Hyundai Ioniq 2019 Philippines Review: An environmentally friendlier hybrid to come!

The Ioniq, which is a portmanteau of ion and unique is a front engine, front-wheel drive compact car that first debuted in January 2016 in its home country of South Korea. When it first came out, it is the first car model to both have an all-electric variant and a hybrid variant.

In the United States in the year 2017, the EPA or the United States Environmental Protection Agency gave the Ioniq entire model line the designation of the most efficient vehicle as it only consumes about 1.7 liters per 100 kilometers.

Last year, the Ioniq sold over 106,300 cars around the globe and according to the latest sales figures is on the rise. So aside from being so fuel-efficient, is there more to the Ioniq to make you consider it for your next vehicle?

Of course, there is and we here at Philkotse.com will help you find out more about its features, performance, handling and much other stuff you’d want to know in this 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid review Philippines.

The 2019 Hyundai Ioniq hybrid is the South Korean car manufacturer's answer to the Prius Hybrid.

Now according to most comments on videos featuring the Hyundai Ioniq, people say that the Korean car manufacturer made 2019 Hyundai Ioniq exterior vastly better than the Prius. And that might be the case because upon meeting the Ioniq for the first time, one cannot help but appreciate the sleek, sporty stance that the Korean made hybrid car comes with.

It is significantly lower slung than its competitor and the 2019 version rides on some very interestingly designed 17-inch wheels.

Hyundai Ioniq 2019 review

Up front, the Hyundai Ioniq exterior shares the same the signature grille with other Hyundai vehicles. The grille is then flanked by two modern looking, projector type headlights with integrated signal lights for a seamless look. The one thing that bothered some people with regards to the front of the Ioniq is the small collection of fog lights that reminded some people of Christmas lights.

Otherwise though, they function well and do provide additional lighting when it is needed. The 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid also comes with daytime running lamps, stop lamps mounted high on the rear spoiler, and side mirrors with side repeaters.

The front of the Hyundai Ioniq has the signature Hyundai Grille and sporty looking headlights

If viewed from the side, one can appreciate the graceful, dominant character line that runs from the top of the front fender flares towards the edge of the rear lights. The sleek, sloping angle which the roof of the vehicle is also appreciated by many as it gives the Ioniq a sportier stance. This sleek shape also contributes greatly to lower the Ioniq’s drag coefficient down to 0.24 which helps reduce fuel consumption.

Overall, Hyundai Ioniq is about 1820 mm wide, 4470 mm long and 1,460 mm high and weight is further reduced in the current version hybrid by using high strength steel for the structure of the car itself and aluminum for other parts aside from the structure.

The rear of the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is a liftback as such its trunk doors open quite wide

Inside the 2019 Hyundai Ioniq interior, you immediately notice that the dashboard and other surfaces of the car like the interior door panels are covered in a soft, textured material and you get none of that clunky sound you typically get when tapping the interior parts of a more affordable vehicle.

As such, there is a premium feel to the Ioniq that can be enjoyed by all of its five passengers. The interior is also devoid of clutter and everything is arranged with ergonomics in mind.

The Ioniq's driver's cabin is comfortable and loaded with features

As for the seats, they might not be covered in leather but what makes up for this is the seats can be adjusted electronically eliminating the need for that usual budging and moving about.

The dashboard of the Hyundai Ioniq interior has many of the modern accouterments one would expect from a modern vehicle like a nav-ready touchscreen infotainment display which does not interfere with the driving experience at all, numerous charging ports with a USB port and an aux jack, and of course dual climate control.

The rear seats are comfortable but taller people might have a problem with head-space

The Ioniq uses a foot pedal for its parking brake which is more common with cars from brands like Mercedes Benz and of course with the Ioniq’s rival the Prius. As such, some people might not be used to this but it is easy to use. One press is used in the park and while another press you are ready to go.

At the back, there is decent leg-room but headroom might be an issue for taller drivers. Regardless, the interior of the Ioniq is cozy and will keep you comfortable both for short city drives and for long distance journeys.

The piece de resistance of the Ioniq is its very economical hybrid engine. From a stop, the Ioniq starts out using only its electric motor. Give it a little gas and then you can hear the 1.6-liter GDI four-cylinder Kappa engine with the Atkinson Cycle do its job.

Aside from that, the Hyundai Ioniq 2019 also has regenerative braking which means that it can recovery energy by converting kinetic energy to electricity to be stored in its lithium-ion polymer battery which has a capacity of 28kWh and a power output of 98kW.

One can easily see the electric components of the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid from its engine bay

As for the combustion part of the Ioniq’s engine, the 1.6-liter gasoline inline-4 can make up to 104 horsepower and a maximum torque of 147 Nm. Coupled with the hybrid motor, the Ioniq gives decent power which is sent to the front wheels by its excellently responsive 6-speed automatic transmission which you can manipulate in a “semi-automatic” capacity if you want to.

The default setting of fully automatic however does its job pretty well. This differentiates the Ioniq Hybrid with other hybrids vehicles available in the market today as most use CVT which are known to be slow to accelerate.

On average, the Ioniq hybrid can get you an impressive 25 km/L in city driving and vastly more when driving on the highway. While on an all-electric mode, the Ioniq’s batteries can take the vehicle up to a range of 50 kilometers.

Being as light as it is, the Ioniq accelerates fast. Even more than the Toyota Prius. This is due in part to its proper automatic gearbox. In comparison, the Prius has a CVT which some people do not like. As such, the Ioniq is successful in making the driver feel as if he/she is driving a normal vehicle.

With the 1.6-liter gasoline engine and the electric motor, the Ioniq produces a net horsepower of 136 which is actually more than what the Prius makes, therefore it does make the hybrid vehicles more capable in overtaking. At times, it even feels sprightly. As for handling, the Ioniq does well in corners and the steering is light. 

Thanks to the CVT, Ioniq is successful in making the driver feel as if he/she is driving a normal vehicle

One nitpicky thing that we just have to say however is that like any hybrid, road noise from the tires can be a little audible from inside that cabin. That is not a deal breaker at all and the Ioniq, in general, is comfortable and quite easy to drive.

Suspension on the Ioniq Hybrid is handled by a MacPherson strut up front and a multi-link suspension at the rear with coil spring shock absorbers. These two function well giving the Ioniq a smooth ride even on large speed bumps.

>>> Widen your choice with our Cars for sale section.

Aside from its fuel efficiency, the Ioniq Hybrid’s primary draw is it does not look or feel like a hybrid at all. This is mainly due to its dual clutch automatic transmission which in sport mode can actually make the car quite fun to drive.

The point that’ve we’ve mentioned earlier about the rear seats can be a point of contention for some of you who need to transport people from time to time as such the Ioniq might be more suitable for someone with less taller teenage children or even smaller tykes. The overall ride however of the Ioniq Hybrid is excellent for your daily drive especially in traffic.

Here is how the Ioniq Hybrid's airbags would deploy in the event of a crash

It also looks better than said competitor and is faster to boot. As such, it is definitely worth every single peso especially if you’re in the market for a more environmentally friendlier and more efficient daily driver, you might want to consider the Ioniq Hybrid. Plus it looks sportier and is even faster than the more expensive Prius.