MIAS 2019: The Hyundai Ioniq Electric debuts in the Philippines

At the 2019 Manila International Auto Show, we all know that many manufacturers indeed made huge waves by showcasing a number of very interesting and very exciting vehicles.

And one such manufacturer is Hyundai and indeed for this year’s MIAS, the Korean company has made large strides by introducing the Kona Electric crossover and the Palisade SUV. But of course, they didn’t stop there.

Hyundai Asia Resources, Inc or HARI for short announced at the MIAS 2019 that they were planning to introduce to the Philippine market the Hyundai Ioniq 2019 (a portmanteau of ion and unique); an entirely electric powered compact, five-door liftback.

That makes sense for us here in Philkotse.com because we get it that not everyone is into crossovers and as such Hyundai has given the consumer another option for an electric vehicle.

Behold! The Hyundai Ioniq electric!

First off, let’s talk about the cream on top; the Hyundai Ioniq’s electric motor which is rated to make about 118 horsepower and 295 nm of torque. The latter of which is impressive considering the Ioniq’s size.

Its batteries are 8.9 kWh lithium-ion which are capable of giving the Ioniq a range of 200 kilometers. The said batteries can be charged from two ports, one located on the vehicle’s front and one on the rear fenders.

People are curious as to what's inside the Hyundai Ioniq's engine bay

As to its exterior looks, the fully electric Ioniq differs from other Hyundai models as it does not sport the usual signature Hyundai grille. What it has instead is that typical seamless, closed-off design that you can find in many electric vehicles today like the Tesla Model 3.

Hyundai Ioniq electric engine

The aforementioned is also the only visible difference that the all-electric Ioniq has in comparison with its hybrid brother which was released last year. That being said, the new Ioniq sports the same character lines and it even has similar wheels which somehow remind us of the fan blades of a turbocharger.

>>> Also check out: MIAS 2019: Hyundai rocks on with Kona Electric, Palisade 2019 & more

All in all, the Ioniq is a conservative looking vehicle in today’s standards apart from the lack of a grille, other than that…it looks great.

The Ioniq is a conservative looking car for this day and age. That does not stop it from looking good

Inside the Ioniq’s interior, what one might immediately notice right off the bat is the lack of a gear shifter which the hybrid had. What we get with the all-electric Ioniq instead are a couple of buttons for gear changing which might take getting used to.

This gives the Ioniq’s center console a flatter profile which to some others will take getting used to. Apart from that, changes with regards to the touchscreen, ac, the materials for the dash, the steering wheel, the seats, and cargo space remain virtually the same; comfortable and made more so because the fully electric Ioniq will definitely make less running sound than the hybrid version.

Another shot of the Ioniq's rear end. Not much has changed from the previous hybrid model

In terms of pricing, the Hyundai Ioniq Electric is priced at Php 1,868,000 while the hybrid version comes at about Php 1,548,000.

>>> Kindly refer to our Hyundai Philippines price list to keep updated the latest changes.  

All in all, Hyundai is shaping up to be a major player in providing electric vehicles for the Philippine market. And earlier in the game to compared to other major manufacturers who have also revealed their intentions to do so.

Will the Hyundai Ioniq hold up in the Philippines? Will it compete closely with the Toyota Prius? Keep posted here at Philkotse.com for more latest car news.