Hyundai’s trident of Ioniq electrified vehicles—including a conventional hybrid, a full EV, and a new-for-2018 plug-in hybrid—make for a compelling assault on the house of Prius. The Ioniq Electric, currently limited to California, trades on generally agreeable road manners and 124 miles of EPA-estimated range, while the Ioniq hybrid stands toe to toe with Toyota’s gasoline-electric stalwart yet with little of the science-fiction exterior-design funk that makes the latter so distinguishable. Adding a larger battery pack and a plug socket to the Ioniq hybrid, as Toyota does with the Prius Prime, bolsters the Ioniq’s green quotient without impacting its inoffensive design. But as with all plug-in fuel misers, the Hyundai’s benefits are dependent on how diligently you tap the electric grid.

Base level to base level, the $23,085 Ioniq hybrid and the $25,835 Ioniq plug-in are separated by $2750 before any available federal or local tax credits are applied. Both share a 104-hp 1.6-liter Atkinson-cycle inline-four engine and a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, and both competently and comfortably ride on front strut and rear multilink suspensions. While Hyundai rates both at a combined 139 horsepower, the Ioniq plug-in adopts a larger 8.9-kWh lithium-ion battery in place of the hybrid’s 1.6-kWh pack, as well as a beefier electric motor good for 60 horses versus the hybrid’s 43. Weight gain from the more robust hardware stands at 249 pounds above the last Ioniq hybrid we tested, which weighed 3173 pounds.

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Draining the Tank(s)

The 3422-pound PHEV’s extra juice allows it to accelerate at about the same rate as the hybrid when fully charged, ambling to 60 mph in 8.9 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 16.8 at 84 mph—notably quicker than the Prius. The plug-in’s electric motor improves the powertrain’s initial torque response when scooting around town, and it is strong enough to effectively propel the Hyundai on its own up to highway speeds if you’re easy on the accelerator. Sliding the shift lever to the left activates a Sport driving mode that perks up the go pedal, adds some heft but no more feel to the electrically assisted steering, and reconfigures the gauge cluster to show a tachometer. The Ioniq employs a blended approach for supplementing the engine’s power with electricity based on vehicle load, speed, and accelerator position; only with ample charge in the battery and a gentle right foot will the Hyundai motor around as an EV.

The Ioniq plug-in rides on standard 16-inch aluminum wheels wrapped with 205/55R-16 Michelin Energy Saver A/S all-season tires. When pushed to the limit, the car’s 183-foot stop from 70 mph and 0.82 g of grip on the skidpad trailed the 177-foot and 0.86-g performances of the hybrid model fitted with its optional 17-inchers and 225/45R-17 Michelin Primacy MXM4 rubber (15s are standard on the hybrid). Along with a bit more road adhesion, we’d also welcome to the PHEV the heartier regenerative-braking strategy from the Ioniq Electric, which can be adjusted through four settings via steering-wheel paddles and at its strongest level can almost bring the car to a halt by just lifting off the accelerator.

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The EPA rates the plug-in Ioniq as having 29 miles of EV range, although during steady 75-mph cruising on the highway our test car went just 18 miles before the engine fired. Selecting HEV mode via a button on the center console somewhat counters that by prioritizing engine power in order to save some electricity for EV running later on in, say, denser city centers. Hooked up to a 240-volt power source, the Hyundai’s pack can be replenished in about 2.5 hours; set aside roughly nine hours with a 120-volt household outlet.

As a hybrid, the Ioniq plug-in carries a 52-mpg combined EPA estimate—3 mpg less than the standard Ioniq and 6 mpg less than its more efficient Blue trim level—yet that figure jumps to 119 MPGe when factoring in its EV capability (for reference, the Prius Prime is rated at 54 mpg combined and 133 MPGe, along with 25 miles of EV range). This Hyundai achieved 39 mpg in hybrid mode and 76 MPGe in EV mode on our 75-mile highway fuel-economy test, figures that can’t touch the Toyota’s worst effort (47 mpg and 116 MPGe from a 2017 Prius Prime Plus). Also, the Ioniq’s 37-MPGe observed average fell well short of the 50 MPGe that the least frugal Prime returned in our hands. This all illustrates how varied the efficiency of plug-in hybrids can be depending on your driving habits and how often you plug in. The other main player in this segment, the Chevrolet Volt—which starts at $34,095 in its base form—returned better driving dynamics, stronger acceleration (7.4 seconds from zero to 60 mph), an observed 60 MPGe, and 53 miles of EPA-estimated EV range in its victory over the Prius Prime in a recent comparison test.

Is the Plug Right for You?

The Ioniq PHEV pleases by both looking and feeling like a normal car, with a straightforward interior and a familiar Hyundai interface with sensible ergonomics. The transmission has actual gear ratios to work through instead of the slurry drone of a continuously variable automatic, and the engine cuts in and out of the power cycle mostly unobtrusively. Likewise, the brake pedal, although a bit soft in initial feel, transitions well from regenerative to friction retardation. The capacious hatchback cargo area is good for 23 cubic feet of space with the rear sets up, yet those taller in stature may find that the Ioniq’s sloping roofline that flows into the blunt, Kamm-back tail can intrude upon rear-seat headroom.

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Our plug-in test car was of the grander Limited trim level, which raises the base price to $29,185 and brings a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, rear-seat HVAC vents, leather upholstery, blind-spot monitoring, side mirrors with integrated turn signals, chrome exterior trim, and more. The only major option, which our $32,935 test car featured, is the Limited trim’s $3750 Ultimate package, which adds a power sunroof, adaptive headlights, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, rear parking sensors, an 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system with navigation (up from 7.0 inches), an Infinity premium audio system, wireless device charging, and Hyundai’s Blue Link connection.

Hyundai’s lifetime hybrid battery warranty and generous coverage overall are pluses for the Ioniq plug-in buyer. Its pricing also slightly undercuts that of the Prius Prime, although you will want to compare their available features side by side; the Toyota, for example, comes standard with most of the active-safety gear that can be had only on the top-level Hyundai. However, given that the non-plug-in Ioniq hybrid averaged a solid 45 mpg over the course of its testing in our care, opting for the plug-in should be done only after analyzing how much city driving you do and also your local charging infrastructure—and a realistic assessment of how often you’ll use it.

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