The Hyundai Ioniq 3 is an ‘aero hatch’ with over 300 miles of range

The Hyundai Ioniq 3 has arrived as a very sensible electric car for Europe, with a choice of either a 42.2kWh battery for 208 miles of range, or a 61kWh battery for a class-leading figure (says Hyundai) of more than 305 miles. Its front wheels are powered by equally sensible 133bhp or 145bhp motors, and its 400-volt architecture means a 10 to 80 per cent recharge takes 29 minutes.

But while it may be very practical underneath, the styling is a little more… out-there. Hyundai says it follows its ‘Art of Steel’ design philosophy with simple surfaces that “reflect the natural behaviour of sheet metal”. To us, it looks a little bit like a shrunken, hatch-ified version of the streamliner spec Ioniq 6. And check out that spoiler and diffuser on the N-Line trim. That’s already getting our hopes up for a proper Ioniq 3 N hot hatch.

Elsewhere on the standard car there’s Hyundai’s pixel lighting, with the four central dots front and rear referencing the letter ‘H’ in Morse code. Neat. Hyundai also describes this thing as an ‘aero hatch’ and claims a drag coefficient of 0.26.

Inside there’s a flat floor and we’re promised seating for five adults, while up front it’s the first European Hyundai to get a new Android Auto-based infotainment system. Central screen options are 12.9 or 14.6 inches, but in rather wonderful news there’s also a row of physical buttons for the climate control. Hurrah! There’s also 441 litres of boot space, which is a good chunk more than you’d get in a Mk8 VW Golf.

There’s no word on pricing just yet, but given Hyundai’s “class-leading” range claims for the 3 (and the fact it’s 4.1m long), we’d expect it to go up against dinky crossovers like the Renault 4 and Ford Puma Gen-E.

Depending on spec, Hyundai also says that the Ioniq 3 will get the option of heated and ventilated seats, a Bose sound system, ambient LED lighting and materials inspired by 1970s Italian furniture.