Hyundai Ioniq

Hyundai Ioniq is a division of compact machines that have electrified powertrains. The name IONIQ combines the modifications “Hybrid” (parallel hybrid, “Plug-in” (rechargeable hybrid) and “Electric” (electric car).  The cars appeared in the first part of 2016. The whole model range is Hyundai.

Car history

The South Korean electric machine was officially demonstrated by Hyundai representatives in Geneva at the beginning of March 2016 (although the model was declassified on the Internet a few weeks before the international presentation). The machine was the last link in the “electrified division” of the South Korean company.

Since 2016, it began to develop world markets, and the first to acquire the novelty were the residents of South Korea. At first glance, this car does not differ from its hybrid “relatives” and competitors in the form of electric cars, but if you look closely, you can find differences in both external and internal parameters of the vehicle.

During the international Moscow exhibition there was a presentation of the electric machine Hyundai Ioniq Electric. However, in our country it will not be possible to buy a car, at least in 2018, it was impossible to do so. This fact upset not only many fans of the South Korean company, but also fans of environmentally friendly transport.

Exterior

The car looks like a “normal” hatchback. There are no excesses, but the South Korean model has all the modern elements. The appearance of Hyundai Ionik is not as strange as that of the same model BMW i3 and other electric cars. The model turned out to be cute, but clearly among the urban stream does not appear.

The five-dimensional model can not be called a premium model, rather it is a car that many can afford. Some electric cars offered by car manufacturers, to put it mildly, have a rather futuristic and expressive design. The Korean leadership has decided to use a more traditional method, and they have managed to make a stylish car pleasing to the eye.

Hyundai Ioniq Electro has an original but rather conservative appearance. This has been done for a more relaxed public perception of the new car. Some say that Hyundai is similar to Prius. It’s a bit of a reality, but not as much as motorists say.

In Hyundai Ioniq Electric the classic style is tightly intertwined with modern technologies. The appearance of the electric machine turned out to be slender and laconic. There is no pompousness.

The front part of Hyundai Ioniq was made in corporate style. On closer examination, you can see the notes of Audi and VW, but they are not critical. The presence of LED optics in combination with vertical running lights gives the South Korean 5-door car its own style. There are almost no unnecessary details on the bumper.

You can only see 2 ducts and fog lights. Where the radiator grille was supposed to be, there is a small “plug”, which, to be honest, slightly spoils the appearance of Hyundai Ioniq Electric. This “plug” looks simple enough. The South Korean model has been well developed in terms of aerodynamic parameters.

Thus, the drag coefficient is modest 0.24. If we take into account the serial electric cars, it is almost a record. At least, the “Korean” was able to leave behind Prius and even BMW I8, along with Tesla Model C. It is the absolutely deaf facing of the radiator that distinguishes completely electric modification of Hyundai Ioniq Electric from Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid and Hyundai Ioiniq Plug-in.

The side of the “South Korean” looks really attractive. Interestingly, the novelty is very similar to Toyota Prius on the side. However, if Prius has a rather contradictory appearance, in this case everything is much better. First of all, Korean experts have decided not to invent a bicycle in terms of body proportions, but to leave them familiar to the eye and mind.

Interestingly, even the light alloy “rollers” are equipped with a special shape, which is improved not only in design, but also in aerodynamics. Specialists were able to make such rims, which reduce air resistance, as they do not form additional swirls, which worsen the aerodynamic performance.

In addition, the electric car has energy-saving tires, a special series of Energy Saver from the French specialists Michelin. Looking at the car from the side, the electric car looks pretty good, stylish, but at the same time a little bit usually and quietly. Hyundai Ionik Electric will not be able to call the car of the future.

The arches of the wheels are a little inflated. They are beautifully placed 17-inch alloy wheels, which received a rather unusual design. You can easily see the falling back roof, as well as small punches on the sidewall. Just a little bit, and it is a little formed in a rather pleasant and attractive appearance. The height of the ground clearance is 140 millimeters. The Korean side is a bit similar even to the new model Ford Mondeo.

