First there was Genesis, the luxury brand name that came from the popular car. Now, there will be Ioniq, the fourth vehicle brand for Hyundai Motor Group will include three new electric vehicles (EVs) over the next four years. Up until this point, the Ioniq name was used by the Hyundai Ioniq, the first auto in the world to be offered in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric variants.
“The IONIQ brand will change the paradigm of EV customer experience,” said Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer at Hyundai Motor Company. “With a new emphasis on connected living, we will offer electrified experiences integral to an eco-friendly lifestyle.”
The Ioniq name is a portmonteau of “ion” and “unique”.
To celebrate the announcement, Hyundai lit up the London Eye as a Q.Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
With the new models, Hyundai looks to combine its current electric vehicle capabilities, which include ultra-fast charging, spacious interior, and battery-supplied power, with forthcoming innovations for the in-car and out-of-car experience – something the company says will be a “seamless journey”.
The brand rollout of part of Hyundai Motor Group’s larger EV rollout, which has the goal of selling 1 million units of battery electric vehicles and taking a 10 percent share to become a leader in the global EV field by 2025.
The three new vehicles that will be coming will all have numeral names: Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6, and Ioniq 7. Sedans will have even numbers and SUVs will have odd numbers.
The Ioniq 5 will launch first, in early 2021. It will be a midsize crossover based on the EV 45 concept, which was unveiled at the International Motor Show 2019 in Frankfurt. When that concept debuted, Hyundai said that, like the company’s Le Fil Rouge concept, the 45 was a modern interpretation of the Hyundai Pony Concept, only this time it was focused on powertrain technology. Its diamond silhouette foreshadowed the design direction of future electric vehicles the company will produce while holding fast to the “Sensuous Sportiness” design identity.
The first three Ioniq models will be based on three concept cars the company has already introduced.Photo courtesy of Hyundai Motor Group
The Ioniq 6 sedan is set to be introduced in 2022. It is based on the company’s Prophecy concept vehicle, which was unveiled in March. That concept car’s design gave a nod to the large car models of the 1920s and 30s but brought forward digital technology of today.
Ioinq 7, a large SUV, will follow in 2024.
The company says that the new vehicle designs will all “have a common theme of ‘timeless value'” and be “inspired by past models.
They will all sit on the company’s Electric Global Modular Platform, known as E-GMP. The platform’s design allows for a “smart living space” complete with highly adjustable seats, wireless connectivity, and unique features – the company says that a glovebox deigned as a drawer is an example of one such innovation.
