finder score: 82.25%
| Website | Rating | Notable quotes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarAdvice | 83% | "The Hyundai Ioniq may be the carmaker's first foray into electrification, but it's also the most convincing EV yet when considering the overall value package." | Read more |
| Drive | 79% | "The Hyundai Ioniq hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric car range has been updated just 12 months after going on sale. There's more tech, but prices have risen." | Read more |
| CarsGuide | 80% | "Comfortable, quick, well equipped, and practical it's bringing zero tailpipe emissions closer to the masses." | Read more |
| Exhaust Notes Australia | 87% | "Everything about the IONIQ EV is made with convenience and efficiency at the forefront of its design. From its heated steering wheel to the acceleration coming from the 100kW motor, there is not one edge on this car that is not smooth and sleek." | Read more |
Hyundai's IONIQ Electric range comprises two different trims, Elite and Premium.
Hyundai charges from $53,363 for the entry-model Elite model.
Key features include 7 airbags, 16-inch alloys, a 10.25-inch multimedia infotainment touchscreen, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone connectivity, a DAB digital radio, a rearview camera, rear parking sensors, SmartSense Safety Pack, an 8-speaker Infinity premium sound system, smart key, push-button start, auto dusk-sensing headlamps and rain-sensing wipers.
As the name suggests, the Premium model has extra features over the Elite. You'll pay $57,603.
However, for the money, you get front parking sensors, seats appointed in leather, a glass sunroof, Qi-standard wireless smartphone charging, heated and ventilated seats upfront, a driver's seat memory system with power adjustment, alloy sports pedals and satin chrome trim around the doors, among other things.
Buyers can also pre-pay for servicing, with 3 years maintenance costing $480, and up to 5 years priced at $1,400. Those costs are much cheaper than the Hybrid IONIQ, where the 3-year servicing pack costs $795 and 5 years sets you back $1,525.
The IONIQ Electric has a 5-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. There's an 8-year (or 160,000km) warranty covering the battery.
The IONIQ has a 5-star ANCAP safety rating.
Click on a price to compare car loans for the Hyundai IONIQ.
| Hyundai IONIQ Electric Elite | Hyundai IONIQ Electric Premium |
|---|---|
| 38.3kWh, 319.4V, single-speed, FWD: $53,363 | 38.3kWh, 319.4V, single-speed, FWD: $57,603 |
Paint colour options are:
| Website | Pros | Cons | Notable quote |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarAdvice |
|
| "The Hyundai Ioniq may be the carmaker's first foray into electrification, but it's also the most convincing EV yet when considering the overall value package." |
| Drive |
|
| "The 2020 Hyundai Ioniq range brings genuinely worthwhile improvements, but the price rises of up to $3,500 demonstrate that electric-car technology is still a long way from being affordable to the motoring masses." |
| CarsGuide |
|
| "With revised design inside and out, upgraded tech, and a bigger battery, this Electric model is pricier, but even at around $50K remains at the affordable end of the expanding EV market." |
| Exhaust Notes Australia |
|
| "You could fill up an encyclopedia, or at least a very large notebook, with the features offered by the 2020 Hyundai IONIQ Electric Premium. But to make it simple, we've whittled it down to a single word; polished." |
Hyundai installs a single 100kW electric motor into the EV IONIQ. It drives the front wheels only. Power is rated at 100kW, while torque is a healthy 295Nm. As a permanent magnet synchronous motor type, it should deliver high levels of efficiency, certainly much higher than a conventional combustion engine. Advantages of this motor include favourable power to weight ratios and a reputation for solid reliability.
According to Hyundai Germany (we couldn't find the information from Australia), the IONIQ Electric is capable of 165km/h flat out and it can accelerate from 0-100km/h in 9.9 seconds using sport mode. In normal mode, you'll need to add on 0.3 seconds, making it 10.2 to 100km/h.
