Hyundai Ioniq is an EV, Hybrid & Plug-in – takes aim at the Toyota Prius

The Hyundai Ioniq is being teased as the first car to offer a choice of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and BEV in one car as Hyundai look to attack the Toyota Prius.

Hyundai has already made a significant dent in the dominance of Japanese brands with its accomplished range – and dents in European brands like Ford, VW and Vauxhall too – and now it’s planning to attack the ‘green’ ranges of the competition with a new car – the Hyundai Ioniq.

Billed by Hyundai as a car that ‘breaks the mould’, the Ioniq is the first car to offer a choice of three different ‘green’ powertrains – a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and BEV (Battery electric Vehicle) – and, says Hyundai, will offer best in class economy together with a fun responsive drive and attractive design.

Built on a new platform – which is probably shared with sister company Kia’s Niro Crossover – Hyundai say it’s optimised to deliver responsive handling and high efficiency whichever powertrain option you choose, and although Hyundai aren’t saying exactly what the powertrain comprises of, we’d expect the ICE bit in the hybrid and plug-in to be Hyundai’s 1.6 litre petrol.

The Ioniq – the names is apparently a combination of ‘ion’ (as in an electrically charged atom) and ‘iq’ as in unique – is set to debut in Korea in January 2016, when we should have some proper information on the powertrains and their performance, with a wider reveal at the Geneva and New York Motor Shows in the spring.

Look out Toyota – Hyundai are coming.