Hyundai will be releasing all 3 variants of the new IONIQ hatchback platform — a hybrid, an all-electric, and a plug-in hybrid — in the US market, according to recent reports. It’s not clear how widespread availability will be in the US yet, though, with regional differences in availability being likely.
An interview with Hyundai’s US CEO Dave Zuchowski (via Ward’s Auto) suggests that all 50 states will sell the 3 variants, but that there will be variations in dealership availability — so even if your local dealership doesn’t have the version you want, it still shouldn’t be too much trouble to get it.
The interview with Zuchowski noted though that a customer who orders a 2017 Hyundai IONIQ will get it regardless of where they’re located but that “some dealers may not carry them as a matter of course but we’ll work through that.”
Green Car Reports provides more:
The hybrid will likely go on sale first, followed by the electric Ioniq. The plug-in hybrid will be the last of the three to hit showrooms. All three models will share the same body structure and platform — which is understood to be related to that of the 2017 Elantra compact.
The hybrid model uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine mated to a six-speed dual-clutch transmission, teamed with a single electric motor and a lithium-ion battery pack of unspecified size. Fuel-economy figures won’t be available until closer to the IONIQ’s US launch, but Hyundai says the hybrid can operate on electric power at speeds up to 75 mph.
The plug-in hybrid could use a similar powertrain, but with a more powerful electric motor and larger battery pack, as in the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid duo.
The IONIQ Hybrid variant will go on sale in South Korea this month, with releases elsewhere set to follow later this year. The Hybrid version is reported to be set to sell for ~$19,000 to ~$23,000 in South Korea. Pricing information for other markets has yet to be revealed.
I’d say this is stretching it …. “the hybrid can operate on electric power at speeds up to 75 mph.”
Time will tell, but the electric motor seems to be 32kW only. Fine for city driving, and cruise control at moderate speed, but I have my doubts about how much it could accelerate.
At 55 MPH, SparkEV uses 11kW, so 70 MPH with 32kW is probably doable on flat road. But I hate hybrid; BEV all the way!