Where a conventional engine is matched with a multi-gear transmission, an electric car doesn't really need all of those speeds. This is because EVs are high-revving, meaning they spin fast. They are capable of delivering 100% torque right from the off. You don't need to have extra gears, which help extract the optimum performance from an engine, as they deliver their power and torque more consistently. This also saves weight and improves efficiency thanks to fewer moving parts.
As a result, the IONIQ Electric has a single-speed drivetrain.
How did car reviewers find the IONIQ's motor and transmission?
The car apparently is a bit of a train, in that it seems to be able to pull with ease at any speed.
One tester said sport mode was a must for ducking and weaving through city traffic, giving slightly faster acceleration. Others stated the IONIQ, despite not being a sports car, was actually very spirited and enjoyable while in this mode.
A nice side-benefit noticed by reviewers was the extra space afforded by no conventional gearbox and the lack of a clutch. Testers also said that the regen braking, where you lift off the throttle pedal and the car slows you down, took little time to get used to. You can change the level of how aggressive the energy reclaiming and braking effect is, using paddle shifters that sit just behind the steering wheel. One reviewer labelled it one-pedal mode, a bit like dodgem/bumper cars.
As their name suggests, Eco and Eco+ are the driving modes to go for when you want to maximise your range and efficiency. One of the motoring panellists preferred these modes when driving around town.
To sum it up, you should quickly get used to using the car, with the biggest difference from a traditional fossil-fuelled car likely to be the lack of engine noise.
| 100kW electric motor | |
|---|---|
| Motor type | Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor |
| Drivetrain | FWD |
| Power | 100kW |
| Torque | 295Nm |
| Transmission | Single-speed reduction gear |
| Battery type | Lithium-ion Polymer |
| Battery capacity | 38.3kWh |
| Voltage | 319.4V |
| Range | 373km (using NEDC) 311km (WLTP) |
| Charge times | 80% battery in 54 minutes (on DC fast-charger) 6 hours 5 minutes on AC charging station 17 hours 30 minutes using emergency 240V AC cable |
| Acceleration (0-100km/h) | 9.9 seconds (Sport mode, according to Hyundai Germany) 10.2 seconds (Normal mode, Hyundai Germany figures) |
| Top speed (km/h) | 165km/h (Hyundai Germany figures) |
| Security | Immobiliser and Anti-theft alarm |
| Transmission | Single-speed reduction gear |
How much energy does the Hyundai IONIQ Electric use? And how far will it travel on a single charge?
We use the Green Vehicle Guide as our source for energy efficiency and range statistics for all of our car reviews. Incidentally, it ranks as the greenest vehicle on that website. According to the GVG, the IONIQ Electric uses 117Wh per km. There are 1,000 watts in a Kilowatt hour.
To travel 14,000kms in one year, with a 66% urban and the rest high-speed driving mix, it estimated you'd spend $491 on electricity. That's based on the electricity costing 30 cents per kWh. Factoring in the lifetime emissions from the power plants and manufacturing, while tailpipe emissions are zero (EVs don't have an exhaust), the IONIQ Electric is responsible for 103g of CO2 per km. By comparison, a Hyundai i30 1.6-litre diesel hatch outputs 142g/km depending on the trim. The EV's carbon dioxide figures should lower when Australia switches to a renewables-oriented mix for power generation.
Hyundai's official figures indicate the IONIQ EV is good for 311km (according to the WLTP test) before the battery will need recharging.
As a result (and this is true of all vehicles, whether electric or with an engine), what you're able to achieve in real-world driving, on public roads, may differ.
How did the IONIQ EV fare at the hands of car reviewers? Pretty well it seems.
One motoring journalist discovered that Hyundai's range claims of 311km were not unrealistic. They also felt the trip computer did an excellent job of calculating the remaining charge levels. Another tester was able to get reasonably close to the factory energy consumption digits.
Practically, using Hyundai's trip calculator, that should mean you're able to drive as far as Lithgow on the western side of the Blue Mountains and back from Dawes Point, on one charge. Or, you should be able to drive from Dawes Point, New South Wales to Canberra with 7% left in the battery.
