2017 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Review

If your priority is maximum mpg, the Ioniq Blue is the clear choice. At 58 mpg combined, it beats the other Ioniq Hybrid versions by 3 mpg. But there are no options for the Blue: no heated seats, no navigation system and no advanced driver safety aids such as blind-spot monitoring. If you're willing...

There's a distinct lack of regenerative braking when coasting so you have to be on the brake pedal more often. Shift quality, responsiveness and acceleration smoothness are inconsistent. It seems like the transmission is easily tripped up, especially immediately after hard braking.

The Ioniq feels reluctant and sluggish around town, requiring more pedal input than expected when in default mode. Sport mode provides much more natural acceleration but sacrifices efficiency. Full whack behavior is solid — it hits 60 mph in 8.7 seconds in our testing, quicker than a Prius.

Pedal effort is springy and on the light side. The way it blends regenerative and friction braking feels unnatural. And under moderately heavy to full-panic braking, the nose dives pretty dramatically, which can be unsettling.

The mushy on-center steering feel adds a challenge to maintaining lane position at freeway speeds. The effort is suitable at all speeds, never too light or too heavy, but it's nearly completely lifeless, communicating little about the road and state of grip to the driver.

The Ioniq's handling is benign but has low limits. Its tires howl in protest even in moderately quick turns. It turns into a corner cleanly and without much hesitation. But when it encounters bumps, it reacts like a much heavier car, with exaggerated up-and-down ride motions.

There's a distinct lack of regenerative braking when coasting so you have to be on the brake pedal more often. Shift quality, responsiveness and acceleration smoothness are inconsistent. It seems like the transmission is easily tripped up, especially immediately after hard braking.

The Ioniq's unsupportive seats and conflicted ride quality won't win over any hearts, though its climate control interface stands out for its simplicity and innovative driver-only mode. The good isolation from engine vibration is overshadowed by the road noise, which is noticeable at all speeds.

The flat-bottom seat cushion lacks lower thigh and lateral support. The backrest portion is better and the cloth upholstery feels durable, but we felt squirmy after a couple of hours. The backseat is flat, upright and quite firmly padded. Also, the front seat adjustments are manual on this trim.

The Ioniq's ride is somewhat busy, and it'll go up and down in an exaggerated manner on lumpy road sections. It's also a little floaty at times, which means it exhibits the kind of ride movements that might make sensitive types nauseated.

Road noise and patter are transmitted into the cabin to an undesirable degree. The engine is relatively muted by comparison, though still audible. The engine is well-isolated in terms of vibration; it doesn't shake the cabin when it comes on line. Wind noise is reasonably well-suppressed.

Nice, simple layout with large buttons and two easy-to-use knobs for temperature. The clever driver-only setting saves energy. It shows no problems battling summer temperatures and keeping the cabin cool with a minimum of fan noise. We like that dual-zone automatic climate control is standard.

Functionally, the Ioniq's interior succeeds. Its controls are laid out well, and its height-adjustable and long-travel driver seat should accommodate people of all sizes. There's also ample head- and legroom up front. Backseat passengers don't fare nearly as well.

The Ioniq's placement of controls is clear and logical with lots of large buttons. The infotainment screen is high-resolution and doesn't wash out, and the menu flow is simple (no navigation). The redundant hard keys are a nice touch, too.

The front doors are usefully long and open wide, and the wide but low sills and minimal seat bolsters help access. Access to the rear seat is more narrow; the narrowness, combined with the gently sloping roofline and high seat, hampers entry to a degree.

It's easy to find a suitable driving position thanks to a good range of adjustment in both the seat and the tilt-and-telescoping steering column. As a bonus, the steering wheel also offers terrific grip shapes.

There's ample legroom and headroom for tall drivers, thanks in part to the lack of a sunroof. Inside the car feels airy and the pedal box for the driver's feet is sufficiently wide. Six-footers in the backseat are somewhat cramped with limited headroom and toe room. Decent kneeroom, though.

The front windshield pillar bases and rearmost pillars are pretty chunky and can be obstructing. But there's a decent rear view, thanks to split glass in the hatch. (The bisecting beam is an unfortunate byproduct.) The backup camera view is smallish and not especially sharp, but it's certainly adequ...

Many of the Ioniq's drab, gray plastics and cloth surfaces look and feel low-rent, though their assembly is commendably tight. The console bin lid and door panel creak readily when touched.

Its cargo hold is relatively basic but sizable enough to swallow most everyday items you'd want to transport. The cabin nooks up front number appropriately, though backseat occupants don't have nearly as many options.

A tall, narrow console bin and open, narrow slot are surprisingly useful; so is the well forward of the shift selector. The door pockets are useful for water bottles only, and the glovebox is basic. The backseat has only two tiny door pockets and a net on the back of the passenger front seat.

The backseat is split 60/40 and folds nearly flat. The hatch opens high so tall people won't hit their heads on it, but the liftover height is on the tall side. The cargo hold measures 26.5 cubic feet (vs. the Prius' 24.6 cubes) and is wide, if not that tall, at the aft-most point.

The outboard seat LATCH anchors are buried deep between the cushions and are somewhat hard to reach. The top tether points are obscured by a retractable cargo shade.

Its screen may be small, but it's well-lit and responds well to touch inputs. Device integration and phone pairing are simple and support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The native voice controls function well but are limited in what they can control.

The small infotainment screen supports swiping gestures and responds reasonably quick, making the most of its size. The audio system has a brassy sound quality, with minimal bass. There's no native navigation system, but you can navigate using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.

Bluetooth pairing is simple and fast, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility is standard. There are USB and auxiliary ports and two 12-volt accessory outlets, which is nice.

There are a good number of optional driver aids available for the SEL and Limited trims, including adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring with lane change assist, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, and a rearview camera with rear cross-traffic alert.

Voice recognition (VR) supports only basic commands (phone calls, switching audio source) natively, but it responds well. In any case, that's where Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come in. You can access your smartphone's VR by holding the Ioniq's VR button for a few seconds.