Name: Hyundai Ioniq (2016 to 2022) | Expert Rating | The Car Expert
Item: Hyundai Ioniq
Rating: 71.0

Summary

The Hyundai Ioniq was a mid-sized five-door saloon and the Korean brand’s first attempt at building a car from the ground up. This Expert Rating covers the hybrid versions (regular and plug-in) of the Ioniq, while the Hyundai Ioniq Electric is covered on a separate page.

When the Ioniq first arrived in the UK in 2016, it was the manufacturer’s most fuel efficient model. UK reviews generally said that this fuel economy the saloon’s biggest strength. Carbuyer commended the Ioniq for its “super-low running costs”, while Auto Trader highlighted its “long warranty and genuine ease of ownership”.

The Telegraph added that the Ioniq’s “aggressive pricing” undercut its main rivals, including the more widespread Toyota Prius.

However, Carwow commented that the Ioniq did not match the Prius in the practicality department, and said that, while the Ioniq was “just about big enough for small families, it doesn’t look as stylish or feel quite as upmarket inside as alternatives.”

Despite its drawbacks, Which? concluded that the saloon “looks smart without being boring and it excels around town”, and was a good value-for-money proposition for buyers looking to switch from diesel to hybrid power motoring.

The name ‘Ioniq’ is now going to be used as a sub-brand, applied to all of Hyundai’s new range of dedicated electric vehicles (the first of which is the Ioniq 5), which means this particular model will probably not be succeeded by a new generation. Along with its electric counterpart, the Ioniq ended production in Summer 2022.

As of May 2024, the Hyundai Ioniq holds a Used Car Expert Rating of A, with a score of 71%. That’s the same score as the Ioniq Electric, but just a couple of points behind.

Ioniq highlights

Economical powertrains
Comfortable ride
Affordably priced
Well-equipped as standard

Ioniq lowlights

Rather cramped rear seating
Alternatives have more boot space
Noisy petrol engine
Pretty cheap interior design

Key specifications

Body style: Mid-size saloon
Engines: petrol-electric hybrid, plug-in hybrid
Price when new: From £24,405 on-road

Launched: Autumn 2016
Last updated: Summer 2019
Discontinued: Summer 2022

Image gallery

Media reviews

Reviews, road tests and comparisons from across the UK automotive media. Click any of the boxes to view.

The Car Expert+

Score: 7 / 10
“The Ioniq provides the Toyota Prius with a serious rival. It’s cheaper to buy, comes with plenty of equipment, and offers performance and dynamics directly comparable to its Japanese competitor.”
Read review

Auto Express+

Model reviewed: Range overview (hybrids and electric)
Score: 6 / 10
“Impressive specs and the choice of hybrid, PHEV and EV models make the Hyundai Ioniq a serious rival for the Toyota Prius.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 1.6 GDi Hybrid Premium DCT
Score: 7 / 10
“Using a built-in SIM card, the Ioniq can offer live traffic, parking and fuel station information, as well as – in the case of the Plug-in and Electric versions – real-time charge point availability.”
Read review

Auto Trader+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“The Hyundai Ioniq is a hybrid hatchback that offers low running costs, a long warranty and genuine ease of ownership. Hyundai’s own Kona Hybrid offers a more characterful alternative, but it’s worth a look if you’re convinced a hybrid is right for you.”
Read review

Autocar+

Model reviewed: Plug-in hybrid
Score: 7 / 10
“It’s a handsome, capable and well-equipped machine, the Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid.”
Read review

Carbuyer+

Model reviewed: Hybrid
Score: 7.8 / 10
“The Hyundai Ioniq is likely to tempt many buyers who might otherwise choose a Toyota Prius.” (Ben Custard)
Read review

Model reviewed: Plug-in hybrid
Score: 8 / 10
“The Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid offers similar economy to the Toyota Prius but it’s cheaper and less common.”
Read review

Carwow+

Model reviewed: Plug-in hybrid
Score: 6 / 10
“The Hyundai Ioniq is a compact family car with an economical hybrid system which makes it very cheap to run – especially in town. Other small hybrids are more practical, though.”
Read review

Model reviewed: Hybrid
Score: 6 / 10
“The Hyundai Ioniq is a hybrid car that’s cheap to run and just about big enough for small families but it doesn’t look as stylish or feel quite as upmarket inside as alternatives.”
Read review