What was the charging experience like on the IONIQ? If you want to charge the car when you're out and about, you have to purchase an optional cable. You'll need a type 2 connector, which is available from Hyundai for $495, including GST as of October 2020. Using a public DC fast-charging station, Hyundai says you can charge to 80% in just 54 minutes. If you use a home or work AC charging station, you can comfortably recharge the battery overnight or during a workday, in 6 hours and 5 minutes.
Plug it into a domestic wall socket, using the emergency charging cable and Hyundai says it'll take 17 hours and 30 minutes to charge to 100%.
Though the Hyundai IONIQ is not a sports car, most drivers will be expecting it to be comfortable and capable on the roads. And the IONIQ ostensibly ticks both those boxes. In fact, car reviewers decided it was actually the best handling of the entire IONIQ range, which also includes Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid variants. That's because while all have been Aussie-tuned, the Electric rides on different (and theoretically less compliant) suspension at the back. Engineers went this route to help support the mass of the battery cell at the boot-end.
According to testers, the car soaks up and softens out even the bumpiest of roads with relative ease, so it shouldn't be too jarring a ride.
In the corners, most of the reviewers agreed the IONIQ was surprisingly grippy and eager. That might have something to do with it having sports car credentials, an almost evenly balanced weight distribution. One tester summed it up when they described the car as being plain and nothing exciting, but a little more interesting when you enter Sports mode.
It won't set a driving purist's heart fluttering, but for everyday driving, it is more than up to the job, according to the motoring experts.
Interior and equipment
The first thing you'll notice about the cabin, at least according to several of the car reviewers, is how quiet it is. That's thanks to the electric motor. Although, a common observation with any EV is once the thrumming engine has gone, you start to hear other noises that were always there, only drowned out. For example, you can hear the rubber of the tyre treads gripping the road.
Testers labelled it as a comfy and decently spacious interior. The driver should notice this most as there's no clutch pedal anymore and a slimline transmission tunnel. The seats are reportedly very comfortable. Testers discerned there was plenty of storage room for incidentals. Journalists stated the materials used throughout the interior were of high quality.
It's nice to hear that Hyundai uses raw and recycled materials where possible. The interior door trims are made from a blend of plastic, powdered wood and volcanic stone. This also reduces weight by 20%. Hyundai uses sugar cane in its internal fabrics, up to 20%. Soft-touch materials are made of up to 25% sugar cane.
Even the metallic paint is produced using extracts from soybean oil. Testers also rated the infotainment and driver display favourably, stating they were intuitive and easy to operate.
The only downside was the sloping rear roof does mean taller occupants in the back might be squeezed in there. Some comments were made about the size of the boot also, as it isn't as large as comparably-sized Hyundai models, though it still appears to accept a pram if needed. The capacity measures 357 litres if you fill the boot to the top of the rear seats. If you pack in even more stuff, it should accept up to 462 litres. With the rear seats dropped forwards, you'll expand the carrying capacity to 1,417 litres.
The IONIQ has impressive specifications, appearing to be well designed and apportioned internally for everyday use.
The first thing you'll notice about the cabin, at least according to several of the car reviewers, is how quiet it is. That's thanks to the electric motor. Although, a common observation with any EV is once the thrumming engine has gone, you start to hear other noises that were always there, only drowned out. For example, you can hear the rubber of the tyre treads gripping the road.
Testers labelled it as a comfy and decently spacious interior. The driver should notice this most as there's no clutch pedal anymore and a slimline transmission tunnel. The seats are reportedly very comfortable. Testers discerned there was plenty of storage room for incidentals. Journalists stated the materials used throughout the interior were of high quality.
It's nice to hear that Hyundai uses raw and recycled materials where possible. The interior door trims are made from a blend of plastic, powdered wood and volcanic stone. This also reduces weight by 20%. Hyundai uses sugar cane in its internal fabrics, up to 20%. Soft-touch materials are made of up to 25% sugar cane.
Even the metallic paint is produced using extracts from soybean oil. Testers also rated the infotainment and driver display favourably, stating they were intuitive and easy to operate.
