Hyundai Ioniq Electric (2016 – 2022) Review

The Ioniq name is now synonymous with more exotic electric offerings such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Hyundai Ioniq 6, but back in 2016 the name first appeared as a stepping stone into alternative power. Initially offered with a choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric powertrains, the car was designed to suit anyone and everyone, and take on established rivals such as the Toyota Prius hybrid and all-electric Nissan Leaf. Read on for our full Hyundai Ioniq Electric review.

At launch, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric was offered with a 28kWh battery, which gave an official range of 174 miles on the old NEDC test.

However, in 2019 this was upgraded with a more substantial 38.3kWh battery. Although the official range was only 182 miles, this was achieved under the more strict WLTP regulations, so real-world range improved compared with the earlier version.

Post-2019 variants of the Hyundai Ioniq Electric also benefited from a greater power output of 136PS. Torque was increased, too, with 395Nm up from 295Nm, improving overall performance.

Helpfully, the on-board charging system was also upgraded from 6.6kWh to 7.2kWh for faster charging speeds.

The driving experience is typical of an electric car from this era – low noise and low effort, with usefully rapid acceleration.

However, the modest 0-62mph time of 9.9 seconds shows that it is at its best at urban speeds, and is not as quick as some newer EVs at motorway speeds.

The handling and ride are better suited to lower speeds, too, with the extra weight of the Hyundai Ioniq Electric felt through corners. There is more body roll than in the hybrid versions.

However, the upside is that the relatively soft suspension means it is good at dealing with imperfect surfaces, with only the most significant bumps felt inside the cabin.

In contrast to some of the more outlandish EV designs out on the road, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric errs on the more conservative side.

It’s not an unattractive design, but other than the blanked-out front grille, it doesn’t really provide many clues that it is an EV. For some buyers, that will be an appealing factor.

Inside, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric offers a sensible layout that is not without some design flair, although the later versions from 2019 onwards are better in this respect.

Unlike the more unusual Toyota Prius dashboard, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric has a conventional layout with a central touchscreen, and all the controls are where you would expect to find them.

In quality terms, it is also impressive, with few hard surfaces and an overall sense of robustness.

Interior space is also good in general, although it is worth bearing in mind that the Hyundai Ioniq Electric has slightly less boot space than the hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions.

Additionally, the shape of the roofline means that headroom in the rear is slightly reduced, which may be an issue if carrying adults in the rear is a regular occurrence.

Overall, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric offers a non-threatening and easy-to-use EV experience, which for many buyers is exactly what is required.

The driving experience is far from thrilling, but with Hyundai’s good reputation for reliability, it should provide a satisfying car to own.

Those in the front get the best deal, with both driver and passenger able to stretch out thanks to a good range of seat adjustment and useful headroom and legroom.

In the rear, legroom is up there with the class average, but the slope of the roofline into the tailgate means that headroom is compromised, and adults above average height will likely find it too uncomfortable for longer journeys.

The roofline can also make it a little difficult fitting child seats into the rear, although this won’t be an issue unless swapping seats in and out is a regular occurrence.

Boot space is a modest 357 litres when compared with the hybrid version, which offers 443 litres.

The same compromise is evident if you fold the rear seats, with 1417 litres available compared with 1505 for the hybrid.

The South Korean brand has come a long way from the days when it offered cheap-feeling interiors, and the Hyundai Ioniq Electric shows the kind of standard you can expect.

The vast majority of the materials within the cabin are soft to the touch, and there’s an appealing mix of colours and textures that make for a pleasant cabin.

There are some harder plastics, but most of these are hidden away low on the dashboard, where they are unlikely to be seen very often.

Later cars are better in this respect too, with a more attractive design to the interior and an improvement in quality, although the earlier variants are far from poor.

The firm has also earned itself a good reputation for quality, and the Hyundai Ioniq Electric feels well constructed and likely to last many years.

Early versions of the Hyundai Ioniq Electric were fitted with a five-inch touchscreen and Bluetooth on entry-level SE models, while Premium cars gained a larger eight-inch screen.

This included built-in navigation as well as Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and as well as the enhanced functionality, the increased size makes it much easier to use.

Better yet are the facelifted versions from 2019 onwards, which received an eight-inch touchscreen on SE Connect models.

This system has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as Bluetooth, USB and DAB radio, as standard.

Models above SE Connect receive a 10.25-inch touchscreen alongside a seven-inch digital instrument display, as well as Hyundai’s connected services system called Bluelink and an upgraded Infinity Sound System.

