Hyundai has been preparing its own standalone hybrid model to rival the Toyota Prius for some time now, with plans dating back to 2010. The new car – the Hyundai Ioniq, seen here out in the open without any camouflage for the first time – is set to make its debut in early 2016 in its home market of Korea, before being showcased at the Geneva motor show in March.
Built on an all-new platform, Hyundai’s upcoming standalone hybrid model will be offered with a choice of three powertrains – hybrid, plug-in hybrid and all-electric (EV). As can be seen in the photos, the car gets a large hexagonal chrome grille flanked on either side by sleek looking angular headlamps. The front bumper gets prominent metallic inserts that feature LED lights along the inner edge. From the flanks, the car’s silhouette is similar to that of the Toyota Prius, with a tall beltline and a high-set liftback boot. There is chrome detailing along the window line, trim inserts just below the doors and a prominent crease extending from the front wheel-arch to the tail-lamps to add more character to the tall profile. The rear of the car, with its slim tail-lamps and blacked out sections in the boot and bumper, appears a lot wider than it actually is, although visibility out of the slot-like rear window is unlikely to be any good.
Under the hood, the Hyundai Ioniq is expected to draw power either from a combination of a 1.6-litre petrol motor and an electric motor in its hybrid and plug-in hybrid guises, and there could also be an pure-electric EV version as well.