New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Redesign, MPG, Reviews
New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Redesign, MPG, Reviews – It seems like some automakers have lost the plot when it comes to electric vehicles. What were supposed to be honest, earth-friendly commuter cars have turned into wildly expensive luxury vehicles that place more emphasis on accelerating fast and having fancy gadgets than getting to and from work in an efficient manner.
Anyone who agrees with that sentiment will find the New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Electric to be a breath of fresh air. This no-nonsense commuter car is a great alternative to something like a gas-powered Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. It is, however, hampered by classic EV pitfalls – like limited range – that stand in stark contrast to its many strengths.
New 2026 Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior and Interior
The New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid is unbelievably quiet, it floats over bumps with a surprising amount of refinement, and it has a buttery-smooth ride on the highway. I really can’t say enough about how good the ride is in this little compact. Once upon a time, quiet, comfortable driving experiences like this were exclusive to full-size luxury sedans, but not anymore.
The interior ergonomics are also quite good. The car is easy to get in and out of, the steering wheel feels very nice in the driver’s hands, and the seats offer a good mix of comfortable cushioning and side bolstering. The push-button transmission is a little awkward to use, however, and I’d prefer real buttons for the HVAC controls over the touch-operated controls. Touch controls require more attentiveness to use than buttons, pulling your attention away from the road while trying to adjust the cabin temperature.
New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Specs
These Ultimate trim models also come with a new adaptive cruise control system that features auto-steer functionality. This allows the vehicle to accelerate and slow down with the flow of traffic and hold a lane while on a marked highway all on its own, but the driver must keep their hands on the wheel. I was impressed with the system and found it to be particularly helpful in stop-and-go traffic, but it also made some erratic manoeuvres while following lane markings. I’d still use it with confidence, but these early semi-autonomous systems definitely require the driver to pay full attention while they are switched on.
There are no shortage of other standard gadgets and technologies the Ioniq Electric Ultimate either, including LED lighting, a sunroof, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a seven-inch digital driver’s display, wireless phone-charging pad, ambient lighting, and electric folding side mirrors. New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Redesign
Engine and Performance
The Ioniq Hybrid is powered by a single electric motor that’s good for 134 hp and 218 lb-ft of torque that’s fed by a 38.3-kWh lithium-ion battery pack. While not super quick – 0–100 km/h takes well over eight seconds – it’s plenty fast for the eco-conscious, city-dwelling commuters that may be shopping in this segment, and the low-end torque makes accelerating away from stoplights a breeze. New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Redesign
There’s also an Eco+ mode, activated by holding the drive mode select button, which automatically turns off the HVAC, limits vehicle speed to 90 km/h (though this limit can be adjusted), and softens the throttle even more. I usually kept the vehicle in Eco or Eco+ during testing to maximize range, as the 38.3-kWh battery can deplete fast otherwise.
New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Fuel Economy
While the electric motor is perfectly adequate for this application, the battery pack leaves something to be desired. It’s not very hard to actually achieve the full estimated 270 km of driving range from the Ioniq Hybrid, but with nowhere to charge the Ioniq Hybrid at night, I found myself wanting more range from it. The range is low enough that I even hesitated to turn the air conditioning on to maximize it – not the kind of internal debate an owner should have to struggle with after spending $40,000 on a new car. New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Redesign
For this reason, I’d say the Ioniq Hybrid is really best suited as a close-distance commuter car. Owners who use this as their only vehicle will probably run into some headaches when travelling further distances, though at least Level 3 fast chargers are becoming more abundant these days. Speaking of the chargers, the New 2026 Ioniq Hybrid charges a bit faster than the 2019 model thanks to a new 7.2-kW Level 2 onboard charger. It also responds to Level 3 stations quite well, charging from almost empty back to 100 percent capacity in around an hour. Range is less of an issue if you can actually use the Level 2 charger each night, but since I live in a condo building I had to rely solely on public chargers during my time with the car.
New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Safety Features
While the Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid has undergone testing by a prominent safety group, the Ioniq Electric has not. Given that the all-electric model and the previous model share the same platform and body, it is reasonable to anticipate that the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) will give the all-electric vehicle the best rating possible in all of its crashworthiness studies. New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Redesign
Helping the Ioniq Electric in the safety department are its numerous active safety technologies. The range-topping Ultimate trim I tested comes with a laundry list of standard safety tech, including forward collision avoidance with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitor.
New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Price and Release Date
The Hyundai Ioniq Electric starts at $41,199 in Preferred trim, but the range-topping Ultimate trim I tested rings in at $45,899. Hyundai also charges $200 for any colour that isn’t white, so the Intense Blue shade my tester was delivered in drove the price up to $46,100 before tax and destination fees. That’s expensive for a compact, but still a decent deal when compared with other EVs with comparable range. New 2026 Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid Redesign
For example, the entry-level Nissan Leaf, which has about 240 km of range, starts at $44,298 and is a bit older and more out-of-date in look and feel compared to the Ioniq Hybrid. The Ioniq Hybrid has some decent value, but you don’t even have to leave the Hyundai dealership to find a better buy. The Hyundai Kona Electric, which starts at $44,999, has a more powerful 201 hp electric motor, a larger 64 kWh battery and an estimated 415 km of range.
