Hyundai's Newest EV is... a Car!
- Adam Bernard
- Apr 24
- 2 min read
In a world that's gone SUV-crazy, the Ioniq 3 is a fashionably-styled five-door compact coupe. Rather than wait until the Beijing Motor Show, Hyundai unveiled the Ioniq 3 during (appropriately enough) Milan Design Week. Although it shares its 400V platform with the recently unveiled Kia EV3 and EV2, this is a sportier entry that picks up some flavor from the recently discontinued Veloster.
The "Art of Steel" inspired exterior includes four centrally mounted lights up front and out back (spelling "H" for Hyundai in Morse code), augmented with low-profile headlamps and pixelated taillamps. The 0.263 drag coefficient is reasonably effective in a vehicle with a footprint this small. You also get a surprisingly large choice of 11 colors and wheels from 16 to 19 inches in diameter.
Inside, the flat-floor interior is dominated by a gigantic (optional) 14.6-inch central touchscreen running the new Pleos Connect Android Automotive-based infotainment. Fortunately, Hyundai is on trend with rocker switches for heated seats, climate temperature, fan speed, and climate mode and knobs for volume and radio tuning (as well as physical buttons on the steering wheel). You'll also note the interior layout is similar to Peugeot and the Toyota bZ, with a forward-mounted low-profile instrument and small-diameter steering wheel you look over to see the gauges.
Unfortunately, the "go" doesn't quite match the "show", with 0-100kmh between a rather leisurely 9.0 and 9.6 seconds. The range numbers are quite competitive, however; 344 or 496 km WLTP (about 185 or 265 miles EPA). In contrast, a Peugeot E-308 will go up to 444 km, a Volvo EX30 will hit 476 km, but a new VW ID.3 Neo is rated up to 630 km.
Notable bells and whistles include Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA2), Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA), Memory Reverse Assist (MRA), Surround View Monitor (SVM) and Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM), and an Intelligent Front-Lighting System (IFS).
No word yet on pricing, but the Ioniq 3 looks to be a desirable package. Unfortunately, it appears to be confined to Europe for the moment, so car-loving EV enthusiasts here in the US won't get a shot at it.
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