Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In

FIRST DRIVE Third electric model slots between standard hybrid and full EV.

- Sean Carson

WITH diesel a seemingly dirty word these days, if you’re after an efficient family car, then a plug-in hybrid could be the way to go. They balance a usable range, low CO 2 and good fuel economy, but without the range anxiety of a fully electric car.

Building on the all-electric Ioniq and Ioniq Hybrid, Hyundai has now added this plug-in version to the line-up. This increases the all-electric range of the standard hybrid with a bigger 8.9kWh battery pack, and improves efficiency in the process.

Any hybrid has to be about the numbers, and the Ioniq PHEV’s are fairly impressive. The car is yet to be officially approved for sale, but Hyundai is targeting 257mpg and CO 2 emissions of 26g/km. These figures are impressive, but does the car work in the real world?

A more powerful 60bhp electric motor is paired with the same 104bhp 1.6-litre naturally aspirated petrol unit as in the standard Hybrid. Performance figures are yet to be confirmed, but expect the PHEV to sprint from 0-62mph in just over 10.5 seconds. However, brisk acceleration around town is arguably more important.