2020 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Review

Hyundai makes a good value proposition even better with the refreshed 2020 Ioniq Hybrid, adding updated technology and safety features to this affordable hybrid hatchback. The 2020 model debuts with unchanged powertrain and fuel efficiency figures, but it offers enough improvements to entice shoppers who may have been on the fence.

Beneath the mildly altered exterior styling, every 2020 Ioniq Hybrid carries over the existing tandem of a 1.6-liter gasoline engine and a 32-kW electric motor. A 1.56-kWh lithium-ion battery pack resides under the rear seats. Altogether, the system produces 139 horsepower and 195 lb-ft of torque. More important to most shoppers is the Ioniq Hybrid's fuel economy, which starts on a high note at 58 mpg combined for the entry-level Blue model and drops slightly to 55 mpg combined for the other trim levels.

As long as you keep the Ioniq in its Sport mode — achieved by slotting the shifter to the right into it manual shift position — the Ioniq is relatively responsive and quick to dash off some electrically assisted acceleration. It's still not quick exactly, but relative to its default Eco setting, which is positively ponderous, the Sport-enabled Ioniq is perky and alert. Just know that using Sport reduces your chances to get the stellar fuel economy (up to 58 mpg in combined driving) the EPA says you can expect.

While you can play around with the Ioniq's acceleration behavior, there's nothing you can do to adjust the Ioniq's ride quality. The car gets overly floatly and makes excessive up-and-down movements when you're driving over lumpy road sections. As such, the Ioniq comes across as somewhat insubstantial and unrefined.

The most noticeable change for the 2020 Ioniq is the reworked center stack in the instrument panel. The new large tablet-style display is a more engaging tech interface than the previous version that featured a smaller, matte-finished screen recessed into the dash. A bottom row of buttons and a single dial for scrolling and volume functions sit above the relocated climate control vents and controls.

The display itself is crisp and sharp, and its tile icons that access various functions (navigation, phone, music files, etc.) are easy to read and manipulate with a quick finger touch while on the move. Likewise, the navigation system processes map movements quickly and fluidly, even when pinch-zooming or scrolling.

There's something droid-ish and inelegant about the look of this new center stack assembly — the touchscreen, vents, and climate controls are all grouped together in a piano black finish that creates a sort of imposing superstructure. But functionally it's one of the more intuitive and user-friendly systems in the hybrid class.