The only downside was the sloping rear roof does mean taller occupants in the back might be squeezed in there. Some comments were made about the size of the boot also, as it isn't as large as comparably-sized Hyundai models, though it still appears to accept a pram if needed. The capacity measures 357 litres if you fill the boot to the top of the rear seats. If you pack in even more stuff, it should accept up to 462 litres. With the rear seats dropped forwards, you'll expand the carrying capacity to 1,417 litres.
The IONIQ has impressive specifications, appearing to be well designed and apportioned internally for everyday use.
The Elite trim has 16-inch alloys, cloth seating (which reviewers praised), a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, DAB radio, a 7-inch LCD screen for the driver with a trip computer and digital speedo, a rearview camera with rear parking sensors, an 8-speaker sound system, auto dusk-sensing headlights, rain-sensing wipers, a smart key with push-button start and lots more.
The safety system on the IONIQ is all-inclusive, to say the least. It has a 5-star ANCAP safety rating. Standouts include:
Additionally, the IONIQ has an Emergency Stop Signal (ESS), rearward parking sensors, a rearview monitor with parking guidance (RVM w/PG) and a Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), which also reads out each tyre's pressure individually.
Step up to the Premium model and you'll get front parking sensors, leather-appointed seats, glass sunroof, LED headlights, Qi wireless smartphone charging, heated and cooled front seats, a driver's seat memory position system, power-adjustable driver's seat, passenger seat height-adjustment, sports alloy pedals and various trim pieces to differentiate it from the Elite.
| Elite | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| 5-star ANCAP | ✔ | ✔ |
Airbags:
| ✔ | ✔ |
| Cruise control | ✔ | ✔ |
| Anti-lock Braking System (ABS) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Brake Assist System (BAS) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Auto-dimming Electro-chromatic Mirror (ECM) | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Traction Control System (TCS) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) | ✔ | ✔ |
Hyundai SmartSense:
| ✔ | ✔ |
| Emergency Stop Signal (ESS) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Parking Distance Warning - Front (PDW-F), Four sensors with display | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Parking Distance Warning - Reverse (PDW-R), Four sensors with display | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rearview Monitor with Parking Guidance (RVM w/PG) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rain-sensing wipers | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tyre Pressure Monitor System (TPMS) - individual tyre read out | ✔ | ✔ |
| Impact-sensing auto door unlock | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rear door child safety locks | ✔ | ✔ |
| Pre-tensioner seat belts | ✔ | ✔ |
| Seat belt reminders - front and rear | ✔ | ✔ |
| ISOFIX child restraint anchors on rear, outboard seats | ✔ | ✔ |
| Anti-theft alarm | ✔ | ✔ |
| Central locking | ✔ | ✔ |
| Engine immobiliser | ✔ | ✔ |
| User-configurable active lock/unlock | ✔ | ✔ |
| Two smart key remotes | ✔ | ✔ |
| Elite | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen | ✔ | ✔ |
| Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bluetooth® phone connectivity | ✔ | ✔ |
| Satellite navigation | ✔ | ✔ |
| SUNA Live traffic updates | ✔ | ✔ |
| Steering wheel mounted controls (audio, phone, cruise control and trip computer) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Paddle shifters for regenerative braking | ✔ | ✔ |
| 8-speaker Infinity premium sound system with external amplifier | ✔ | ✔ |
| AM/FM radio | ✔ | ✔ |
| Digital radio (DAB+) | ✔ | ✔ |
| iPod compatibility USB audio input | ✔ | ✔ |
| Bluetooth® audio streaming | ✔ | ✔ |
| Leather-appointed steering wheel | ✔ | ✔ |
| Leather-appointed seats | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Driver's seat height-adjustable | ✔ | ✔ |
| Manually-adjustable, with 2-way lumbar support | ✔ | ✖️ |
| 10-way power-adjustable, with 2-way lumbar support | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Height-adjustable passenger seat | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Front centre console armrest storage box with USB power outlet | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Front centre console storage cubby box, with two 12V outlets | ✔ | ✔ |
