2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid review: Practical efficiency

The Hyundai Ioniq is special in that it is one particular of the number of vehicles available as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid or totally electric design. Initially introduced in 2016, this year’s Ioniq has up to date styling and technological innovation, and starts off at $24,195 together with place. It is really a lot frugal, but will not expect far too quite a few thrills. This is one particular hybrid that certainly prioritizes overall economy and ease and comfort over any form of fun.

For this critique, I have the regular Ioniq Hybrid in its variety-topping Restricted trim, which has an amazing EPA fuel overall economy score of fifty five miles for every gallon put together. SE, SEL and a greater-effectiveness Blue design are also available, the previous of which ups the fuel overall economy score to 58 mpg.

The Ioniq’s styling tweaks work well, with a new mesh grille, smooth headlamps and up to date LED rear lights — tweaks that arrived for the 2020 design yr. It isn’t going to scream, “Hey, I’m a hybrid!” like a Toyota Prius, and I like that. But it however has a bit of design that sets it apart from a Honda Insight or Toyota Corolla Hybrid.

The Ioniq Hybrid is powered by a one.six-liter 4-cylinder engine and a 32-kilowatt electric motor, with a one.six-kWh lithium-ion battery positioned under the rear seats. Whole method output is 139 horsepower and 195 pound-toes of torque, mated to a six-velocity dual-clutch computerized transmission.

The good information is that the DCT will make for a substantially a lot more pleasurable driving experience than the continuously variable transmissions uncovered in most other compact hybrids. The poor information, if you basically like driving, is that it is also tuned for fuel overall economy earlier mentioned all, which means it tends to upshift in advance of basically having into the heart of the power band. Sport mode aids matters a very little, but for people new to hybrids, the Ioniq’s lackluster acceleration may well be a deal-breaker.

On the quite a few hills the place I are living in the Bay Region, the Ioniq tends to wrestle in its Eco driving mode. It is really normally uncertain no matter whether to shift and save on fuel or to continue to keep the revs high and make it up a steep hill at a acceptable velocity. In Eco mode, the steering wheel-mounted paddles permit me regulate the regenerative braking, so at minimum I’m equipped to recuperate a good deal of vitality on downhill slopes. When it is time to dig into the mechanical brakes, having said that, they are jerky and rough.

As for managing, well, certainly, it handles. The Ioniq feels floaty over rough pavement, but if you are very seriously considering a compact hybrid I question its lackluster highway manners will definitely be a prime priority. Instead, you most likely treatment a lot more about driving aids, and to that conclusion, forward-collision warning, a driver attention check, lane-trying to keep guide and high-beam guide are regular, but you have to bounce to the SE to get blind-place monitoring and to the SEL to increase adaptive cruise manage. The great Highway Travel Support, that aids drivers by combining the lane-trying to keep tech and adaptive cruise manage, is only available on the prime Restricted trim.

A regular 8-inch touchscreen operates Hyundai’s BlueLink infotainment method as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Vehicle, but my tester rocks the bigger 10.two-inch monitor. With this alternative I can connect two phones by means of Bluetooth at the same time, which is great if you want to have one particular person connected for cellular phone phone calls and a further to participate in DJ on highway journeys.

In general, Hyundai’s infotainment method is easy to use, even though I will not like that I always have to go again to the residence page to toggle between the indigenous method and Apple CarPlay. The voice manage looks to be a very little iffy, far too, never knowledge my residence handle in Oakland, California. It attempts to send out me to Texas at one particular position, Nevada the subsequent. Wi-fi charging is available on upper trim stages, as are two 12-volt stores, a USB-A port up front and a further one particular in the middle console.

Black is the only interior coloration available on the Hybrid Restricted, and although it is far too dark for me, some others may well not head so substantially. You can find a flat-bottomed steering wheel, far too, which I guess is nice? But in any case, the cabin components are all of good high-quality considering the Ioniq’s cost, and I never hear any squeaks or rattles. Heated front seats are available commencing at the SE trim, but ventilated seats aren’t on the menu.

The Ioniq Hybrid has 26.5 cubic toes of house in its rear hatch, handily beating out the competition’s sedan overall body models. The Toyota Corolla’s trunk can only manage thirteen.one cubes, although the Honda Insight does a little bit much better with 15.one. However, you can come across a bit a lot more place in the Toyota Prius’ hatch: 27.four. That’s for the Prius L Eco, at minimum observe that other Prius trims have a bit much less place (24.six cubic toes), so the Ioniq bests ’em.

Individually, I might suggest heading for the SEL trim, which will come in at $29,395 together with $995 for place. There are no selections to increase but the SEL will come with heated seats, wi-fi charging, adaptive cruise manage and a lot more. It does not appear with front and rear parking sensors, but considering my Restricted tester’s sensors are tremendous sensitive and the Ioniq is a little auto with good outward visibility, I will not assume you would definitely have to have them.

Clearly the Ioniq’s biggest competitor is the Toyota Prius, and it has one particular significant edge: available all-wheel generate. No, the AWD Prius isn’t really really as economical, coming in at 49 mpg put together, but it is a little bit less costly than the aforementioned Ioniq SEL and should really manage substantially much better in snowy weather conditions. If cost is your most significant thing to consider, look at the Honda Insight, which starts off at $23,925 together with place, beating out the Ioniq and Toyota Corolla Hybrid by a number of hundred bucks.

The 2020 Hyundai Ioniq hybrid is a good option for folks who want great fuel overall economy at an economical cost. The driving experience may possibly not be the most engaging, but what it lacks in involvement it a lot more than will make up for in effectiveness.