nm. On the other hand, the hybrid electric motor produces 43.5 PS of power and 170 Nm of torque. In total, the engine has a combined power output of 149 PS and a total torque output of 318 Nm.

Braking & Safety

The Hyundai Ioniq is one of the most premium Hyundai vehicles when it comes to its safety features, with its list of safety features comprising of seven airbags, ABS with EBD, lane keeping assist system, blind spot detection system, autonomous emergency braking system and smart cruise control.

Verdict

The Ioniq is a gateway towards Hyundai’s belief of motoring for the future. It looks smart and unconventional, making the very first impression quite spot-on. On the other hand, the performance, ride quality, and driving dynamics are not too involving, but they, in unison, give a very satisfactory experience.