- Hyundai has revealed the Ioniq 3, a compact EV with an ‘Aero Hatch’ design
- You can expect upwards of 300 miles from a single charge
- It’s the first car to run Hyundai’s new Android-based infotainment system
Hyundai chose the glamorous surrounds of Milan’s annual Design Week event to launch the fourth European car in its expanding Ioniq range.
The Ioniq 3, which joins the larger hatchback Ioniq 5, the streamliner-inspired Ioniq 6 and the seven-seat SUV Ioniq 9, boasts an interior that is inspired by 1970s Italian furniture design, while the exterior styling sticks surprisingly close to the Concept 3 that was revealed last year.
It’s all rooted in the “Art of Steel” philosophy, which we first saw in the bold Initium hydrogen concept, with clean surfaces that take inspiration from steel manufacturing processes… apparently.
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“Ioniq 3 will offer best-in class aerodynamics, which helps it achieve best-in-class range. It also offers class-leading trunk space and a premium interior that really is from the segment above,” says Hyundai’s chief designer Eduardo Ramirez.
The compact electric Aero Hatch design, as Hyundai dubs it, is aimed at the European market, but is aiming to inject some premium appeal into the segment.
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As a result, it will be available in two guises. A Standard Range variant features a 42.2kWh battery that is capable of 344km (214 miles) on a single charge, while a 61kWh Long Range version delivers 496km (308 miles).
Both models use a single motor that powers the front wheels, resulting in a 0-62mph sprint time of nine seconds in the standard car and 9.6 seconds in the heavier, larger battery Long Range edition.
Hyundai’s European CEO, Xavier Martinet, says that this vehicle was designed to combine “segment-leading driving range and aerodynamics with extraordinary levels of space”.
The roominess is impressive, as despite the relatively compact exterior dimensions, Hyundai’s designers have managed to deliver a generous amount of head and legroom inside, while a plethora of cubby holes and storage areas increase the overall sense of practicality.
Analysis: Android Automotive opens new doors
Perhaps the biggest news is that the Ioniq 3 will also be the first to usher in the new Pleos Connect infotainment system from Hyundai, which uses the Android Automotive operating system for the first time.
This has allowed the company to create an intuitive journey planner that factors in live public charging data, as well as the ability for owners to lock and unlock the car with a digital key, be it by smartphone or smartwatch.
It also opens up the possibility of an app store, with the ability to download popular streaming, news and other entertainment apps directly to the unit for the first time.
Unlike some of the other models built on the Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, the Ioniq 3 features a 400V electrical architecture, as opposed to the ultra-rapid charging 800V system found elsewhere in the Ioniq range.
However, the company claims that fast DC charging from 10 to 80 per cent takes 29 minutes under optimal conditions.
Despite all of the grown-up talk, Hyundai insisted that the Ioniq 3 still has a sense of fun, with the four dots in the pixel rear lights marking out the Morse Code for the letter ‘H’.
There are plenty of other ‘Easter Eggs’ to explore inside too that, while not quite Renault 5 levels of funkiness, is at least something to show friends when ferrying them around.
During the launch in Milan, Hyundai executives suggested that the vehicle is due to go on sale in Europe during September this year, priced at around €30,000, which is around £26,000 in the UK or roughly $35,000 (AU$50,000). Although there are no plans to sell it Stateside just yet.
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