The company has yet to release full details and images of the car, but says that the Ioniq is built on a new chassis that has been specifically designed to carry three new ultra-low emission powertrains it has designed. The car is built using a combination of 53% high-strength steel and lightweight aluminum.
The full Ioniq range will feature a choice of electric, plug-in hybrid and hybrid powertrains, which Hyundai says is a world first for a single model.
The car will launch with the hybrid version, which will use a 1.6-liter Kappa GDi engine developed exclusively for the company’s hybrid setups. In line with the Toyota Prius, Hyundai claims a world leading 40% thermal efficiency from its first Atkinson cycle unit.
The IC engine and permanent magnet electric motor produce maximum outputs of 105ps and 47ps respectively.
The engine’s efficiency is partly thanks to the 200-bar high-pressure six-hole direct fuel injector, split-block engine cooling and EGR system, while the lithium ion polymer battery, placed ahead of the rear wheels for a lower center of gravity, has been designed for optimized charge and discharge performance.
The head of Hyundai Motor’s R&D center, Woong-Chul Yang, said, “Hyundai Motor has a heritage of building innovative, fuel-efficient vehicles, so we are proud to advance our eco-friendly car line-up with the introduction of IONIQ. Our vision for future mobility focuses on choice, with a variety of powertrain options to suit customers’ varied lifestyles, without compromising on design or driving enjoyment.”
The Ioniq will go on sale in Korea later this year before spreading to worldwide markets.
January 11, 2016