Reader Review: 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid

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CALGARY — Gillian Macartney is no stranger to fuel-efficient vehicles.

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She learned to drive in England using an economical Renault 18. Since moving to Canada, finally landing in Calgary, Macartney has purchased primarily smaller cars powered by four-cylinder engines.

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Reader Review: 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Back to video

When asked if she’d like to drive the 2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid for a week, she confessed she’d never heard of the model. However, Macartney was eager to experience her first hybrid car.

“I love the idea of their fuel economy and less carbon emissions at the tailpipe,” Macartney explains. “But I do worry about the manufacturing of the batteries to power them.”

Hyundai launched the Ioniq early in 2016 in its home market with North American sales following in the spring of 2017.

The compact five-door hatchback is currently available in Canada with the hybrid powertrain. There’s also an all-electric version available in select provinces and the company aims to release a plug-in hybrid electric version later this year. Five trims are available for the Ioniq Hybrid, from the $24,299 base Blue to the $31,749 fully loaded Limited Tech. Macartney got behind the wheel of the Ioniq Hybrid Limited with a cost of $31,570 as tested.

A 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine coupled with a 32kW electric motor provides a total of 139 horsepower. The battery is a lithium-ion polymer device. Hyundai claims the battery offers ‘excellent charge and discharge efficiency along with outstanding maximum output’. Cutting an aerodynamic profile, the Ioniq combines sporty elements with futuristic cues all meant to create a wind-resistant package.

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“The car was bigger than I thought it would be,” Macartney says of the Hyundai. “But I loved the look of it, the lines are gorgeous in profile and from the front. I particularly liked the treatment of both the headlights and the taillights.”

Macartney’s tester was painted Café Brown. At night, she says the car looked black. She picked up the Hyundai in the evening and it wasn’t until the next morning she discovered its true hue; it was a colour that grew on her as she spent time with the Ioniq.

At 5-feet 4-inches tall, Macartney says getting into the black leather-covered driver’s seat was easier than getting out. She looked for a way to tilt the steering wheel but couldn’t readily find such an accommodation — she adds the wheel was already ideally situated. When the power adjustable driver’s seat was pulled forward where she could comfortably reach the wheel, Marcartney was left with nowhere to rest her elbows while on the road.

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Hyundai’s dashboard was well laid out with gauges, information screens and the start button easy to see and understand. Pressing the start button quickly readied the Ioniq for takeoff.

“It’s responsive and picks up from a stop quite well,” Macartney says of the drive system that operates through a dual-clutch six-speed automatic transmission.

“If something irked me about the vehicle it was how it sometimes behaved after coming to a complete stop,” she continues. “When I took my foot off the brake to return to the accelerator, the car gave what, for lack of a better description, felt like a little kangaroo hop – like it couldn’t make up its mind what it wanted to do. It didn’t do it every time, but I found it slightly irritating.”

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Other than that, power was described as more than adequate during city and highway driving. Macartney drove to Kananaskis Country, and did put the Ioniq through its paces on faster roads.

“It got up to speed without breaking a sweat and was really smooth and super quiet with little wind noise.

“I was curious to know when the car was using electric power alone, or in combination with the engine, so I would pay attention to the screen that showed you what it was doing,” Macartney says. “There were times, especially going downhill or at starts where it was electric-power only and even on flat sections of the highway. Any incline at all, though, and the engine kicked in.”

The Ioniq intrigued Macartney’s co-workers and she took three of them out for a spin. Comfort was rated as good, with plenty of legroom, and they all commented on how quiet the Ioniq drove.

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Macartney says the ride was smooth and the suspension absorbed most bumps without too badly upsetting the car. The Hyundai also felt stable and secure when cornering.

Shoulder checks and rearview mirrors were effective and there were no major blindspots but Macartney did appreciate having the backup camera.

For reasons of personal fit Macartney says she wouldn’t buy an Ioniq, but would certainly recommend one. She enjoyed the overall frugality of the powertrain, with economy that ranged from 3.6L to 4.3L/100km during her week.

She concludes, “While I wasn’t familiar with the Ioniq beforehand, I do own a (2012) Hyundai Tucson and trust the brand’s reputation. I think the Ioniq is well worth considering for anyone (looking at) a hybrid car.”

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DRIVER’S JOURNAL

Day One: Very nice sleek looking vehicle. The dash seems well laid out and the home screen is easy to read. The controls on the steering wheel are easy to use. Car easily reached highway speed and ride seems smooth. The visibility is good in front and out of the side windows. The oil is easily accessible for checking.

Day Two: The driver’s seat has an adjustment for lower back that improved comfort. Intermittent wiper adjustment is easy to use. I would like to know what all the symbols on the dash are but have not located an owner’s manual yet. The media centre is more than I need. I tried the sound system and thought the sound was so-so. I’m a bit of an audiophile, and will listen to anything from classical to metal. I am not sure about the split rear window as it appears in the rear view mirror.

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Day Three: Drove out to K-Country and tried the active cruise control. It slowed down and sped up seamlessly. By the time it slowed down, it was a bit too close to the vehicle in front for me though. Side mirrors are a good size and the blind spot detection is a great feature. I tried the lane departure warning system and it worked, but I kept it turned off. Found the owner’s manual — in the trunk when I looked to see what there was for a spare! No spare tire but a repair kit instead. A/C controls are a bit far away for my reach and the switch to change the airflow (face, defrost, etc.) scrolls through which I found tricky.

Day Four: Car really does handle, it is smooth at speed, corners well and feels secure. Adjustable driver’s seat gave me some extra height in the car. The split rear seat is easy to manage.

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Day Five: Glenmore Trail traffic crawl commute. Took my colleagues for a spin around the block, all commented on how quiet it is and on the sporty appearance. Front and rear passengers had enough legroom.

Day Six: Another traffic crawl commute so cranked the tunes again, my opinion of the sound system did not change. More rain and the lower part of rear window is getting dirty, I wonder how that would be for visibility in the winter. The feature to save the driver’s seat position is easy to set up and would be very useful where there are two drivers.

Day Seven: I took my son, who is 5-feet 11-inches tall for a ride; he found there was enough leg and headroom in the front passenger seat and in the back seat next to the door. The centre rear seat was too cramped for leg and headroom for him. He was not impressed with the sound system either, but he liked the idea of fuel economy and was impressed with power of the car. Today was also grocery shopping day; I could fit three standard plastic grocery bins on the floor of the trunk but could not quite fit the fourth.

Overall Impression: A very nice looking car that is economical, quiet, easy to drive, handles well, and is easy to park and manoeuvre. It has a comprehensive set of safety features and can comfortably seat four adults. I was not keen on the sound system and the placement of the controls on the centre console was tricky for me.