Company Car Today+

Model reviewed: 1.6-litre petrol-electric hybrid automatic Premium SE
“The Hyundai Ioniq stacks up on the road just as well as it does on the balance sheet.”
Read review

Evo+

Score: 5 / 10
“Hyundai’s Prius rival will make plenty of customers happy, but those customers probably won’t be evo readers.”
Read review

Fleetworld+

Model reviewed: Plug-in hybrid
“The Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in teams the useful range of the Electric model with the efficient Hybrid drivetrain but loses out in desirability to the Kia Niro.”
Read review

Heycar+

Model reviewed: Range overview
Score: 7 / 10
“If you want to embrace our electrified future (in a car sense) but aren’t quite sure which form of electrification to go for, the Hyundai Ioniq has all the options – self-charging hybrid, plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or a full electric – only the Kia Niro offers the same variety.”
Read review

The Telegraph+

Model reviewed: Plug-in hybrid Premium SE
Score: 6 / 10
“Where the standard Hyundai Ioniq hybrid is a likeable cut-price alternative to the Prius, this plug-in version is harder to justify because the performance in pure electric mode is so modest. The result is not a disaster by any stretch, but for many people the best Ioniq will be the one that’s the cheapest to buy.”
Read review

Model reviewed: 1.6-litre petrol/electric hybrid Premium
Score: 8 / 10
“The standard hybrid Hyundai Ioniq makes a compelling case for those after low running costs, a decent driving experience and lots of equipment. Its aggressive pricing might also catch the eye of those thinking about making the switch from diesel to hybrid motoring.”
Read review

Safety rating

Independent crash test and safety ratings from Euro NCAP

Overall score: 5 stars
Date tested: November 2016
Date expired: January 2023
Read the full Euro NCAP review

Adult protection: 91%
Child protection: 80%
Vulnerable road users: 70%
Safety assist: 82%

Notes on safety rating

The Hyundai Ioniq was originally crash tested by Euro NCAP back in 2016 and awarded a five-star rating. However, this rating expired in January 2023 and is no longer valid as the car no longer meets the standards required for such a rating. This is normal practice, as Euro NCAP reviews its ratings on most cars annually with most ratings expiring after about six or seven years.

Although the rating has now expired, the score is still useful if you are comparing a used Ioniq to vehicles of similar age – whose ratings will have probably also expired.

Eco rating

Independent economy and emissions ratings from Green NCAP

No eco rating

The hybrid and plug-in hybrid versions of the Hyundai Ioniq were not lab tested by Green NCAP during their production lives. The Ioniq Electric was tested, but its scores are not representative of the hybrid or plug-in hybrid versions.

Reliability rating

Reliability data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by MotorEasy

No reliability rating

As of May 2024, we don’t have enough reliability data on the Hyundai Ioniq to generate a reliability rating.

The Car Expert’s reliability information is provided exclusively to us using workshop and extended warranty data from our partner, MotorEasy, sourced from both official dealerships and independent workshops.

As soon as MotorEasy has sufficient data on the Ioniq, we’ll publish the results here.

Running cost rating

Monthly cost of ownership data provided exclusively for The Car Expert by Clear Vehicle Data

Fuel consumption	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Hybrid models	62 mpg	A	61 – 63 mpg	A – A
Plug-in hybrid models	257 mpg	A	257 – 257 mpg	A – A

CO₂ output	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Hybrid models	103 g/km	A	102 – 105 g/km	A – A
Plug-in hybrid models	26 g/km	A	26 – 26 g/km	A – A

Battery range	Average	Score	Variation	Score
Plug-in hybrid models	39 miles	D	39 – 39 miles	D – D

Insurance group	Average	Score	Variation	Score
All models	12	A	10 – 12	A – A

The Hyundai Ioniq is a very affordable car to own and run, according to whole-life cost numbers provided exclusively to The Car Expert by our data partner, Clear Vehicle Data.

Its fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions figures are very good, although the official numbers for the plug-in hybrid models are ridiculous because the UK/EU government lab tests are hopelessly inadequate for assessing plug-in hybrid vehicles. The same applies to every other plug-in hybrid car on the market, rather than being specific to the Hyundai Ioniq.

Insurance costs should also be very competitive, although it should be noted that we don’t have data for servicing and maintenance costs.

Finally, the battery range for the plug-in hybrid might show a poor score, but that’s pretty normal for a plug-in hybrid when compared to a fully electric car with a much larger battery.