Hyundai Details the Upcoming Ioniq Hybrid

The Ioniq is just one of the hotly anticipated green cars rolling out early in 2016. In the months leading up to its debut, Hyundai has been teasing us with sketches and small details about this new model Today, a bit of the veil is lifted from the Ioniq lineup, as Hyundai has revealed construction and powertrain details on the hybrid version of its newest green car.

The first stage in reducing fuel consumption is to make a car as light as possible. The Hyundai Ioniq achieves this by using 53 percent advanced high-strength steel and aluminum. Hyundai uses the latter to create non-structural body panels, like the hood and rear hatch, saving 12.6 kg (27.8 pounds), and various suspension components, including the front lower control arms, the front wheel knuckles, and the rear wheel carriers.

Also revealed today is the hybrid model’s powertrain. Hyundai will install the 1.6-liter Kappa GDi four-cylinder under the hood of the Ioniq Hybrid and combine it with a permanent-magnet electric motor. Respectively, these two units produce 105 PS (104 horsepower) and 108 pound-feet of torque, and 47 PS (46 horsepower) and 125 pound-feet of torque. Given this is a traditional hybrid, it is unlikely that we can simply combine the two outputs to get the total system output of the Ioniq, so we’ll have to wait for Hyundai to officially confirm total output.

This hybrid powertrain will mate to an exclusive six-speed dual-clutch transmission. This transmission is super-efficient at 95.7 percent, so there should be minimal power loss through the drivetrain, leading to a peppier feel and decreased fuel consumption.

Along with these details come the first real-life images of the Ioniq, and I am still impressed. The body is sleek and aerodynamic, but not crazy over-styled. I could do without the funky black plastic insert on the rear bumper, but that is a mild complaint. Inside, the Ioniq Hybrid looks more premium than I ever expected, and it does a great job of avoiding the sea-of-black look with its splashes of blue here and there. I will reserve my final judgement until I see it in person, but it looks good so far.

The hybrid version of the Ioniq will be the first to hit showrooms, hence its earlier debut. We will learn more about the plug-in hybrid model and the full-electric version as those models get closer to their release. Stay tuned for more details.