The back of Hyundai Ionik turned out very well. The presence of neat LED lanterns, a little overwhelmed on the sides, decorates the overall external essence of the “Korean”. The central part was closed with polished plastic. The lower part of the bumper has developed air ducts, in which auxiliary stop signals are installed.

As for the unusual spoiler, it was assembled together with the lid of the luggage compartment in one piece. Among the interesting elements in the appearance of the car can be attributed to the double glass of the fifth door. Initially, it feels like it will have a negative impact on the quality of the view, but judging by the tests, there should be no problems. It is clear that at the stern of the electric car you will not find any exhaust pipes, which is also a kind of highlight in the appearance of Hyundai Ioniq Electric.

Interior

The inside of the Hyundai Ioniq Electric was made in a classic style. Similar decoration can be found in most cars from different companies, but there are unusual notes that distinguish the car. The driver’s seat and passenger seat were leather. It is quite convenient to sit on them. These seats are equipped with well-developed side support.

The second row is designed for 3 people and is a standard sofa. There is enough space inside, especially if we draw an analogy with other vehicles of this class, so there should be no difficulties.

Salon of electric Hyundai Ioiniq Electric 2018 has copper color inserts. And for the manufacture of the panel in the South Korean hatchback used a special plastic, which was made with the use of wood and volcanic rocks.

Interesting elements can be noticed on the Korean electronic hatchback tunnel that separates the driver’s seat from the passenger seat. At the bottom of it there is a huge niche, designed to transport the tablet. Then you can observe the panel, covered with a large number of keys.

There is a touchpad, which can be used to control the multimedia system, as well as without buttons to control the function of heating the seats, the button of the electronic “handbrake” and other. The presence of cup holders and a small box for trifling allows you to call the inner part of Hyundai Ionik practical. Doors, ceiling and mats are finished with wood, volcanic rock and plastic.

A three-spoke leather steering wheel, curved inwards, is presented to the driver in all its glory. The steering wheel itself is equipped with buttons to control the multimedia system. There are actually a lot of buttons, but you can get used to them in a short time. Instead of the traditional dashboard, there is a screen displaying all the necessary information about:

• Performance;
• Speed mode;
• Saving mode;
• Battery charge level;
• Travel range;
• Temperature mode of the power pack and so on.

The dashboard shows a normal speedometer pointer. The edges of the dashboard show coloured column indicators that are characteristic of an electric car. The energy consumption and recovery are shown on the left and the battery charge level on the right.

Specially I would like to say about the quality of sound insulation. All that is heard in an electric car is the noise from tyres, from the wind and very quietly running electric motor at the start. During braking, even the noise of the brake pads is not beaten out for the noise level of the vehicle.

The central console between the two air ducts of the climate system has a small 8-inch display of the multimedia system and navigation system, which supports touch control. Underneath it, the central console is equipped with a couple of additional buttons to quickly control the most important functions, such as the volume level.

A little further in the cabin of Hyundai Ioniq Electric you can see the climate control unit, which has a monitor, two washers and several buttons. Informativity does not suffer, adaptation to the controls occurs in a short time. Then you can notice a couple of 12V sockets, AUX socket and USB-port. Nearby you can charge your smartphone using the wireless mode, as there is a special stand for it.

As this is a purely electric model, there is no robotic transmission speed switch. Instead, there are several transmission buttons: “D”, “P”, “R” and “N”. This hatchback is equipped with only one direct transmission, and the entire electric traction is available from the start.

The back is quite traditional for C-class cars. This is even good if you look at it from the side of the electrical machine manufacturer. The reason for this is that the majority of B-Class electric vehicles (including Nissan Leaf, Renault Zoe, Kia Soul EB) feel the lack of free space in the foot area of the rear passengers.

It’s the battery under the bottom of the electric machine that’s to blame. You can install the battery in the luggage compartment (e.g. Ford Focus Electrician and Renault Fluence WE), but in this case the luggage compartment itself will suffer. In addition, a heavy battery can have an impact on the weight distribution.

