2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

At first glance, the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid hasn’t been designed to be an alluring machine. Most eco-friendly cars aren’t, but then again, Tesla’s Model S is sexy as hell. But instead of attractiveness, the Ioniq Hybrid has been designed to be aerodynamic and spacious.

Look at from the front, the Ioniq resembles a traditional car, one that’s solely powered by an internal combustion engine. But then you notice the blue accent integrated into the bumper valance, after which a couple of wheel air curtains come into focus. These are the cues that signal the nature of this car.

The profile, on the other hand, resembles an elongated hatchback. OK, so Hyundai has taken a liking to Toyota’s liftback design, but still, the Ioniq Hybrid is more pleasing to the eye because it looks more like a car, not an anime-inspired contraption. At the rear, the combination lamps and the bumper’s gloss black insert make for a highly distinctive visual identity.

With a drag coefficient identical to that of the fourth-generation Toyota Prius (Cd 0.24), the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq also happens to cut through the air like it just don’t care.

The interior blissfully simple and, thanks to efficient packaging, an idea more spacious than that of the Toyota Prius. In Hybrid form, the Ioniq is priding itself on 122.7 cubic feet (3,474 liters) of total interior volume. In addition to this, the trunk also happens to be cavernous: 15.6 CuFT (443 l) with the rear seats in their normal position and 53.1 CuFT (1,505 l) folded.

Comprehensive space is on the menu for the rear passengers too, chiefly thanks to the 106.3-inch (2,700 mm) wheelbase. For reference, that’s the same as a Jeep Cherokee. Life onboard the Ioniq Hybrid isn’t a unique experience, however, but that’s for the great good of the driver and his passengers.

Everything the eyes can see and everything the hands can touch in the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is car-like in the proper sense of the word. Compared to white refrigerator plastic on the center console and the incongruous shifter in the Prius, the Ioniq is a traditional exercise in interior design, complete with a proper gearshift.

From the driver’s point of view, the TFT instrument cluster is crucial to keeping check on essential information. For driver and the passengers alike, an infotainment system that will have to suffice. To ensure that everyone’s mobile devices are always charged, Qi-standard wireless charging is an available option that supplements the standard USB ports located on the center console and in the driver’s armrest.

And unlike Apple and its iPhone 7, the Ioniq Hybrid has an AUX jack if you want to enjoy your tunes the old fashioned way.

Hyundai has packed an impressive number of tech features in the Ioniq. Both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, for enhanced smartphone connectivity, allowing music, phone or navigation functions to be accessed from the car’s infotainment system. Bluetooth connectivity, SiriusXM satellite radio, HD radio, and USB ports with charging function are standard as well. You can also charge your mobile device wirelessly via an available inductive charging pad.

Through Hyundai’s Blue Link, you can access enhanced safety, diagnostic, remote and guidance services. Features like remote start, remote door lock/unlock, stolen vehicle recovery, battery status, scheduled charging, climate control, roadside assistance, and more are instantly available via buttons on the rearview mirror, via web, or via smartphone app. Some features can even be accessed from Android Wear or Apple Watch apps.

The Ioniq Hybrid, as well as the Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid, are motivated by a 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine, delivering 104 horsepower and 109 lb-ft (148 Nm) of torque at 4,000 rpm. The electric motor has an output of 43 horsepower and 125 lb-ft (169 Nm) on the Ioniq Hybrid, which is juiced up by a 1.56 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery.

The Ioniq Hybrid and its pluggable sibling come as standard with a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. There are two driving modes available on the models equipped with the DCT. In Sport mode, power from the engine and electric motor is combined for maximum performance. Well, we say “performance”, but this ain’t no Tesla Model S with Ludicrous mode. In Eco mode, gear selection is optimized for fuel economy.

Speaking of frugality, the South Korea-spec Ioniq Hybrid is rated 22.4 kilometers per liter on the combined cycle. That’s 52.6 miles per gallon, which is not bat at all for a mid-sized hybrid vehicle. Even though this figure applies for the entry-level model with the 15-inch Eco-Spoke wheels, the gas mileage is marginally better than that of the model year 2016 Toyota Prius. The U.S.-spec Prius Two Eco, however, can manage 56 mpg combined.

The Euro NCAP, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have yet to test the Ioniq, but there’s no shadow of a doubt that this is a tough old bird. In terms of standard safety kit, the list starts with seven airbags, one of them designed to protect the the driver’s knees.

In terms of passive safety, the Ioniq Hybrid is gifted with a body shell that comprises of 53 percent advanced high-strength steel, a platform designed with structural rigidity and high impact-energy absorption in mind, as well as 475 feet (145 meters) of advanced structural adhesives in its design. What’s even more impressive is the array of active safety features.

Highlight safety features that enhance the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid’s crashworthiness include automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. Other goodies come in the form of blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-departure warning, and adaptive cruise control. The Ioniq Electric goes one step further with Advanced Smart Cruise Control, which adds a stop/start function.

Developed from the get-go as a challenger to the status quo of the Toyota Prius, Hyundai’s venture in this area has definitely paid off. Even though Hyundai has taken a sizable cue from the Toyota when it comes down to exterior design, the South Korean carmaker has managed to give the Ioniq Hybrid a character of its own.

But regardless of the fact it looks more like a car than the Prius does, the Ioniq Hybrid also has the advantage regarding standard bits and bobs. It also sports a proper dual-clutch automatic transmission, not a dreary CVT, thus giving the Prius a run for its money.

What we have here, then, isn’t a revolution. For all intents and purposes, the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid refines Toyota’s blueprint for a hybrid vehicle for the masses. It’s also cheaper than the ever-present Prius, making for a big selling point.