- Hyundai has unveiled the Ioniq 3, a compact electric car with an ‘Aero Hatch’ design
- You can expect up to 300 miles from a single charge
- It is the first car to run Hyundai’s new Android-based infotainment system
Hyundai chose the glamorous surroundings of Milan’s annual Design Week event to launch the fourth European car in its growing Ioniq range.
Joining the larger hatchback Ioniq 5, the streamliner-inspired Ioniq 6 and the seven-seat SUV Ioniq 9, the Ioniq 3 boasts an interior inspired by 1970s Italian furniture design, while the exterior styling stays surprisingly close to the Concept 3 unveiled last year.
It’s all rooted in the “Art of Steel” philosophy we first saw in the bold Initium hydrogen concept, with clean surfaces taking inspiration from steelmaking processes… apparently.
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“The Ioniq 3 will offer best-in-class aerodynamics, helping it achieve best-in-class range. It will also offer class-leading trunk space and a premium interior that is truly from the segment above,” said Hyundai Chief Designer Eduardo Ramirez.
The compact electric Aero Hatch design, as Hyundai calls it, is aimed at the European market, but aims to inject a premium appeal into the segment.
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As a result, it will be available in two shades. A Standard Range variant has a 42.2 kWh battery capable of 344 km (214 miles) on a single charge, while a 61 kWh Long Range version delivers 496 km (308 miles).
Both models use a single motor driving 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 managing director, Xavier Martinet, says this vehicle is designed to combine “segment-leading driving range and aerodynamics with extraordinary levels of space”.
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 host of cubby holes and storage areas add to 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 for the first time uses the Android Automotive operating system.
This has enabled the company to create an intuitive journey planner that incorporates live public charging data as well as the ability for owners to lock and unlock the car with a digital key, whether 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 device for the first time.
Unlike some of the other models built on Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, the Ioniq 3 features a 400V electrical architecture, as opposed to the ultra-fast charging 800V system found elsewhere in the Ioniq range.
However, the company claims that fast DC charging from 10 to 80 percent takes 29 minutes under optimal conditions.
For all the grown-up talk, Hyundai insisted the Ioniq 3 still has a sense of fun, with the four dots in the pixel taillights marking the Morse code for the letter ‘H’.
There are plenty of other ‘easter eggs’ to explore inside too, although it’s not quite Renault 5 levels of funkiness, at least it’s something to show the friends when you’re ferrying them around.
During the launch in Milan, Hyundai executives suggested the vehicle would go on sale in Europe during September this year, priced at around €30,000, which is around £26,000 in the UK or around $35,000 (AU$50,000). Although there are no plans to sell it Stateside yet.
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