At the moment in this class, only Volkswagen e-Golf could get rid of this problem, and now Hyundai Ionik Electric. Rear passengers of the South Korean model can rely on ventilation ducts, seat heating, armrest. It’s nice that Hyundai Ioniq Electric 2019 has no problems with legroom.

Interesting fact: each of the machines of the Hyundai Ionic family differs from the rest of the small details. This includes rims, front end and interior design, other rear lights and so on.

The luggage compartment for Hyundai Ionik Electric 2019 is excellent considering this class. Specialists were able to organize it well. The trunk has niches in the underground, a large loading opening, separate folding of the backrest, as well as a flat floor without partitions.

It has 408 litres, which should be enough for everyday tasks. If necessary, the rear seats can be removed to provide 1,505 litres of usable space.

Specifications

Powertrain

The driving force for Hyundai Ioiniq Electric is a 120 hp (88 kW) propulsion system that produces 295 Nm of torque from the start. The engine is silent, which is not the case with traditional internal combustion engines, and is also located in the familiar bonneted space.

The machine does not release harmful gases for the environment. To achieve a speed of 100 kilometers per hour it will take 10 seconds. The maximum speed limit does not exceed 165 kilometers per hour.

Transmission

The electronic 120 hp motor cooperates with a single-stage gearbox. Three driving modes are available – Normal, Eco and Sport. Torque is transmitted only to the front wheels.

AKB and mileage

Under the second row seats there is a small 28 kW lithium-ion rechargeable battery. The high-voltage battery has a warranty period of 8 years or 200,000 kilometres. As mentioned above, the machine has a single-stage gearbox as well as a charging cable that can be used to easily charge the Hyundai Ionik from a household socket.

For such a case it will take about 12 hours, but if you use a charging station with direct current will take 30 minutes at 50 kW and only 23 minutes at 100 kW. The additional package of equipment includes a special charging mechanism, in which a CU with an independent fuse from the household socket was installed. With the help of this device with 3-phase alternating current the battery will be fully charged after 4 and a half hours.

One of the main criteria for choosing an electric car is the travel distance on one charge. South Korean company Hyundai declares that with full charge the car will be able to overcome the path of 250-280 kilometers. These data may differ according to the temperature regime of the environment, as a lot of energy is spent on heating the internal space of the hatchback battery.

Therefore, we should expect that when it gets cold, one charge will be less than in the warm season. But these data are given under ideal conditions, as in practice, the real range is about 160-180 kilometers. According to representatives of the company Hyundai, they are working on an improved modification of the electric car Hyundai Ioniq Electric, the range of which will reach 320 kilometers.

The battery pack itself received cells from LG Chem. It is actively cooled by the air supply from the cabin with the help of a cooler. This is done in order to maintain the optimal temperature of the battery. The charger port has an input for a DC charger that charges the battery much faster. Nowadays, the market has two standards for DC chargers.

“The Japanese support CHAdeMO, and in reality it’s just one company – Nissan. Kia, the “related” company, has a Soul EV that comes with a port for CHAdeMO. Ionik Electric works with a second standard called CCS. Kia is planning to switch to this type of charger in the near future. All companies in America and Europe support CCS.

In contrast to the hybrid ionic, the Electric version uses a heat pump to heat the interior. At the moment, it is only gaining in popularity, as machines from Tesla or Chevrolet Bolt EB still use less efficient resistive electric heater. Speaking about regenerative braking, it is necessary to realize that each automaker understands it on the own and area for any fantasies and the purposes wide enough.

Ionik Electric is equipped with a small switch on each side of the handlebar. The left switch increases the regenerative braking force and the right switch decreases the regenerative braking force. The machine operator on the display can observe a compact graphical representation of the regenerative power level. The electric brake force is caused by three levels of pure slip without braking.

The actual regeneration can be controlled by the force of the owner’s pressure on the accelerator pedal. To accelerate, the pedal must be depressed and released to adjust the regenerative braking level.

Carriage

If you take the technical part of Hyundai Ionik Electric 2019, it is only slightly different from the standard version of Hybrid. The all-electric hatchback was built on a front-drive design with a rigid body, in which steel and high-strength aluminum were widely used.

