The market for B-segment hybrid sedans have long been dominated by Toyota's Prius, a well established car of this segment for more than a decade now. It's likely first to come to mind when you think of a hybrid car.
There's there Hyundai, with its ever growing market share in the US for passenger vehicles, closely following the Far-East brand leader – Toyota. Now they've even introduced their own hybrid sedan, the Ioniq. One would easily suspect it's something different by just listening to the name, something like... electric. Read our report on the car’s launch here.
The Hot:
1. Super-efficient hybrid powertrain
2. Unique aerodynamic exterior design features
3. 6-speed dual-clutch transmission (DCT)
The Not:
1. ‘Too familiar’ silhouette
2. Rear headroom is pretty tight for a 6-footer
3. DCT is not the spirited kind
Hyundai Ioniq
Engine: 1.6-litre Kappa GDI 4-cylinder, direct injected
Power: 139hp (104hp + 45hp from electric motor)
Torque: 265Nm (147Nm + 170Nm from electric motor)
Zerotohundred: n/a
Transmission: Six-speed dual clutch automatic
Dimensions: 4,470mm (L), 1,820mm (W), 1,450mm (H)
Price (OTR w/o insurance): HEV: RM100,328; HEV Plus: RM110,828
The Hyundai Ioniq boasts a familiar design silhouette, a two-box sedan with a Kammback body style which simply means a body like the Ioniq, with smooth contour that continues to tail and is abruptly cut off, resulting in a tall boot. Similar to the Prius, the shape is said to reduce drag coefficient, thus contributing to lower energy consumption.
instead of an actual 3-dimensional emblem that one can touch and feel, the (rather comical) front Hyundai logo that is actually a picture or a graphic printed on a flat glossy surface. Apart from just making the owner of the Ioniq feel special and all, behind the flat surface of the logo actually lies a camera and radar for Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Smart Cruise Control (SCC)
Driving it
Knowing the fact that the Ioniq is a hybrid car (with a battery fitted somewhere under the rear seats) and has dry-type Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), it’s hard to avoid the perception that the car would drive numbly or emit the occasional jerk upon rolling from standstill.
But how wrong I was. At low speeds and on uneven roads, the Ioniq feels light and firm. It might be heavier than conventional sedans, but the tuning of MacPherson up front and multi-link at the rear helps give the car a solid ride.
I’m not sure about other drivers, but now, I kind of like the idea of a hybrid sedan.
When pushed to the limit, as the car starts to build momentum and show its character, manoeuvring the car at speed through the slalom course showed noticeable body roll, a healthy dose, to remind you of your speed and steering input. We also did heavy acceleration and subsequently applying hard brake before making a tight U-turn. The brake feel is not something you would say progressive, yeah I am aware that the Ioniq is not designed to be a weekend driver’s car, but braking force is sufficient and predictable even after multiple runs through the course.
On the twisties, I’m sure most of you would expect the car to be understeery, the Ioniq showed that I was wrong, again. During high speed cornering with constant throttle input, I can almost feel traction at the rear starting to break, instead of usual front washing out even with the two other passengers with me. I bet if driven alone, then inducing mid-corner lift-off would leave insensitive drivers a hairy moment before Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) intervene.
Hyundai managed to give the Ioniq a smooth DCT, diminishing all other stories you have heard about DCT before, especially with a dry-type as the one on the Ioniq. The car rolls forward in traffic fluidly and the DCT upshifts seamlessly. However, the gearbox is nowhere as engaging as, let’s say, VW’s DSG. Even in Sport mode, the gearshift does feel sportier, but not that aggressive. But mind you, I’m not saying that I don’t like the gearbox. It’s just, there's nothing spectacular about it. I do like the sporty sound of the car in Sport mode, though. The DCT while in Sport mode with its instant throttle response makes the Kappa 1.6-litre Atkinson GDI engine feel more alive.
NVH-wise, the Ioniq is quieter and feels more refined than the 2<sup>nd</sup> and 3<sup>rd</sup> generation Prius. The Prius is a tiny bit noisier in the cabin partly because Toyota has removed some padding and insulation for weight-saving measures.
With 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat and leather-wrapped D-cut steering wheel, you can easily get to your optimum and comfortable driving posture. I happily sat low driving the car while still having reasonable outward visibility. However, the rear view from the cabin is blocked by a rather high horizontal spoiler element on the boot, naturally similar to the Prius.
As expected, the Ioniq is flooded with an array of safety features such as Braking Assist System (BAS), Hill-Start Assist Control (HAC), Lane keeping Assist System (LKAS), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Blind Spot Detection (BSD) and the aforementioned ESC and VSM. During the drive, we got to test AEB in a course designed by Hyundai.
The course works the Ioniq up to 50km/h, the system uses the car’s front radar and camera to detect the rate of approach towards the front object, in this case, a mannequin. Up to a certain distance and a certain rate of approach, the car will automatically apply the brake if it senses no brake input by the driver. It’s a bit of a workout actually as you are constantly battling with yourself to resist from applying the brake before the car applies the brake at the very last minute.
Despite working up to 50km/h which is the speed of everyday stop-and-go traffic, the effectiveness of the system is still factored by elements like tyre condition and road condition. Common sense, I guess? But of course it’s not unnecessary to remind to always focus on your driving and maintain your vehicle accordingly.
Notable features
1. Active airflap – The Hyundai Ioniq’s grille is equipped with Active Airflap, flanking the flat glossy surface with Hyundai logo graphic. The Active Airflap is basically the blades in the grille that automatically opens and closes whenever the car need more cooling or need to reduce drag.
2. Predictive energy management – This function analyses travel routes such as low speed, uphill, high steady speed, deceleration or downhill and standstill, and adjusts its powertrain to either use electric motor only (EV mode), a combination of electric motor and combustion engine or to recharge the battery.
3. Wireless charger – The Ioniq gets Wireless Charging System in a compartment on the centre console. Not necessary, but pretty cool to have.
Verdict
The Ioniq just proves that a carmaker that has been seen to only produce everyday commuters like Hyundai can sometimes surprise you, both by producing a hybrid sedan and the way they executed it. From its pleasant handling to distinctive DCT gearbox, the Ioniq shows that a hybrid car does not always have to be that way, you get what I mean? A hybrid car can be sporty and alive while delivering tree-hugging fuel economy numbers.
Maybe in the next generation Ioniq, Hyundai can implement different, cooler exterior design as the Ioniq matures as a hybrid car. Nonetheless, I would say that it is a job well done for Hyundai.
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