Featured Hyundai IONIQ - Prius competitor?

Precisely one of the main reasons I am thinking of exchanging my Prius v for another vehicle. I'm slightly hard of hearing already. I just took a 1,000 mile trip in the v and got wonderful mileage. But when I took the car out locally the next day I was amazed at the setting I had had the radio at in order to hear it at highway speeds. 37k original equipment Michelins. So I take a sound meter on my test drives.

I'm satisfied with the car in most ways except for the sound level and I'd like the electronic nannies. I might be able to help the sound with new tires but nothing but a well equipped new car will give me the desired nannies. Since it is the second car, it has to be the trash hauler so that defines the configuration.

 

What if you just took the inner door panels off & filled them full of sound deadening material - slathering sound deadening material under the car & fenders as well ... it help on our Gen II - so it might be worth a try.
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this is where I see the Ioniq, I don't think it will kill the Prius anymore than lamboghini could kill Ferrari, they both occupy the same market with room for both, but both have loyal customers but both attract new buyers

all the time the hybrid market has room I don't see any issues other than hopefully more drivers will become hybrid drivers and ditch less economical / dirty petrol and diesel cars

if Toyota feels they need to step up and either improve the spec of the prius or do something about the price (reduction or offers) due to the ioniq in the future everyone wins

at the end of the day diversity and choice benefits the markets and buyers

 

"if Toyota feels they need to step up and either improve the spec of the prius or do something about the price (reduction or offers) due to the ioniq in the future everyone wins."

To your list, "improve the spec" and "do something about price," I'd add .... redesign the exterior and the interior.
Had the G4 Prius looked anything like some of the pre-release artist depictions, I would not even give the Ioniq a thought.

 

That may be one more reason that I ride Prius now. The guys did not have test drive cars and Toyota folks had one.

I looked at the nero in the show room. It looked fine. May be a bit too ordinary. I guess they wanted to distance from the Prius techy look. That is strange considering the all electric SOUL.

Anyway congrats on your Hyundai I am sure it is a great car. May be next time in 10 years or so it will be Korean or German...

 

There actually were quite a few people on TDIClub who had sold Priuses to get a TDI, based on how some people reacted there when Dieselgate broke. Not sure the ad did it, but the characteristics that the ad was portraying did. The Gen 2 and 3 Prii are slower to accelerate than any of the 2.0 common rail TDIs sold here, a lot of American drivers dislike CVT behavior (myself, I can't stand a stepped gear automatic - either give me CVT behavior, or just let me row my own gears), and Gen 2 and 3 were not known for anything resembling sporty handling (then again, the 2011-2013 Jetta TDI weren't either, thanks to VW's cost cutting, but that's not what was portrayed in that ad), whereas VW's historically had fairly responsive handling.

Basically, there's a lot of people who really do see the Prius as a car they have to buy when gas is expensive, but not one that they want to drive - look at all the people who scramble to buy Priuses the moment gas hits $4/gal, and then dump them when it gets down to $2/gal to buy the CUV or sportier car that they actually wanted. So, I think there actually were a fair amount of people that thought that TDIs would let them afford to drive something that they wanted to drive. (I say "thought" not because of Dieselgate, but rather because of the horrific unreliability and expensive repairs...)

 

Do you get the ICE Soul? The EV model looks mostly like that, and the ICE came out years before as Kia's unique/quirky model among the normal vehicle line up. The EV is just a conversion done mostly for compliance purposes.

 

But you do like the prime look right?

 

I would be much more receptive to buying a new Prius if it looked like the Prime does. It's probably why the Prime is selling so well. It doesn't look like a catfish that's been squished in the road!

Nice article from TTAC, QOTD: Will The Toyota Prius Kill the Hyundai Ioniq?

 

Inferno - You asked if I liked the looks of the Prime better than the standard hybrid?
In a word .... yes.
But I have never seen a Prime .... only pictures. I do (overwhelmingly) like the front headlights and the tail lights on the Prime a heck of a lot better.

