Hyundai reinvents the hatchback with the 300-mile range Ioniq 3 — a compact, aerodynamic EV that runs on Android Automotive
- Hyundai unveiled the Ioniq 3, a compact electric vehicle with an “Aero Hatch” design
- You can expect over 300 miles on a single charge
- It’s the first car to use Hyundai’s new Android-based infotainment system.
Hyundai has chosen the glamorous setting of the annual Milan Design Week event to launch the fourth European car in its expanding Ioniq range.
The Ioniq 3, which joins the larger Ioniq 5 hatchback, the streamliner-inspired Ioniq 6 and the Ioniq 9 seven-seat SUV, has an interior inspired by 1970s Italian furniture design, while the exterior styling remains strikingly close to the Concept 3 revealed last year.
It’s all rooted in the “Art of Steel” philosophy, which we first saw in the bold Initium hydrogen concept, with sleek surfaces that take inspiration from steelmaking processes…apparently.
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“The Ioniq 3 will offer best-in-class aerodynamics, enabling it to achieve best-in-class driving range. It also offers class-leading trunk space and a premium interior that truly comes from the segment above,” said Hyundai chief designer Eduardo Ramirez.
The compact, electric design of the Aero Hatch, as Hyundai dubs it, is aimed at the European market, but aims to inject premium appeal into the segment.
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As a result, it will be available in two forms. A standard range variant features a 42.2 kWh battery capable of traveling 344 km (214 miles) on a single charge, while a 61 kWh long-range version offers 496 km (308 miles).
Both models use a single motor that powers the front wheels, resulting in a 0-100 km/h sprint time of nine seconds in the standard car and 9.6 seconds in the heavier and larger battery Long Range edition.
Hyundai’s European CEO, Xavier Martinet, says the vehicle has been designed to combine “segment-leading range and aerodynamics with extraordinary levels of space.”
Space is impressive, as despite the relatively compact exterior dimensions, Hyundai designers have managed to provide generous head and legroom inside, while a plethora of compartments and storage spaces increase the overall feeling of practicality.
Analysis: Android Automotive opens new doors
Perhaps the biggest news is that the Ioniq 3 will also be the first to debut Hyundai’s new Pleos Connect infotainment system, which uses the Android Automotive operating system for the first time.
This allowed the company to create an intuitive journey planner that takes into account live public charging data, as well as the ability for owners to lock and unlock the car with a digital key, whether via a 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 other models built on Hyundai Motor Group’s E-GMP platform, the Ioniq 3 features a 400V electrical architecture, as opposed to the 800V ultra-fast charging system found elsewhere in the Ioniq range.
However, the company claims that a DC fast charge from 10 to 80 percent takes 29 minutes under optimal conditions.
For all the talk from adults, Hyundai insisted that the Ioniq 3 still had a sense of fun, with the four dots in the pixel taillights marking the Morse code for the letter “H.”
There are also plenty of other ‘Easter eggs’ to explore inside which, while not quite on Renault 5 levels of funky, are at least something to show off to your friends when you carry them around.
At the launch in Milan, Hyundai executives suggested the vehicle would go on sale in Europe in September this year, priced at around €30,000, or around £26,000 in the UK or around $35,000 (AU$50,000). Although there are no plans to sell it in the United States yet.
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