Hyundai Electric Vehicle
A Modern Polliwog
With its blocked-off grille covered in the usual piano-black plastic, a stack of LEDs defining each end of the front bumper cover, and an EV-exclusive taillamp design, the Ioniq Electric is subtle about announcing its ampere dependency. But the rest of the car is conventionally drawn to a fault. It’s a fastback hatch with lines that split the difference between a first-generation Chevy Volt and a second-generation Toyota Prius—a modern polliwog with creases. It’s unlikely to make much of a splash when thrown into the traffic stream.
That conventionality continues inside the Ioniq Electric, where Hyundai will proudly point out what paints were made from soybean oils and which plastics have been mixed with volcanic stone and powdered wood. Hey, many of the soft-touch plastic surfaces contain sugarcane, the same stuff that provides the natural sweetness of Mexican Coca-Cola.
But the interior design itself is straightforward and conventional. No funkytown dial to control the 7.0-inch screen atop the dashboard’s center stack, just good old touch controls. There are some nice metallic accents and the flat-bottom steering wheel is perfectly pleasing to hold, but the best thing about the interior is that there are real controls for most of the things that need controlling. There’s no need to scroll through menus just to tune to NPR or Rush Limbaugh. And since Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are built in, integrating personal electronics is simple.
On the Move
But efficiency is one thing—driving is something else. The Ioniq’s suspension consists of struts up front and a torsion beam in the back, but this simple hardware is almost sublimely supple over most surfaces, and it’s actually fun to dive into the occasional corner. The steering is perfectly weighted and precise, and while the 205/55R-16 Michelin Energy Saver all-season tires aren’t the grippiest, within their modest limits the Ioniq is a sweet-natured handler.
