Hyundai Ioniq Gets Aggressive Pricing Structure

We have been hearing lots of good things about the Hyundai Ioniq since last year. It is the first car in the world to offer three different powertrains in the one highly efficient chassis. Buyers will have a choice of a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, and a battery electric. For the first time, shoppers will be able to directly compare what they are getting for their money and chose the powertrain that best fits their needs.

The hybrid and electric models are on their way to dealers as we speak. The plug-in hybrid version will be along in late summer. Hyundai has just announced its final pricing for the hybrid and electric models and it is good news for EV fans. Here they are, as provided by Electric Cars Report.

2017 HYUNDAI IONIQ ELECTRIC PRICING

Model	Engine	Transmission	Drivetrain	MSRP
Electric	88kW Electric Motor	Single-speed Reduction Gear	FWD	$29,500
Limited	88kW Electric Motor	Single-speed Reduction Gear	FWD	$32,500
Freight Charges for the 2017MY Ioniq Electric are $835.

2017 HYUNDAI IONIQ HYBRID PRICING

Model	Engine	Transmission	Drivetrain	MSRP
Blue	1.6L GDI 4-Cylinder	6-Speed EcoShift Dual ClutchTransmission w/ SHIFTRONIC®	FWD	$22,200
SEL	1.6L GDI 4-Cylinder	6-Speed EcoShift Dual ClutchTransmission w/ SHIFTRONIC®	FWD	$23,950
Limited	1.6L GDI 4-Cylinder	6-Speed EcoShift Dual ClutchTransmission w/ SHIFTRONIC®	FWD	$27,500
Freight Charges for the 2017MY Ioniq Hybrid are $835.

But wait. There’s more. These prices are before any federal, state, or local incentives. Yes, the Ioniq Electric has only 110 miles of range, but a fully loaded version costs nearly $10.000 less than a loaded Chevy Bolt. You gotta love that, right? As to precisely how much incentives will lower those prices, that is information best obtained from your local dealer. It appears the Ioniq electric qualifies for the full federal tax credit of $7500 but we are not tax experts, now have we ever played one TV.

“Ioniq will attract an entirely new group of eco- and efficiency-oriented buyers in the U.S. market,” said Mike O’Brien, vice president of Corporate and Product Planning, Hyundai Motor America. “With outstanding powertrain flexibility, design, connectivity, and advanced technologies, Ioniq meets the needs of a large and growing group of buyers needing a highly efficient, enjoyable to drive and low-emissions vehicle without compromise to their daily lifestyles.”

Corporate-speak is all well and good, but the proof of the pudding is in the driving. Here is a video made by Bjorn Nyland, Norway’s foremost Tesla fanatic when he test drove an Ioniq Electric recently and deemed it almost as good as his Tesla. Now that is high praise indeed. Almost as good as a Tesla for less than half the cost? Where do we sign up?

For those who are waiting for a crossover/SUV version of the Ioniq, the Kia Niro is a clone of the Ioniq mechanically. Its prices will likely be in line with those of the Ioniq. The Niro Hybrid and Niro Electric are also on the way to dealers with the plug-in version scheduled to arrive in late summer.

Hyundai Ioniq Most Efficient Electric Car Says EPA

The EPA last week announced that the new Hyundai Ioniq battery electric car has been given an MPGe rating of 136. That is higher than the rating awarded to the BMW i3 (124 MPGe), the Chevrolet Volt (119MPGe) and Spark EV (119MPGe), the Volkswagen e-Golf (116MPGe), and Tesla Model S 60D (104MPGe). What is MPGe? For those who were absent in class that day, here’s a refresher from Wikipedia:

“Miles per gallon gasoline equivalent is a measure of the average distance traveled per unit of energy consumed. MPGe is used by the United States Environmental Protection Agency to compare energy consumption of alternative fuel vehicles, plug-in electric vehicles, and other advanced technology vehicles with the fuel economy of conventional internal combustion vehicles expressed as miles per US gallon.

“The MPGe metric was introduced in November 2010 by EPA in the Monroney sticker of the Nissan Leaf electric car and the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid. The ratings are based on EPA’s formula, in which 33.7 kilowatt-hours (121 megajoules) of electricity is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline, and the energy consumption of each vehicle during EPA’s five standard drive cycle tests simulating varying driving conditions. All new cars and light-duty trucks sold in the U.S. are required to have this label showing the EPA’s estimate of fuel economy of the vehicle.”

