With the Ioniq, Hyundai took a different approach to electrification compared to other automakers. Beyond its eco-friendly accolades, the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety discovered that the Ioniq Hybrid is as safe as a vehicle in this segment can get. Be that as it may, the Toyota Prius edges ahead of Hyundai’s Ioniq thanks to the “good” rating for child seat anchors ease of use.
By comparison, the hybrid variant of the Ioniq settles for an “acceptable” rating in this department. The South Korean model and the Prius are evenly matched in the headlight performance department, with both hybrid vehicles rated “acceptable” by the experts at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
The Ioniq and its arch-nemesis performed similarly in the crash avoidance and mitigation test (“superior”), as well as in all crashworthiness tests. With “good” ratings across the board (driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength, head restraints & seats), it’s no wonder Hyundai and Toyota are entitled to brag as much and as loud as they care for.
“The 2017 Ioniq Hybrid's high-intensity discharge (HID) headlights, which come with the Limited trim on vehicles built after May 2017, earn an acceptable rating,” notes the IIHS. “Most of the other headlight variants earn a poor rating,” adds the Institute, though the curve-adaptive HID lights offered in the U.S. after May 2017 have yet to be tested by the nonprofit organization.
Joining the ranks of the 2018 Elantra GT and 2018 Santa Fe Sport, the Ioniq Hybrid is the seventh Hyundai to qualify for the 2017 Top Safety Pick+ award. Manufactured in Ulsan, South Korea, the Ioniq starts at $22,200 for the hybrid powertrain. The Ioniq Electric is $29,500 and is EPA-rated 124 miles of range.
The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid has yet to go on sale in the United States of America. The third member of the Ioniq family will arrive at dealership this winter for the 2018 model year, and it’s expected to retail at no more than $27,000.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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