There are independent McPherson racks at the front and a semi-independent design with a torsion beam at the back. In addition, the electric machine has an electric power steering. The braking system has disc brakes on all wheels with electronic ABS technology, EBD and other systems.

It is important to know

Winter power reserve. Travel distance on one charge in winter is significantly shorter than in summer. Much depends on the external temperature conditions and how warm the interior of the car gets after a cold night. This is very important because an electric heater in a heating system can sometimes consume the same amount of energy as an electric motor.

How to increase the power reserve in winter. The most important piece of advice is to warm up the cabin as much as possible before you start your journey when an electric car is charging and consuming electricity from a simple power outlet, not from its own battery. Especially for such purposes, each electric car has a so-called “climate timer”, which allows you to set the time of departure and the necessary temperature regime.

After that, this timer will turn on itself and start warming up the salon before your trip. In addition, it is better to use the minimum heating of the cabin. As it turned out, the function of seat heating is more economical in terms of energy consumption. You can also change your driving style to a more “economical” one. It is also possible to aspire to store as much energy as possible on descents and brakes. Experts advise to move in an eco-mode.

Repair and maintenance

Hyundai Ionik is a new product of 2016, which has recently started to be sold. Therefore, only original spare parts are offered for these machines. On the one hand, this is good, as only high-quality and branded parts are installed, but on the other hand, such parts are much more expensive than non-original ones. This mainly applies to body parts.

However, since the machines of Hyundai Ioniq division were produced in 3 modifications at once, it should not be so difficult to buy spare parts for them. Many elements are unified. In addition, there is a great chance to interchange a list of popular parts (which can include a cabin filter, brake pads, suspension elements, etc.) with other machines Hyundai.

Safety

The South Korean electric machine has good modern security systems. Hatchback has received 7 airbags: two in front, two on the side, two side curtains and an airbag for the knees of the machine operator. Thanks to the cameras installed in the electric car, which control the marking on the road, it is possible to hold the car with the help of electronic systems in the lane.

In addition, the system can warn about the danger visually or by means of an acoustic signal, if the driver Hyundai Ionik Electric 2018 is approaching the edge of the lane and did not turn off the turntable. Additionally, the technology can hold the vehicle in the lane.

Sensors that are placed at the back of the machine check that another machine is not in the blind spot. If necessary, the system can alert the owner by means of a light or sound signal. Blind spotting (BSD) technology connects to Rear Cross Traffic Alert technology. This ensures safe reversal of the parking space.

Hyundai Ioniq Electric 2019 also has an autonomous emergency braking system (AEB) in its arsenal. With the help of radar sensors and cameras, this technology can alert the owner of a potential collision and provide the braking required to avoid a pedestrian or other vehicle collision.

Korean hatchback has an adaptive intelligent cruise control that increases security and reduces stress. It is able to keep a set distance to the car moving in front, reducing or increasing the speed automatically, depending on the driving conditions.

During traffic jams, the set distance is saved even after stopping, during the restart of the propulsion system and when the machine operator presses the “gas” pedal.

Complete sets and prices

Initially, the electric machine was sold on the South Korean market, and then in the European Union. Unfortunately, this machine is not officially available in Russia. Hyundai Ioniq Electric price tag from 35,000 USD. Hybrid version can be bought from 27,000 USD. The basic equipment has:

• Seven airbags;
• Cruise control;
• Climate control;
• Rear camera;
• Light and rain sensors;
• Media system, which has an 8-inch display;
• Optics with LED filling;
• The leather salon;
• Many security systems.

The next Premium version will cost from $37,000 and will be additionally equipped:

• Function of seat heating and “helm”;
• Battery heating system and heat pump adaptation
• Technology that has wireless charging of the smartphone.

The top version of Hyundai Ionik Electric 2019 is available from $40,000. This option will be available in addition:

• Technology that can monitor road markings;
• Technology that can monitor road markings
• System tracking blind spots;
• Autonomous emergency braking;
• Ventilation function of the front seats;
• Intellectual cruise control.

