2017 Hyundai Ioniq Electric
Every electric vehicle seems to be a new Rorschach test. Does the BMW i3 look like a space-age transportation pod about to whisk you into an exciting future? Or does the Mercedes-Benz B-class Electric Drive reassure you that a battery-powered Mercedes will still be a Mercedes? Which vehicle signals your environmental virtue more effectively: the sleek and expensive-looking Tesla Model S or the somewhat gawky Chevrolet Bolt?
Hyundai’s 2017 Ioniq Electric is the newest inkblot on the block. It’s not a Jetsons bubbletop or a Hot Wheels Sizzler or a Tesla or a Bolt. It’s one-third of a trio of new Ioniqs, and it’s designed to blend in. It looks pretty much like any other Ioniq, which all look a lot like other Hyundais. How much psychological self-actualization is there in an electric car that’s proudly efficient in its use of electricity but keeps quiet about it? And does efficiency trump the fact that the Ioniq Electric is behind the leaders in terms of range?
A Modern Polliwog
With its blocked-off grille covered in the usual piano-black plastic, a stack of LEDs defining each end of the front bumper cover, and an EV-exclusive taillamp design, the Ioniq Electric is subtle about announcing its ampere dependency. But the rest of the car is conventionally drawn to a fault. It’s a fastback hatch with lines that split the difference between a first-generation Chevy Volt and a second-generation Toyota Prius—a modern polliwog with creases. It’s unlikely to make much of a splash when thrown into the traffic stream.
That conventionality continues inside the Ioniq Electric, where Hyundai will proudly point out what paints were made from soybean oils and which plastics have been mixed with volcanic stone and powdered wood. Hey, many of the soft-touch plastic surfaces contain sugarcane, the same stuff that provides the natural sweetness of Mexican Coca-Cola.
But the interior design itself is straightforward and conventional. No funkytown dial to control the 7.0-inch screen atop the dashboard’s center stack, just good old touch controls. There are some nice metallic accents and the flat-bottom steering wheel is perfectly pleasing to hold, but the best thing about the interior is that there are real controls for most of the things that need controlling. There’s no need to scroll through menus just to tune to NPR or Rush Limbaugh. And since Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are built in, integrating personal electronics is simple.
An Amplified Elantra
Once the driver settles into the front seat covered in “Bio Fabric,” the Ioniq seems instantly familiar. It’s an amplified Elantra, not a break with reality. And as in the Elantra, the seat bottoms are relatively short and lacking in thigh support. A push-button drive controller sits between the seats where the shift lever would be in other Ioniqs. There are four buttons: D for drive, P for park, R for reverse, and N for neutral. You probably could have figured that out on your own.
At 176.0 inches long with a 106.3-inch wheelbase, the Ioniq nestles in a bit shorter than a Prius and a foot longer than a Bolt. The lithium-ion battery pack is largely buried under the rear seat and cargo floor, leaving most (but not all) of the space in the rear cargo area open for, well, cargo.
Power comes from a 118-hp permanent-magnet AC motor that delivers a 215-lb-ft ribbon of torque with which you could wrap Christmas presents. The EPA says the battery-powered Ioniq is good for 124 miles of range, but Hyundai is even more proud of its EPA combined rating of 136 MPGe (miles per gallon equivalent). The company claims that’s good enough to produce the best operating costs in the business. The EPA figures that the Ioniq Electric will need $0.81 of juice to cover 25 miles compared with $0.92 for the Bolt and $0.97 for a Nissan Leaf. Recharging the Ioniq’s lithium-ion battery up to 80 percent takes about 23 minutes using the standard SAE Combo Level 3 DC, 100-kW fast charger. Alternately, the car can be charged via a standard household socket with the integrated In-Cable Control Box (ICCB); Hyundai says it’ll take about four and a half hours to fully charge the car from a 240-volt household source.
On the Move
But efficiency is one thing—driving is something else. The Ioniq’s suspension consists of struts up front and a torsion beam in the back, but this simple hardware is almost sublimely supple over most surfaces, and it’s actually fun to dive into the occasional corner. The steering is perfectly weighted and precise, and while the 205/55R-16 Michelin Energy Saver all-season tires aren’t the grippiest, within their modest limits the Ioniq is a sweet-natured handler.
Tap the left paddle behind the steering wheel and the Electric’s regenerative braking will progressively supply—in four steps—sufficient deceleration to the point where it can make the brake pedal nearly superfluous. Toggle the paddle on the right four times and the system will go into a freewheel mode that maintains the car’s momentum. It’s oh-so-close to being fun.
What’s missing from the Ioniq Electric is the sensation of speed that Chevy has so effectively built into the Bolt. While the Ioniq’s 215 lb-ft of torque is adequate, it’s 51 lb-ft behind the Bolt’s 266; also, the Ioniq’s 118 horsepower is well short of the Bolt’s 200. There’s an immediacy to the Bolt’s off-the-line bolt that the Ioniq can’t duplicate. However, according to the manufacturers’ specifications, the Ioniq Electric weighs 3164 pounds, 416 pounds less than the Bolt. Our tests show the Bolt reaching 60 mph in 6.5 seconds, and the Ioniq Electric is sure to be slower than that. We estimate it at 8.0 seconds for now.
While the Ioniq Electric is efficient and comfortable and offers a great balance between ride quality and handling, that range number of 124 miles is likely to haunt it. It’s barely more than half the 238 miles that the Bolt is rated for. On an MPGe basis, the Ioniq Electric is more efficient, but most EV buyers are obsessed with range. The Bolt has shattered the paradigm here and reset expectations, creating a psychological barrier that Hyundai must overcome to attract the comparison shopper.
But if there’s one way to overwhelm the psychology of any situation it’s with economics. Hyundai has priced the Ioniq Electric at $30,335 before all the various government incentives and bribes. Go for the better-equipped Limited model and that rises to $33,335. In California, where the state government really, really wants you to buy an electric vehicle, the incentives on an Ioniq Electric can total $10,000. Not only does the electric Ioniq have a substantial price advantage over the somewhat smaller Bolt, but with those incentives in place it becomes an interesting alternative to vehicles including high-end Honda Civics, low-end Honda Accords, and Hyundai’s own Elantra and Sonata.
The Ioniq Electric may not look futuristic, but maybe it’s enough to be a good, affordable electric car.
Specifications >
VEHICLE TYPE: front-motor, front-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback
BASE PRICE: Electric, $30,335;
Limited, $33,335
MOTOR TYPE: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 118 hp, 215 lb-ft; 28.0-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
TRANSMISSION: 1-speed direct drive
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 106.3 in
Length: 176.0 in
Width: 71.7 in Height: 57.1 in
Passenger volume: 94-96 cu ft
Cargo volume: 24 cu ft
Curb weight (C/D est): 3200 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 8.0 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.8 sec
Top speed: 90 mph
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA combined/city/highway: 136/150/122 MPGe
EPA range: 124 miles
