Hyundai’s new sub-brand Ioniq is on target to launch in Australia next year with an all-electric SUV.
Hyundai has launched a new Ioniq electric vehicle sub-brand as it gears up to unveil three new significant EVs in the next four years.
Sharing a name with Hyundai’s electrified Ioniq hatchback already on sale here, the new sub-brand will use numerals to identify models in its range, similar to Volkswagen’s ID line-up. Odd numbers will be used for SUVs and even numbers for sedans and other models.
The first production model to adopt the moniker will be the 2021 Ioniq 5, a compact crossover based on the radical 45 concept from last year’s Frankfurt motor show. It will be followed in 2022 by the Ioniq 6 electric sports sedan, which will take cues from the low-slung Prophecy concept. A large, as-yet unseen SUV called the Ioniq 7 will land in 2024.
The final production designs of all three remain under wraps. However, Hyundai has previously said it plans for each to have a distinctive and different design, but they will all feature pixel headlights, as seen on the 45 and Prophecy concepts.
Each will sit atop the brand’s all-new Electric Global Modular Platform, which is said to be capable of fast charging and long-range capacity. With a long wheelbase and a flat floor, it also allows for each model to have a spacious interior, which, Hyundai says, will be modelled on “smart living rooms”.
The brand also says all Ioniq-branded models will offer enhanced connectivity features “to integrate in-car and out-of-car experiences for a seamless journey”.
The Hyundai Ioniq will not form part of the new model range, suggesting it will either be renamed or replaced entirely.
By 2025, Hyundai intends to launch 16 new EVs to increase its annual EV sales to more than half a million – the equivalent of just over 10 per cent of its total sales in 2019. As a whole, the Hyundai Motor Group is aiming to achieve a 5 per cent global automotive market share and transition to a ‘smart mobility solution provider’, rather than purely a car manufacturer.
Hyundai Australia is yet to make a formal announcement on Ioniq’s launch in Australia, though it is expected that the brand and all three new models will be available alongside conventional Hyundai models on showroom floors.
Felix Page