Featured Hyundai IONIQ - Prius competitor?

It is a major component of the hybrid system, like the transaxle, and without it there is no working power split hybrid.

The PSD/transaxle is basic planetary gear set, which automatic transmissions were using before hand. It is mechanically simple, which means there is few things to mechanically fail. But the PSD alone is not the HSD. There are other components and subsystems that are required to make a power split hybrid work.

The PSD may never have exploded by design or manufacturing defect, but that is small comfort to the person that bought a Prius to have it die on a highway because of the inverter.

 

Test drove the Ioniq:

• 99.9 MPG too few digits
• One nonlinear brake event ... a kind of pause that surprised me
• Steering OK but I had been driving the BMW
• If you like a stepped transmission, your ride has arrived
• Where did that tire noise come from?
• Normal 2-3 mile warm-up
• Trunk has a basement that is under-utilized
• Did not have dynamic cruise control

A fine car for someone else . . . Volt?

Bob Wilson

 

Wow, you got 99.9 MPG on an Ioniq? How many miles? I think I remember the test drive of your prime not managing that...

 

Pegging the indicated MPG over 3.3 miles does not tell us anything. Worse, I'd started that test at the apex, not the lowest part of the loop. When I did my last loop reset at the bottom, it came in a 54.6 MPG but we can't use that number. I really needed to do 5-10 miles until the indicated MPG flatlined. But by then my total miles went from 15 to 24 and I didn't want to put more miles on their inventory.

FYI, cruise control down to 20 mph so I ran the benchmark at 28 mph. to match both the 2016 Level Three and 2017 Prius Prime.

Bob Wilson

 

Same route and test protocol, the Prius Prime returned 105 MPG. It was the 2016 Prius Level Three that only got 99.1 MPG (could also show 199.9).

Bob Wilson

 

If 99.9 is as high as it goes .... it could have been 999.9 or unlimited could it not?

My 2010 Prius only shows 99.9. I remember once filling up, then driving down a 20 mile downhill. The ICE never ran the entire way down ... but it still only showed 99.9 mpg.

 

I didn't have enough time to figure out the Ioniq trip meter(s). Sad to say, the default did not show the miles and MPG. This was just me, the operator, not understanding the displays and their operation.

The screen in the middle is slightly smaller than the Prius Prime Plus. I find both perfectly adequate but I didn't have enough time to figure it out. I asked the salesman to operate them since they work somewhat like the other Hyundai models and he was able to get more out of them.

When we drove out, I asked him to adjust the environmental controls with the AC off. But we kept getting a blast of cold air. Later, it changed to normal temperature AFTER we cycled the AC. Hind sight, it acted as if the AC was working but the indicator was not lit.

These could be new model bugs and operator error so I would not read too much into this. You really need a couple of days with sleep over to become familiar with the car. So final impressions about the Ioniq:

• Louder than the Prius Prime - as the notorious "Meet The Volkswagens" showed, some like sound and vibration.
• Stepped transmission - I hated it in the BMW Series 2 BUT this is also personal preference
• Brake 'anomaly' could have been the 'keep the floor clean' paper or some regeneration-mechanical 'ugh?'
• MPG was not well tested due in part to the limited accuracy, the 99.9 MPG, display limit. Warm-up inefficiency seemed a little longish, 2-3 miles versus the Prius Prime Plus that dips heavily into the traction battery to keep the engine off loaded.
• At the end of the low-speed loop, I noticed the charge level of traction battery was near the lower limit. This is a common problem with hybrids that allow the SOC to wiggle down when running at slow speeds, under 30 mph. In reality the battery SOC target level should increase so there will be battery energy to accelerate instead of burning more gas. At higher speeds, the traction battery SOC should or can decrease to provide head-room for regeneration.

I think the Ioniq can be improved over the next few years. But I am not even close to trading in our Prius Prime Plus that is quiet, efficient, and has an outstanding warm-up cycle.

As tested:



This suggests I was testing the more economical, Ioniq Blue, which may explain why it was a little louder. They may have saved weight with less sound proofing.

Bob Wilson

 

yes, it's really infinity. or to put it another way, if the engine doesn't run, mpg is really an anachronism. maybe gallons per mile would be more meaningful in this case.

 

With more time, it might have been possible to switch to the European style display and regain the precision needed. But it keeps reminding me of the old "Meet The Volkswagens" with the emphasis on sound and the stepped gear operation. Some people like it and BMW sells the same 'noise wagons' with the Series 2.

Bob Wilson

 

vroom-vroom?

 

• Hyundai did strip sound proofing out of the Blue. Flipside, the Prime might have extra sound proofing to go with the higher class positioning for the model.
• Got to appeal a wider audience if we want more people switching to hybrids.
• This comment instantly reminded me of my gen2's braking behavior over bumps; when there was a pause between regen to friction braking. Hyundai might need more time to clean up the combine braking operation.
• As a plug in, the Prime has more battery to dip into.
• How long was the loop? There is no series operation to the electrical side of a parallel hybrid. A short test ride could skew the impression and results depending on what the SOC was at the beginning.

 

Hyundai made a car that is able to pulse-glide! Not bad, we haven't seen that for some years. Thanks Bob!!

 

A proper test would take about 7-10 days or at least a weekend. This was more of 'the car ain't broke' test than a through review and it is their 'bread and butter.' They were kind enough to let me take it for a test drive . . . and long enough to realize this is a car for those who liked the TDI over the Prius. Absent something like TSS-P, I have no interest in an Ioniq at any price.

Bob Wilson

 

It does have something like TSS-P, and at the same price of a Prius.

 

It was not on the one I test drove. Toyota screwed up the same way on the 2016 for the Level Two Prius which sold a BMW i3-REx.

Bob Wilson

 

you could look in over on ioniqforum.com yes many of us like our cars like you guys over here like yours, but there are peoples thoughts on test drives which are mixed from people considering them, we even have a thread about common faults / issues (we try and keep everything up front and honest) ask us anything over there, and yes I am one of the moderators and one of the first members to own an Ioniq

 

Ok, I'll copy over my notes with no expectation beyond 'another Indian blind man on the elephant.'

Bob Wilson

 

I must admit the handling of the roll out, not only in US but Canada and even UK has not been good but from the figures out on the net it may be due to selling more than they can supply

Ioniq sales surpass Hyundai’s expectations
that is just UK sales

that looks like certainly in the short term they are selling more than expected, long term will depend on quality and reliability, if they can get on top of the 12v battery issue they should be ok

 

the DSG in the Ioniq uses dry clutch plates and unlike std old torque convertor boxes don't us planetary gears to achieve changes

 

Please do not encourage them to come to PriusChat because some of those posting titles suggests "chip-on-shoulder" attitudes.

Sensible, serious discussions help everyone but we had a decade of TDI trolls (and faux gear heads) drop in with 'hit and run' nonsense. Some of the thread titles like the ones about street racing suggests trolling tendencies.

I'm over there trying to show by example a better way but dang, I would not want to be followed back here by troll-flies and cause more work for our fabulously wealthy and well paid moderators. They might jack up our membership rates.

Bob Wilson