Hyundai's first dedicated hybrid and battery electric vehicles were unveiled at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland; they made their U.S. debut in New York. The all-new 2017 Ioniq is aiming squarely at a few different electrified competitors.
Transcript
(car engine starts) Cheap gas and poor sales for fuel efficient cars haven't stopped Hyundai from developing a new lineup that competes with the likes of the Toyota Prius and the Nissan Leaf.
Check out the all new Hyundai Ionic, a car that comes as a regular hybrid, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle or an all electric car. Now because of their inherent aerodynamic advantages, a lot of hybrids tend to have this sort of Toyota Prius-like design. A lot of hybrids have a sort of clipped rear hatchback shape. The Ionic sort of does, but it really marries that was very traditional styling. A good looking car, I got to say, overall, especially in back. Now, a lot of the grays here, they're kind of stacked around in the auto show car, give it kind of a downmarket feel, seems pretty cheap, but actually materials are pretty good, soft where they need to be. And fairly open here just in terms of the overall cabin design. You do get a split rear window, typical of a lot of hybrids that's going on here. Some features you can't get in cars like the rival Toyota Prius, things like dual zone, climate control here, a height adjustable passenger seat. Pretty decent sized backseat here in the Ionic. I'm six feet tall. That's where I would sit to drive. Headroom, a little bit tapered if you lean all the way back, but good leg room here, and a reasonably high seat height. Obviously, a practical advantage of hybrid hatchbacks versus hybrid sedans, for example, you can fold the seat down. Lots of cargo space. Three different drivetrains. What's important here is that the regular hybrid and plug-in both use a six speed dual clutch automatic. Should be a more conventional driving experience than the CVT-type transmissions in other hybrids. Also federal tax credits should be eligible for both the electric and the plugin, thanks to their battery size. Stay tuned for more details. The first of these versions goes on sale close to the end of this year.
