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The new Hyundai Ioniq 3 is now on sale in the UK with a surprising starting price below £20,000. Thanks to the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant, Hyundai’s smallest Ioniq starts at just £18,495.
That money buys you the Advance model with the smaller 42kWh battery, which will take you up to 213 miles on a single charge. If you want to go further between charges you can choose the 61kWh Advance, which costs £21,995 and has an impressive maximum claimed range of 308 miles.
Every version of the Ioniq 3 qualifies for the full Band 1 government grant. The 61kWh Premium is £23,695, the Ultimate is £26,195 and the sportier-looking N Line Evo tops the range at £28,195 – all those prices include the grant.
The sportier-looking Ioniq 3 N Line Evo tops the range at £28,195 but is the slowest model from 0-62mph and to charge (Hyundai)
Anyone who’s already reserved an Ioniq 3 won’t miss out either – they’ll receive the £3,750 grant instead of the £1,500 reservation saving previously offered. And if you want your Ioniq 3 on finance, Hyundai is offering the 61kWh Advance from £355 a month, with a £355 deposit over 48 months at 8.9 per cent APR representative.
The Ioniq 3 is a five-seat electric hatchback that sits at the compact end of Hyundai’s electric car line-up yet its electric platform means it can still offer decent interior space. At 4,155mm long, 1,800mm wide and with a 2,680mm wheelbase, it has a big 441-litre boot although you can also fold the back seats and the luggage space grows to 1,213 litres.
The Ioniq 3’s shape follows Hyundai’s new Art of Steel design theme, with a low roofline, a drag coefficient of 0.263 and the pixel-style lighting that has become a familiar feature of the Ioniq family. The sportier N Line Evo stretches to 4,170mm and adds different bumpers, a bigger rear spoiler, black trim and 19-inch alloy wheels.
The two batteries come with different motors: the 42kWh car produces 145bhp, reaches 62mph in 8.8 seconds and has a maximum claimed range of 213 miles. The 61kWh version is slightly more relaxed – probably due to that impressive range figure – and produces 133bhp, taking 9.5 seconds to reach 62mph, or 9.6 seconds in supposedly sportier N Line Evo form.
For a rapid top-up, the 42kWh battery can accept up to 119kW and go from 10 to 80 per cent in a claimed 29 minutes. The 61kWh battery peaks at 110kW and needs a claimed 30 minutes for the same top-up. An 11kW on-board charger is standard for slower AC charging.
Entry-level Advance models still come nicely kitted-out with 16-inch alloy wheels, LED lights, front and rear parking sensors, dual-zone climate control, a reversing camera, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and a 12.9-inch touchscreen. A full set of driver assistance systems is also there, too, covering features such as lane keeping assistance, blind spot collision avoidance and rear cross traffic collision avoidance.
Every Hyundai Ioniq 3 gets an upmarket interior with a decent level of kit (Hyundai)
Moving up to Premium brings 17-inch wheels, privacy glass, battery heating and pre-conditioning, a wireless phone charger and a 9.9-inch digital driver’s display. Ultimate adds 18-inch wheels, matrix LED headlights, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, reclining rear seats and more advanced motorway assistance.
The N Line Evo brings its own bigger bumpers and trim, plus sports seats, a surround-view camera, a blind spot view monitor, remote parking and Memory Reverse Assist. That last feature can be quite handy if you’re not great at reversing. It remembers the final 50 metres of a manoeuvre and will automatically retrace the route in reverse.
The Ioniq 3 is the first Hyundai developed for Europe to use the company’s new Pleos Connect infotainment system, which is based on Android Automotive. Premium and Ultimate models keep the 12.9-inch display, while the N Line Evo gets a larger 14.6-inch screen.
Vehicle-to-Load technology, which lets the car power electrical equipment, and a heat pump are available through the optional EV Pack on the three upper trims. Ultimate and N Line Evo buyers can also add Comfort and Design packs, with equipment including ventilated seats, a Bose sound system, a glass roof and a two-tone finish.
Ashley Andrew, president of Hyundai Motor UK, said, “The response to IONIQ 3 has been extraordinary, with more customers registering their interest before launch than for any new Hyundai we’ve introduced in the UK. Securing the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant across every version means we can now turn that interest into orders at a price that puts a genuinely spacious, long-range electric car within reach of far more drivers. With cars arriving in our retailers this month, we’re expecting its popularity to continue as more potential buyers manage to get behind the wheel.”
Orders are open now, with the first cars due to reach Hyundai retailers later this month.