This set-up offers the best performance and functionality, although one downside is that the heating and ventilation controls are moved into the screen, making it harder to make small adjustments on the move.

Even so, the screen itself operates well, with a clear display, easy-to-navigate menus and shortcut buttons across the bottom, making it straightforward to flick between functions.

The Hyundai Ioniq Electric went off sale in 2023. However, a quick online search revealed a few examples registered in 2023 that were either very low-mileage, pre-registered or ex-demonstrator.

Examples such as this are priced around £23,000, which is a substantial saving over the new price of £32,000 for the Premium model.

At the other end of the price scale, we found the cheapest examples around the £10,000 mark.

These are likely to be pre-facelift versions with higher mileages, although we did see one car with a modest 65,000 miles for just under £10,000.

As a pure EV, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric represents a low-cost route into motoring, assuming a reasonable electricity tariff is available.

It takes one hour to get to an 80% charge on a fast public charger, and investing in a home charger would make sense in order to benefit from a six-hour recharge time, compared with almost 20 hours from a three-pin socket.

Better still, with far fewer mechanical parts than the hybrid versions, servicing costs will be lower.

Insurance costs are a little higher though, as it falls into group 21-22 against 12 or below for the hybrid models.

The company makes no claims about the Hyundai Ioniq Electric being anything other than safe and comfortable electrified transport, so it is no surprise that the driving experience is undemanding and easy to get used to.

The suspension is on the soft side and that makes it an excellent companion in town driving, where surfaces are usually at their worst.

The majority of imperfections are filtered out with little fuss, and combined with the quietness of the powertrain, it makes the Hyundai Ioniq Electric an excellent vehicle for urban journeys.

On occasion, larger bumps can cause some disturbance in the cabin, but for the most part it is composed and comfortable for all occupants.

The steering is accurate, too, which makes it easy to pilot regardless of the road or the speed. Although there is not a huge amount of feel in most situations, the steering is more than adequate.

Increasing the speed or tackling a twisty road with more vigour takes the Hyundai Ioniq Electric out of its comfort zone.

It never feels anything other than safe and relaxed, but get too enthusiastic and the extra weight of the electrified version starts to make itself felt, and the suspension becomes more unsettled.

Body roll is also more pronounced, and while it never gets unruly, it also feels like the Hyundai Ioniq Electric is gently discouraging of this kind of driving.

From launch, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric was fitted with a 28kWh battery, which was enough to give it a range of 174 miles using the old NEDC test.

In the real world, this meant a usable range of slightly over 100 miles depending on conditions.

Facelifted cars from 2019 onwards get a usefully bigger 38.3kWh battery pack, and although this is still modest by today’s standards, it means an official range of 182 miles under the tougher WLTP test. This improved the usable range significantly.

Similarly, early versions of the Hyundai Ioniq Electric offered 118PS, which meant a 0-62mph time of 10.2 seconds, while facelifted variants benefit from a power increase to 134PS, cutting the acceleration time to 9.7 seconds.

In truth, there is not a huge difference between the two out on the road, but the additional range from the larger battery pack makes the later cars the better option if you have the choice.

Acceleration is usefully brisk up to around 30mph, but beyond this tails off a little. With a top speed of 96mph for the facelifited version, it is a car that is definitely happier in the city or on dual carriageways.

It can cope with motorway journeys, but it is best kept close to the speed limit rather than duking it out in lane three.

In other respects, it delivers a typical EV experience, with little noise and smooth performance.

The Hyundai Ioniq Electric received a five-star score from Euro NCAP when it was tested in 2016.

All versions were fitted with ESP and traction control, automatic emergency braking and a driver attention system that sounds a warning if it detects signs of tiredness or inattention.

Front, side, curtain airbags and a driver’s knee airbag are fitted, as well as tyre pressure monitoring. Premium SE models and above also gain blind spot detection, active cruise control and rear cross traffic assist.

Because the Hyundai Ioniq Electric is a slightly older generation EV, it offers a modest towing capacity of 750kg for a braked trailer.

If you are serious about towing with an EV, then it is worth looking at something newer.

Hyundai Ioniq Electric Premium versions are fitted with LED headlights and daytime running lights, automatic headlights with high beam assist, rear parking sensors and cruise control.

There’s also autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning with lane assist, driver attention alert, a 10.25-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, rear view camera, keyless entry and star and heated front seats

Hyundai Ioniq Electric Premium SE comes with all of the above plus ventilated and heated front seats, outer rear heated seats, automatic wipers, blind spot detection, lane follow assist and rear cross traffic alert