Geneva 2016: Hyundai Ioniq hits the hybrid middle-ground

Those at Hyundai must have breathed a collective sigh of relief when they first saw the latest Toyota Prius. For while the world’s largest carmaker let its corporate hair down on its fourth-generation hybrid, with interesting results, its Korean rivals have played a safe hand with the Ioniq.

It sticks tightly to the accepted format defined by the Prius, Honda Insight and Chevrolet Volt, with a fastback bodystyle, a second, lower backlight and relatively soft transition between hood and windscreen, while avoiding a monovolume appearance.

But where Hyundai is hoping to score points with customers is that the Ioniq is unlikely to be labelled as ‘weird’. It still communicates its hybrid (or optional all-electric) power, but with calm, considered surface and graphic treatment. It’s clear that Peter Schreyer had his hand in its execution.

While some argue early adopters should be the target in this segment, hybrids are now very much the mainstream and those who have pushed the styling too far in the hybrid/EV market have often paid the price with low sales volumes.

So its interior looks perfectly normal in a way the Prius most certainly doesn’t, and its percieved quality feels a cut above.

Playing it safe may well bag a large chunk of this still-expanding market, with Uber drivers firmly in its sights.