Ioniq will soon join Genesis as Hyundai’s second spin off brand, this one devoted entirely to electric vehicles.
The plan is to introduce three new dedicated models over the next four years with more innovative models to follow.
However, existing Ioniq HEV, PHEV and EV vehicles will not fall under the new.
Hyundai says the creation of Ioniq brand is in response to fast-growing market demand and accelerates Hyundai’s plan to lead the global EV market.
“The Ioniq brand will change the paradigm of EV customer experience,” Global Chief Marketing Officer, Wonhong Cho, said.
“With a new emphasis on connected living, we will offer electrified experiences integral to an eco-friendly lifestyle.”
Hyundai is planning a range of numerically named EVs under the new brand — Ioniq 5, 6 and 7 — with even numbers reserved for sedans and odd numbers for SUVs.
First will be the Ioniq 5, a midsize CUV that will launch in early 2021.
It is based on the EV ‘45’ concept which Hyundai unveiled at the 2019 Frankfurt motor show — a homage to its very first concept car.
Ioniq 5’s designers took inspiration from the past and integrated it with cutting-edge parametric pixels, a unique design element that designers will continue to incorporate into future models.
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In 2022, Hyundai will introduce the Ioniq 6 sedan, based on the company’s latest concept EV ‘Prophecy’, unveiled in March.
It will naturally enough be followed by Ioniq 7, a large SUV in early 2024.
Prophecy’s iconic exterior design is characterised by an aerodynamic silhouette.
Likewise, designs will share a common theme of ‘Timeless Value’.
The vehicles will be inspired by past models, but they will be a bridge to the future.
Ioniq models will sit on an Electric Global Modular Platform, known as E-GMP, that will enable fast charging capability and plentiful driving range.
The EV-dedicated platform will allow Hyundai to reimagine the vehicle interior as “smart living space” with highly adjustable seats, wireless connectivity and unique features such as a glove box designed as drawers.
User interfaces that will be simple, intuitive and ergonomically designed to help occupants feel at ease.
The name fuses “ion” and “unique” and was first used with Project Ioniq, a long-term research and development project focused on eco-friendly mobility.
It was this project that led to to the Ioniq model in 2016, the world’s first and only model to offer a choice of three electrified powertrain options – hybrid electric, plug-in hybrid and battery electric.
Hyundai has marked the the launch of the Ioniq brand by turning the London Eye Ferris wheel into a giant letter “Q” using electric lights.
