Hyundai IONIQ launch with 3 powertrain options

The new Hyundai will rival popular hybrids such as the Toyota Prius, of which Toyota has sold over 5 million in its various guises since 1997. Hyundai is likely to give the cabin a premium feel to justify the higher price tag typically associated with hybrid and electric vehicles.

According to Hyundai Motor Company officials, the IONIQ will be available with electric, plug-in gasoline/electric hybrid, or gasoline/electric hybrid powertrains.

An all-new platform has been created to fit all three of its powertrain types while delivering responsive handling, the carmaker said.

DON’T MISS: Is Hyundai Ioniq The Name For New Hybrid, Electric Models? It will launch in Korea next month and debut in March at the Geneva and NY auto shows.

Hyundai has already made a significant dent in the dominance of Japanese brands with its accomplished range – and dents in European brands like Ford, VW and Vauxhall too – and now it’s planning to attack the “green” ranges of the competition with a new vehicle – the Hyundai 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”, Hyundai global r&d chief Yang Woong-Chul said in the statement.

The single-motor Hyundai hybrid system represents a different approach than the longstanding Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive, which uses a pair of motors that act as an electric version of a continuously variable transmission (or eCVT). For those on the fence between new and old, the plug-in variant will offer extended electric-only travel while still relying on a gas engine for additional charge or propulsion, depending on how the vehicle is set up.

Hyundai claims offering all three power unit types within a single bodystyle is an industry first, and says the Ioniq is a key part of its ambition to become ‘global green vehicle market leader’. However, if you want to see it for yourself, then you will have to wait for the Geneva Motor Show or the New York Auto Show.

It is reported that the IONIQ will be built with an EV setup, a PHEV setup and a hybrid setup. In 2012, it released the first details on a concept that featured a smaller gasoline engine and an electric motor.