Got that? The EPA assumes (and we all know about the word “assume,” don’t we?) that 33.7 kWh of electricity is equivalent to one gallon of gasoline. By that measure, if the Ioniq were a traditional car with an internal combustion engine, it could go 136 miles on one gallon of gas.

Here’s more from Korean website Dong-A. “Unlike ‘miles on a single charge’ that extends as the number of batteries with large capacity increases, the MPGe is an economic indicator that considers the cost of charge. The EPA estimated the yearly fuel cost of the Ioniq Electric at 500 dollars, the lowest among other competing vehicles.”

Putting all the technical jargon aside, what it comes down to is that the Ioniq electric car, which is coming to the US in the middle of 2017, is a very efficient machine. Unfortunately, it has a rather limited range of 124 miles. Popular perception is that an EV should have at least 200 miles of range before mainstream shoppers will even consider it.

That is a misconception, of course. Owners of gasoline powered cars don’t start every day with a full tank but owners of electric cars start every day with a fully charged battery — assuming they remember to plug in at night. The saving grace for the Hyundai offering is that it may cost significantly less than than cars with 200 miles or more of range.

Batteries are costly, so a smaller battery should result in a smaller price. Lots of people still vote with their wallets, so the Hyundai may be able to carve out a nice chunk of the EV market if it costs thousands less than competitors like the Nissan LEAF and Chevy Bolt. Hyundai has not yet released pricing information for the car.

Hyundai Ioniq Goes Public. PHEV And Electric Models In Q3

Hyundai finally took the wraps off its all new Ioniq this past week in Korea. The car, which sits on a dedicated chassis not shared with any other Hyundai model, was designed from the ground up to accept a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid, or battery electric powertrain — the first car in the world to claim that distinction. With all those configurations, it will be able to compete head to head with the Toyota Prius, Chevy Volt, Nissan LEAF, and the upcoming affordable electric cars from Chevrolet and Tesla.

Dave Zuchowski, CEO of Hyundai Motor America, told Automotive News this week that all three versions of the Ioniq will be in showrooms in the 3rd quarter of 2016. The hybrid will go on sale first, followed by the electric car a few weeks later. Then the plug-in bybrid will arrive. If so, that could give Hyundai an edge over Chevrolet, which plans to introduce its $37,500 Bolt with at least 200 miles of range before the end of this year. Hyundai has not released any prices or performance specifications for its all electric Ioniq.

The first thing shoppers will notice about the Ioniq is its styling. Early design sketches and spy photos showed it to be somewhat awkward in design. There were even hints of the unlovely Pontiac Aztek about it. But the official photos make the car look much more appealing. It is a 5 door hatchback design, which should please customers who are looking for the comfort of a sedan with the carrying capacity of a crossover SUV.

The 1.6 liter Kappa engine in the hybrid and plug-in hybrid is said to achieve 40% efficiency — on a par with the latest gasoline engine in the newest Prius. Says AutoBlog, both models use a dual clutch 6 speed automatic transmission, which should avoid some of the droning nature of the CVT used in the Toyota. Presumably, the electric only version will not use a transmission at all.

Prices and major specifications are still unavailable. It will be interesting to see how the Ioniq fares in a world where gasoline costs less than bottled water.

Naked Hyundai Ioniq Spied In The Wild

Little is known about the technical specifications for the car, other than the hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the Ioniq will both use a 1.6 liter 4 cylinder engine. There are no range specifications for the plug-in or the battery version of the car available at this time.

The good news is that the car is clearly a crossover SUV style vehicle. That just happens to be the hottest part of the automobile market right now, so Hyundai is doing itself a favor by positioning the ioniq to compete in that segment. The bad news is that Hyundai — which has some of the best looking cars on the road — seems to have recorded a swing and a miss with the styling of this car.

In essence, it is the same type vehicle as the Tesla Model X — a 4 door sport utility vehicle with a hatchback. But it does not look nearly as appealing as the Model X. The front is ordinary in a way that other current Hyundai models are not. From the rear doors back, the car bears an unfortunate resemblance to the late and largely unlamented Pontiac Aztek. It’s not that there’s anything particularly wrong with the appearance of the Ioniq, but there’s not a lot that’s especially right about it, either.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, of course, and if the price is right, lots of buyers will be shopping for precisely this kind of car. From these photos, the Ioniq appears to be somewhat larger than the Prius, which will appeal to many folks. The Ioniq may be more appealing once more is known about its electronics and interior appointments.