Australia will have to wait until the first half of next year to see the new Hyundai Ioniq 3 small hatchback, but pricing and specifications have just been announced for the UK market.
As such, it finally gives us a good indicator as to what we will see here, albeit in a slightly trimmed-down line-up. Australia rarely sees the full gamut of versions seen in larger markets.
On the road pricing there starts at £22,245 $A42,400) which includes their 20% VAT. With our GST at 10%, we may very well see here a starting price just under the magic $40,000 mark.
So what is the Ioniq 3, and why should it matter here? First-up, there is a real shortage of small passenger car options here. Thus far, the manufacturers have persisted in offering Australians a multitude of medium to large SUVs and utes. This means if you want particular features or styles, there are only two segments that offer choice.
Secondly, virtually all the small passenger cars here look like scaled-down SUVs (think Cupra Born, BYD’s Dolphin and Atto 2, Smart’s #1 and #3, Geely EX2, MG4 and … er, I think that’s about it!). On top of that, if you wanted ‘something not Chinese’, well, the Cupra Born is virtually the only option in the middling small car category, and it’s priced in the $60k range.
Given the limited choices of small passenger car/hatchback (let alone something that looks like one and not like a scaled-down SUV), it will be interesting to see if the multitude of queries I get about the category translates into sales. Based on the newly released UK specs of Hyundai’s Ioniq 3, it deserves a good hard look from what appears to be a multitude of frustrated buyers for this segment.
So back to why the Ioniq 3 could become a game-changer. In N-line guise with a red exterior and its iconic black interior, it has an almost 1970s retro style about it. With a low, curving bonnet and raked rear roofline, it certainly makes a ‘sight for sore eyes’ amongst the large boxy SUV we see crowding out our roads these days.
The interior also contains the combination that many buyers are now calling for. Instead of the minimalist (and arguably unsafe) aesthetic of barely a control to be seen (or felt), the Ioniq 3 includes a screen in front of the driver, an array of buttons and stalks for the basic functions as well as a sizeable centre infotainment screen for maps etc.
It also isn’t a purely city car. Most versions come with the 61 kWh battery, giving a WLTP driving range of 483 km. As such, it would work well as an occasional regional or interstate tripper with two or three people.
Also, at 4.15 m long, it isn’t tiny (unlike a Hyundai Inster or Honda Super-ONE). Boot space is 441 litres, expanding to 1,213 litres with the rear seats down.
Along with a tow rating of 750 kg, options for an interior V2L socket and V2X – it would seem the new Ioniq 3 would make it the almost perfect all-rounder car for couples or small families.
Now all we have to do is wait till it arrives next year…
Ioniq 3 UK pricing and variants:
Ioniq 3 UK version specifications:
Ioniq 3 UK technical specs:
