LIKES
- Handsome look
- Top-tier fuel efficiency
- Clean, intuitive interface and touchscreens
DISLIKES
- Rear seat head room
- Small-ish cargo space
- PHEV’s narrow all-electric mode
BUYING TIP
The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq family offers efficiency leadership to rival the Prius family, without the gawky looks.
What kind of car is the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq? What does it compare to?
The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq is a five-seat hatchback that’s now offered as a hybrid or plug-in hybrid. It’s a direct rival to the Toyota Prius and Prius Prime, respectively, and it’s one of the highest-mileage vehicles on the market if you want a car that fills up with gasoline. With bargain pricing and a decent feature set, it’s also a rival to high-value EVs like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Bolt EV—as well as its cousin, the Kia Niro.
Is the Hyundai Ioniq a good car?
The Ioniq is a likable car, and although the feel is maybe a bit dated and the cabin cramped in some respects, the feature set, comfort, utility, and value all add up to something that’s special in today’s market. We give the Ioniq a TCC Rating of 6.8 out of 10.
What’s new for the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq?
With the pending arrival of the larger Ioniq 5 EV and its sharp new styling, far better range, and wider availability, the Ioniq Electric drops out of the lineup. But Ioniq Hybrid and Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid models essentially carry over for 2022.
The Ioniq Hybrid offers a 139-hp hybrid system with a 1.6-liter inline-4 and a small electric motor. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid subs in a bigger 8.9-kwh battery pack (vs. 1.56 for the Hybrid) and gives up a few mpg in favor of 29 miles of all-electric driving. Throughout the lineup, acceleration is quick enough to feel perky at city speeds; paired with a rather low driving position and a well-controlled ride, and sharp handling.
It’s in that urban or daily commuting environment where the Ioniq Hybrid and PHEV shine. Seats have decent support in front, and the layout is neat and simple. In back it’s a bit less welcoming because the Ioniq gives up some head room for the sake of aerodynamics. Fold the rear seatbacks forward and there’s 26.5 cubic feet though.
The Ioniq hasn’t been fully crash-tested but all versions have automatic emergency braking; adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitors are available.
How much does the Hyundai Ioniq cost?
The Ioniq Hybrid Blue starts at less than $25,000 and includes dual-zone automatic climate control, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection and active lane control, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility and power features. Above mid-range SE and SEL versions, top Limited models get a 10.3-inch touchscreen with wired CarPlay and Android Auto, plus navigation, leather upholstery, a sunroof, and parking sensors. The Plug-In Hybrid starts at $27,825 and strikes a nice balance between EV advantages and all-around usability and value—especially when you factor in the $4,543 federal EV tax credit amount you can likely claim.
Where is the Hyundai Ioniq made?
In South Korea.
Styling
The Ioniq family doesn’t let on that it exists to go far on very little energy.
Is the Hyundai Ioniq a good-looking car?
The Ioniq isn’t head-turning like the Ioniq 5 electric car on the way to showrooms this year; but it isn’t a design oddity like the current Prius. For its simple, handsome, organic exterior that seems so hard to get right alongside 50+ mpg ratings, we give it a point, for a 6 out of 10.
Like some other high-mileage machines like the Prius, the Ioniq follows a “kammback” design, with a gently arcing roofline abruptly cut off at a tall hatch. But the Ioniq does it far more tastefully and conservatively, and from the front (or front 2/3), the Ioniq looks like a sedan. There’s no weird for weird’s sake.
Performance
The Ioniq prioritizes efficiency, but it’s not a penalty box.
How fast is the Hyundai Ioniq?
If you go in expecting an efficiency-focused car, just fine. But compared to many other models, it is indeed quite slow. We give it a 4 for performance, with ratings based on the Hybrid edition’s sluggish acceleration.
The Ioniq Hybrid employs a 43-hp (32-kw) electric motor at the input shaft of a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic. A 104-hp, 1.6-liter inline-4 gets a boost through the system to a net 139 hp, delivered through the front wheels. It never feels downright slow, partly because the Ioniq Hybrid weighs just about 3,000 lb. The propulsion system also uses the motor smartly to smooth out shifts, so it’s smoother and more responsive to the accelerator than a wide range of non-hybrid small cars.
Ioniq Plug-In Hybrids adopt the same drivetrain, but their battery is upsized from the Hybrid’s 1.56 kwh to 8.9 kwh. Acceleration isn’t much quicker, and the PHEV delivers 29 miles of electric driving. But since the PHEV doesn’t have resistive heat, all-electric driving is possible only in very mild climates—and if you don’t press too hard on the accelerator.
Is the Hyundai Ioniq 4WD?
No, all versions are front-wheel drive.
Comfort & Quality
Back-seat accommodations are the low point here, and they limit any family appeal.
Is the Hyundai Ioniq a comfortable car?
Yes, provided you’re one of those sitting in the front seat. We give the Ioniq a 6 for comfort and utility, because its cargo space is above average. But keep in mind the back seat is barely average versus other cars its size.
Front seats are low and thickly bolstered in grippy fabric—or leather in Limited versions. Front passengers have ample comfort and room.
Many will find that the back seats are best used flipped forward much of the time—to as much as 26.5 cubic feet (or 23 cubic feet in the Plug-In Hybrid).
Considering the efficiency that the Ioniq offers up, the lean, simple look of the materials seems like a fair trade. With some but not all road and engine noise damped out, the Ioniq is by no means luxurious, but it doesn’t punish you on the way to its 60-mpg highway rating.
Safety
Crash tests are incomplete, but active-safety systems have tested well.
The Ioniq Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid both include active lane control and automatic emergency braking in Blue or SE versions. Automatic high beams are also included, but blind-spot monitors, adaptive cruise control, and a broadened system with pedestrian detection are included in the SEL and Limited levels.
With that top system, the Ioniq family has achieved top “Superior” ratings from the IIHS in previous model years, avoiding a collision at both 12 and 25 mph in the agency’s test.
Is the Hyundai Ioniq a safe car?
Features
The Ioniq gets a generous list of features.
There’s no serious sacrifice in the name of fuel-efficiency here. No matter which 2022 Hyundai Ioniq you choose, you’ll get good infotainment, plenty of standard features, and one of the best warranties. Considering its tremendous value for the money, it’s still an 9 here.
How much does a 2022 Hyundai Ioniq cost?
The Hyundai Ioniq Blue starts at less than $25,000 in Hybrid Blue form, and that’s our pick because in addition to returning top mileage figures for the range, it’s stocked with automatic emergency braking, automatic climate control, and an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Among the plug-in Ioniqs, the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid SE gets adaptive cruise control for about $28,000, while the SEL gets LED headlights for a couple grand more.
The Ioniq carries Hyundai’s 5-year/60,000-mile limited vehicle warranty and 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
How much does a fully loaded Hyundai Ioniq cost?
Again, it depends on whether you’re looking at the Hybrid or the Plug-In Hybrid. For $32,625, the top Hybrid Limited steps up to a 10.3-inch touchscreen, Harman Kardon audio, leather upholstery, and navigation. The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid Limited costs $34,275 and has the same feature set, but with its eligibility for a $4,543 tax credit, that makes it the better deal if you want a lot of those top features.
Fuel Economy
Efficiency is the Ioniq’s reason for being—and it delivers on that whether you’re plugging in or fueling up.
Is the Hyundai Ioniq good on gas?
All versions of the Ioniq are miserly on gasoline, and the Plug-In Hybrid is more efficient on electricity than some other electric cars. As such, the Ioniq is a 9 here.
The EPA scores the Ioniq Hybrid at 54 mpg city, 57 highway, 55 combined. In Blue trim, its low-rolling-resistance tires, combined with some weight savings, make that 58/60/59 mpg.
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