I know there are many that really like the looks of both vehicles, and I am comfortable with that.
I dislike the profile .... moving the roof high-point forward really did nothing to improve the looks. A throw-back to the G2.
The transition from a very low hood to the large (high forward) cabin is awkward, it looks like the vehicle was accidentally 'squashed' at the transition point.
The triangle on the rear door in front of the rear wheel .... aesthetically, it relates to absolutely nothing. It doesn't align with anything; slope to meet a body panel or seam .... it's just a mis-matched geometric shape.

I have mixed emotions about the rear glass? Fortunately, I have never had to replace a rear glass ..... but I suspect, to replace the Prime rear glass would be tremendously expensive???? And for what purpose? Is it aerodynamic?

To me both the Prime and the Hybrid are a mixture of design 'gimmicks.' Different to be different. There can be no explanation for the ridiculous headlights on the hybrids ..... certainly not aerodynamic; and expensive to replace following an accident. I'm glad that Toyota did not repeat them on the Prime.

The Prime is still on my 'short-list' but I need to see one first. I'm just a little unsettled with the pictures I have seen.

 

The roof peak being moved forward will likely reduce drag, though.

Conversely, the steeper windshield and flatter hood will increase drag slightly, but improve forward visibility - I've noticed that that is significantly improved compared to the Gen 3.

 

Seeing it in person, you'll understand the visual appeal. Other vehicles look plain in comparison, the very "boring" that Toyota has been associated with in the past.

There is an aerodynamic benefit from the shape. The funneling of air will improve MPG. That also directs snow, pushing it low & center rather than the pile we see in other Prius which wiper didn't reach.

 

As a Gen II owner, I do considered our '04 to be an unattractive car, but we didn't get it for its looks. It was a fair trade-off for us when we search for the highest mileage champ. I would guess if we took a poll - whether aesthetically this new offering = Beauty or ugly - these subjective feelings might be around a 50/50 ratio. One thing about purchasing a mileage champ though is it's is never the main deal. If you can get it with sweet styling & handling (& power & internal sq') , then those are extra benefits. It's likely Toyota did a better job on handling with the newer models - & styling will continue to evolve .... But like most cars, no one's ever going to like a style 100%.
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I accept what you say about aerodynamics, but I would point out that the Ioniq claims the exact same coefficient of drag.

I also accept that when I see the Prime in person, I may really find it appealing. I anxiously await that day.

But I am not alone with my thoughts about the Prius design. Virtually every article I have read about the new Prius makes some off-hand comment about the design. You can call it "sporty," "youthful," "futuristic," and many other adjectives ... but it is not a graceful, universally appealing design that can be called "beautiful." But even the term "beautiful" is hard to define ... I do not find the new Corvette "beautiful," but it is so "wicked" looking that I am "blown away" with each one I see.

 

Toyota's website shows the Prime's drag coefficiency (. 25)

Prime Mover: Toyota Maxes Out Tech and Style in the World’s Best-Selling Hybrid to Create the 2017 Prius Prime | Toyota

Yet the WAY larger Models X & S have drag CD's of only . 22 &. 23 so it's definitely not necessary to sink the middle of one's rear window for the sake of efficiency. iirc there are a couple good sized Mercedes (kind of boxy looking S class & another) that are lower drag CD too. Now if it's for snow? That would make sense as Japan does get its fair share. Plus most Prime's will be sold in Cali, & they are a smaller hybrid/plugin market now (due to low gas prices) compared to China or Japan.
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Do you actually expect me to take the comparison between a hybrid and an electric-only vehicle seriously?

One has a combustion-engine that must breath and be cooled. The other does not.

 

Sorry I edited the above, and cleared it up by pointing out the 2 large Mercedes models above (probably while you were still in mid post) so the point is still valid & Radiators are are not the deciding factor of taking it seriously .
In fact the lowest of the low drag production cars, albeit a limited production, was a diesel hybrid Volkswagen. Sort of derails the whole curvy glass point that I was alluding to. That curvy glass wasn't necessarily about higher efficiency.
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i was looking at the ionique profile. the from end to firewall seems to be the same awkward mess as the prime. there must be something to it.

 

a better comparison is the ionique cd at .24, is it not?