Interesting "LARGE FAMILY CAR" - here it could be classed as a larger SMALL CAR. Yes, it's big for me, but compared with the average car here, it's compact. BUT - they call the IONIQ a SMALL FAMILY CAR - they haven't arrived here yet, but I assumed it was a direct competitor, size wise - has anyone seen them side by side?
I consider the Prius to be a compact car, especially for a large bloke like me. (I'm not fat; I'm football player big.) I can only fit in the driver's seat. The rear is totally useless for someone my size, and the front passenger seat is barely comfortable (no height adjustment). The Gen2 & Gen3 Prius appear to be even smaller than my 2016... but maybe it's just an illusion. I'm beginning to regret my decision to buy a Prius, as it is difficult for me to enter and exit the car. It is becoming much less comfortable as time goes on. Here in America, most people still drive gas-guzzling "big boats." Mid/large SUV's, and pick-up trucks. In Southern California, the 3 main compact cars I see every day are Prius, Honda Civic, and Hyundai Elantra. It seems the new Honda compact SUV never gained popularity... I've seen a total of two on the road. I wonder how the new Toyota will do???
They use interior dimensions to determine the class. This is good news for Ioniq since it could win its own category rather than be in the shadows of the Prius. Hyundai has enough challenges already with poorer fuel economy (both in lab and on the road), and worse emissions. Ioniq is pretty much the new Honda Insight 2. I wonder if Hyundai will pull a Ford Fusion and rate the fuel economy better than the Prius for the US market. It turned out well for Ford.
I saw a news report that said Ford is going to start making F150 hybrids, and Mustang hybrids that may have the power of a V-8 engine! Make America Great Again!
Well rear legroom is tight in the Ioniq but the boot space is actually pretty decent, even in the PHEV version. It's squared off and usable. I'd say it feels smaller (even though the rated/measured interior dimensions put it on par or better than the Prius).
