The Driver - Spring 2017 TheDriver_Spring_2017_v4_singles | Page 12

FIRST DRIVE
2017 Hyundai
Ioniq: the power of three
by
David Miller
K
elowna, BC – It seems like each
month another automaker rolls
out a new alternative powertrain
vehicle. It’s simply the wave of the
future, but one that hasn’t caught on in
the sales department.
Hyundai is hoping to change that
static trajectory with its first dedicated
electrified vehicle – the Ioniq. The
name sounds a bit futuristic, but this
will be one of many new eco models
– 28 to be exact between Hyundai,
Genesis, and sister brand Kia – by
2020. According to Hyundai CEO and
president Don Romano, “we’re in this
alternative powertrain for the long
haul...we don’t know what that ultimate
solution will be, and it may just be a
combination of all.”
And with the Ioniq, it’s clear Hyundai
isn’t putting its eggs in just one basket
with three drivetrains: hybrid, plug-in
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THE DRIVER
hybrid and electric. The first two to be
released to the public are the hybrid
and electric, and those versions were
available to test on this exclusive test
drive in Kelowna, BC. The plug-in hybrid
will be released closer to the end of the
year.
It can be tricky to find a mild climate
in February, especially in Canada, and
that would be the case on the snowy
streets of Kelowna after a 20 cms
snowfall. Not an ideal setting for an
electrified vehicle, but sometimes that’s
the unexpected way life is, and the one
As much as the Ioniq was built for optimal fuel efficiency, Hyundai made sure that the look
and feel of the vehicle would appeal to everyday consumers.