---
title: "New Hyundai Ioniq to Debut as EV, Hybrid, and Plug-In Hybrid"
description: "A first peek at the first car available in all three major alternative-propulsion flavors."
date: "2015-12-08"
modified: "2015-12-08"
authors:
  - name: "Brendan McAleer"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/brendan-mcaleer"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/1183/new-hyundai-ioniq-to-debut-as-ev-hybrid-and-plug-in-hybrid"
categories:
  - "Car Tech"
  - "Electric Vehicles"
  - "Hyundai News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Electric Vehicle"
  - "hybrid"
  - "Hyundai"
---

# New Hyundai Ioniq to Debut as EV, Hybrid, and Plug-In Hybrid

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/archive-images/120815_hyundaiooniq_hero.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com\</em\>*

The Toyota Prius is not often thought of as a juggernaut. A taxicab, a commuter, an appliance: It's hard for our breed to get excited about that sort of thing. Still, Toyota's sold three million examples of its eco-conscious pods, and the Prius continues to grind all competitors into the dirt. But here comes Hyundai. The Koreans have teased an image of their new Ioniq platform, a triple-header available in EV, hybrid, or plug-in spec, designed to take the fight directly to the everyone’s favorite eco-friendly Toyota. The Ioniq is set to debut in Korea next month, then at the Geneva and New York Motor shows next year.

Details? There aren't any. [Hyundai](<https://www.thedrive.com/?s=hyundai>) merely indicates a silhouette for its new green machine, noting that it’ll be first-to-market with a vehicle that offers all three alternative powertrains. Short commute? Plug in your Ioniq and run on pure electrons. Need longer legs and leave your rig outdoors? Go for the gasoline-powered hybrid.

Hyundai also claims that the Ioniq will offer sportier handling than the Prius (there's a limbo-low bar to vault over), and handsome styling. This latter may be the true differentiator: If Hyundai can put a handsome face to matching, or exceeding, the Prius' range, this could be a game-changer. Because Toyota's styling department is lost in the woods: the facelifted Prius is bizarre, and the [Mirai](<https://www.thedrive.com/tech/577/what-its-like-to-drink-tailpipe-water-from-a-fuel-cell-car>) and just-announced FT-Bh concept look like the kind of catfish downstream of Mr. Burns' powerplant.

That said, the marketability of a new hybrid is a toss-up at the moment. On the one hand, fuel is cheap, leading to a resurgence for trucks and bigger displacement engines; on the other, [Beijing just went code red](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/1151/beijing-has-issued-its-first-smog-red-alert>) on air pollution. The Ioniq will face a mighty competitor in the Prius. But it's bigger challenge might be timing.

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