Hyundai Australia (HMCA) wants the new Ioniq range to storm our fledgling electrified vehicle market, eventually comprising a portfolio of regular petrol hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and fully electric (EV) derivatives by early 2018.

First off the mark will be the ‘regular’ series hybrid that’ll launch in quarter-four this year, priced at about AUD 35k, to rival the polarising new Toyota Prius and the relatively popular and more conventionally designed petrol-electric Corolla. Rolling into the first half of 2018, Hyundai is confident the 50 km electric-range PHEV and 280 km electric-range EV versions will arrive here, given they’re both slated to be made available in right-hand drive within this timeframe.


The proposed three-way attack on the market would set the Korean brand apart, and give it an immediate strong foothold in Australia’s green vehicle space, which remains microscopic compared to most mature markets in Europe.

By next year, HMCA is hoping for the arrival to be earlier in the year rather than later, and is working to a target price of around AUD 45k for the PHEV and a shade under AUD 50k for the EV. As with all of its models, Hyundai Australia’s local suspension tuning arm is giving the Ioniqs a thorough going-over to bolster the ride and handling.


Powering the hybrid Ioniq is a 105 Hp 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that produces 147 Nm of torque teamed with a 32kW electric motor that produces 170 Nm of torque that’s driven by a permanent magnet electric motor (the plug-in hybrid model uses a larger 45kW electric motor). The motor is mated to a lithium-ion polymer 1.56kWh battery pack that sits beneath the interior floor pan in hybrid and an 8.9kWh battery pack for plug-in hybrid models.

When working in unison, the petrol and electric combination produces a combined 103.6kW of power and 265 Nm of torque, consuming 3.4L/100km on the combined cycle for the hybrid and just 1.4L/100km for the plug-in hybrid. Unlike the Prius, which uses a CVT transmission to handle torque delivery, the Ioniq hybrid uses an exclusive six-speed dual-clutch gearbox, which handles both the electric and internal combustion torque movement.


Much like most hybrids, the vehicle can operate in an electric-only mode under light throttle applications that can be supplemented with torque from the petrol engine as required. There’s also a Sport mode that offers more responsive driving and sharper throttle characteristics. There is 50 km of driving range in full EV mode for the PHEV, meanwhile, and over 1000 km of range for both the hybrid and plug-in hybrid when driven together with the petrol engine.

The full-electric Ioniq on the other hand has a driving range of 280 km and is powered by an electric motor that produces 88 kW of power and 295 Nm of torque. Under the floor pan of the full-electric Ioniq is a 28kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack that offers both standard and quick charging.


Using standard charging the car can be fully charged in 4 hours and 25 minutes. The fast charger decreases charging time to just 30 minutes (using a 50kW charger) and 23 minutes (using a 100kW charger). As we reported recently, green car sales continue to make barely a dent in Australia compared to other mature markets, though product cycles clearly represent a caveat.