Hyundai’s Ioniq name celebrates 10 years of electrified mobility in 2026
In the automotive world, it is never easy swimming against the current. However, this resistance is familiar territory for first movers and trailblazers who push the envelope of cutting-edge, eco-friendly alternative mobility technology, forging paths into parts and powertrains unknown.
This year marks the tenth anniversary of the first model in what is now Hyundai Motor Company’s Ioniq electric vehicle sub-brand. “Ioniq” is a portmanteau of Ion and Unique, which proved an appropriate harbinger of things to come when it was first coined, because the current Ioniq electric vehicles look like nothing else in Hyundai’s line-up.
It was deliberate that the different Ioniq models do not share a unified look. Still, they do share design elements (such as parametric pixels), which was the design team's objective. Hyundai describes its design strategy as chess-like, with different models representing different chess pieces on a chessboard to cater to customers’ preferences.
At the original Ioniq's (at that time, Ioniq referred to the model, not the sub-brand) inception in 2016, the five-door liftback was available in three powertrain configurations: hybrid, plug-in hybrid and electric. (Original Ioniq model pictured above in its three variants)
From the list above, you’ve probably noticed the original Ioniq model was available in various powertrain variants, except for pure ICE (internal combustion engine), because the 59-year-old legacy Korean car manufacturer wanted to embark on a journey of discovery to find sustainable powertrain alternatives for a cleaner, greener future.
With changing times, trends and global treaties, the concept of the ideal powertrain has evolved, and it has now settled on electric, at least as far as the Ioniq brand is concerned.
Amid rapidly developing transformative technology in automotive mobility, the Ioniq nameplate has evolved from a single model to encompass an entire range of all-electric models.
However, Hyundai fans might be interested to learn that its first electric vehicle actually broke cover in the 1990s, so electric vehicles aren’t exactly new territory for the brand.
At present, the Ioniq portfolio includes the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 9, as well as high-performance N variants of the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, which encompass a crossover, a swoopy four-door coupe, and a seven-seater SUV.
The brand isn’t stopping here, either, as Hyundai has indicated an April drop date for the Ioniq 3, which is expected to be based on the uber-cool Concept Three we previewed last year. (Concept Three pictured above)
Hyundai’s long-term aim is to offer a range of electrified models to suit different tastes and sensibilities, in other words, something for everyone.
A key theme underpinning the Ioniq range’s philosophy is to empower people by putting them at the centre of the design, ergonomics and utility.
These days, as the world embraces electrification, growth in supporting and ancillary industries, along with advances in charging infrastructure and battery technology, has led everyone to jump on the EV bandwagon, especially with barriers to entry far lower than a decade ago.
If you don’t believe us, take a look at the new EV brands that have inundated the Singapore market over the past three to five years or so.
They make a big noise, come feature-packed with plenty of razzle-dazzle in terms of equipment and specifications, and tout near-identical pithy catchphrases, but ultimately lack the continuity of legacy brands. The sceptics also tend to wonder whether many of these newcomers will stand the test of time.
Suppliers, supply chains and workflow processes were less straightforward 10 to 15 years ago, because EV development was practically a blank-slate endeavour. Technical solutions that are taken for granted today had to be created from scratch and with significant commitment to the cause (and costs), which is why these attempts were mostly initiated by big-name legacy automakers like Hyundai.
The added benefit to a legacy brand like Hyundai is a comforting sense of continuity. With a history spanning many decades, the owner of an electric offering from a brand like Hyundai is unlikely to be left high and dry without after-sales support. There’s just less worry that a legacy brand will fold under a reorganisation exercise or be subsumed into another.
The year 2021 marked a renaissance for the Ioniq nameplate, with the award-winning Ioniq 5 the first model to be built on the Hyundai Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) — a dedicated electric vehicle platform — as well as the first to be marketed under the Ioniq sub-brand.
The Ioniq range was subsequently bolstered by the Ioniq 6, a swoopy four-door coupe; the Ioniq 9, a plush seven-seater SUV; and the high-performance N variants of both the Ioniq 5 and the Ioniq 6.
From its beginnings with the cheap and cheerful Pony in 1975 — the first mass-produced South Korean car — Hyundai has gone from strength to strength, shedding its early image as a maker of bargain-basement cars to become a global automotive brand of positive persuasion and credible consideration.
As Hyundai’s roster of advanced ICE and cutting-edge electrified models grows, the Korean brand is no longer seen as a second-tier option or a lesser contender for the consumer dollar, but as a compelling competitor that will hold its own against both legacy brands and electric newcomers.