Tuning

The appearance of the South Korean model of Hyundai Ionik Electric 2019 looks modern and stylish, so it is unlikely that anyone would dare to change the elements of the exterior of the car. Nevertheless, it is possible to make tuning of Hyundai Ioniq Electric by means of installation of mudguards, overlays with a bend for a back bumper, increasing its service life and rugs in saloon.

It is also possible to buy window deflectors, motor protection and so on. But it is important not to overdo it, because then the tuning will look nalapisto and deprive the hatchback of the beauty, which is enclosed in it by Korean designers.

Comparison with competitors

In this segment there are 3 companies with operating vehicles: Nissan Leaf, which received a maximum range of 250 kilometers, Chevrolet Bolt (320 kilometers) and Tesla Model 3, driving on one battery charge up to 346 kilometers. Ford Model E, which is expected to be available on the market by 2020, may later join this option.

However, the main competitor is the Japanese electric car Nissan Lif 2018. The car has a dynamic design, good technology and a wide range of innovative devices. But which model to choose, should be decided by the buyer based on his personal preferences. Hyundai attracts with its interesting appearance.

Owner’s Comments

Owners of Hyundai Ionik Elektrik note the excellent noise insulation even when driving fast. The visibility does not suffer, but the central mirror shows little information. It is good that the situation is saved by the rear camera. It is necessary to note the economy of this vehicle in front of the machines on the internal combustion engine. It is nice that there are places where you can charge your battery for free. If you charge from a household outlet, then charging pulls no more than 2 dollars.

However, it is bad that there is no necessary infrastructure in Russia. Some people sitting behind the wheel of an electric car envy trolleybuses that are powered by wires with current. The car is equipped with a fairly elastic suspension, although it is loaded with a battery. The rear part has a beam, so the reduced center of gravity helps, although it feels like the suspension stroke is half chosen.

Owners of Hyundai Ioniq Electric note good controllability and good dynamics. Sometimes you want to accelerate acceleration and more capacious battery, because in winter the charge is very fast, but for trips in the city limits of the car there is enough completely.

Pluses and minuses

Tooths

I would like to say that the first electronic car of the company Hyundai turned out to be quite good. The car is thought over in details. For example, from the start the company offers a sufficiently large battery, an acceptable range and a powerful charger. Such cars as Nissan Leaf and Volkswagen Golf were able to come to such a situation only after modernization. The advantages also include the well thought-out arrangement of the battery and the layout of the cabin/luggage compartment.

Despite the fact that the car is electric, it has ventilation of seats, heating functions, “climate” and so on. Of course, Hyundai Ioiniq Electric 2019 is far from ideal, but the South Korean company did not want to immediately become a leader in this niche. I still want more efficiency, dynamism, more capacity of the battery, so that the electric car lasted longer, but now the model turned out to be good enough.

In the future, the company promises to improve its models, especially in technical terms, which is good news. Outwardly, already now Hyundai Ionik Electric 2019 looks nice and stylish. The machine corresponds to modern fashion trends and technologies. Inside it is very cozy and comfortable. Ergonomics is good, everything is at hand, it is a pleasure to drive the car. Koreans have not forgotten to equip an electric hatchback with a high level of security, as well as various electronic systems.

Inside there is plenty of free space on both the first and second row. I was pleased with the volume of the luggage compartment, which is larger than that of some competitors. It is obvious that the Korean company strives to compete on an equal footing in the electric car market. It is worth saying that it is already succeeding. It is a pity that such environmentally friendly transport cannot be purchased in Russia.

But it is possible for now, because we want to believe that the infrastructure will allow to introduce electric machines, albeit gradually. After all, it is much more profitable to maintain and “refuel” such vehicles than cars with internal combustion engines. But Koreans should not sit idly by, because competitors, for example, in the person of Tesla Model 3 or Chevrolet Bolt, though for a more expensive price tag, but offer a greater range.

But this can be an important reason to buy these models. It’s nice to see how many of the world’s leading companies are beginning to develop a new “electronic world”, but we just have to watch it.

We advise you to read the article: Hyundai Motor Company History

Hyundai Ioniq photo

Test drive

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