| Centre console cup holders | ✔ | ✔ |
| Retractable sunglasses compartment | ✔ | ✔ |
| Front centre console Qi wireless charging pad | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Rear centre fold-down armrest | ✔ | ✔ |
| Tilt and slide glass sunroof | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Front and rear power windows | ✔ | ✔ |
| One-touch window up and down function for driver's window | ✔ | ✖️ |
| One-touch window up and down function for front windows | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Solar attenuating windshield glass | ✔ | ✔ |
| 7-inch LCD with trip computer and digital speed reading | ✔ | ✔ |
| Single-zone climate control with auto defog function | ✔ | ✔ |
| Cooling heating vents in back of centre console for rear | ✔ | ✔ |
| One-touch turn signal, 3,5 or 7 pulses | ✔ | ✔ |
| Driver's seat Integrated Memory System (IMS) | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Cabin filter | ✔ | ✔ |
| Air ventilated front seats | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Heated front seats | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Heated rear windshield | ✔ | ✔ |
| Heated steering wheel | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Metallic grey inserts (air vents, starting button, steering wheel) | ✔ | ✔ |
| Alloy sports pedals | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Ambient dashboard LED lighting | ✔ | ✔ |
| Front cabin and map lights | ✔ | ✖️ |
| Front cabin and map lights - LED | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Vanity mirror lights | ✔ | ✔ |
| Rear reading light | ✔ | ✖️ |
| Rear reading light - LED | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Rear armrest cup holders | ✔ | ✔ |
| Retractable cargo cover | ✔ | ✔ |
| Four tie-down hooks in boot | ✔ | ✔ |
| Luggage net | ✔ | ✔ |
| Door bins for bottles (front and rear) | ✔ | ✔ |
Four drive modes:
| ✔ | ✔ |
| Elite | Premium | |
|---|---|---|
| Type 2 charging plug | ✔ | ✔ |
| 16-inch, lightweight and aerodynamically-sculpted alloy wheels | ✔ | ✔ |
| Heated exterior mirrors | ✔ | ✔ |
| Power-adjustable and auto-folding side mirrors | ✔ | ✖️ |
| Power-adjustable and auto-folding side mirrors with reversing auto-dip function | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Door frame and hip waistline satin chrome accents | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Satin chrome door handle insert | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Matte grey side trim insert | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Daytime Running Lights (DRL) - LED | ✔ | ✔ |
| Automatic dusk-sensing headlights with escort and welcome functions | ✔ | ✔ |
| LED headlights (low/high beam) | ✖️ | ✔ |
| Projector-beam headlight | ✔ | ✖️ |
| LED positioning lights | ✖️ | ✔ |
| LED fog lights | ✔ | ✔ |
| LED High mount stop light | ✔ | ✔ |
| LED courtesy lights in front door handles | ✔ | ✔ |
| LED side-mirror puddle lights and integrated indicators | ✔ | ✔ |
While Tesla is probably the most famous EV car maker, others are out there, quietly making some superb battery-powered models. The IONIQ Electric was well-received by car reviewers, with very few and relatively minor criticisms. The IONIQ is one of the most affordable electric vehicles on sale and also sounds as though it is one of the more practical, everyday drivers.
Make sure you take a few moments to check car loans to see how much you could save buying an IONIQ Electric. It could be hundreds of dollars over the course of a loan agreement. Also, you should check our car insurance comparisons to save even more when you're covering your electric Hyundai.
Pictures: Hyundai
There are a few sedans you can get near this price point. The Kia Stinger 200S or a Camry for example, but you might want to consider this.
The Kona N starts from $47,500 and at this price point it is currently in a class of its own at the moment.
The future is here for the hatchback, but is the fully electric Hyundai IONIQ as enjoyable to drive as it is efficient?
Learn what four motoring experts thought of the Hyundai IONIQ hybrid and plug-in hybrid
The iLoad is a no-frills, uncomplicated van that'll get the job done.
Looking to purchase a medium SUV? The Hyundai Tucson might be worth adding to your shortlist.
