Hyundai has a confusing name problem with its electric vehicles. But it’s about to put that problem to an end.
The First Ioniq
Since the 2017 model year, the Korean automaker has produced a hatchback rival to the Toyota Prius called the Hyundai Ioniq. Available as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric vehicle (EV), the Ioniq was a bargain for many buyers. For 2022, it starts at just $23,600 and offers an unbeatable powertrain warranty and cheap family driving in a world of hyper-expensive gasoline.
But it has never sold terribly well and has never shaken its reputation as a supermarket brand Prius (probably because you could mistake it for one from 20 feet away).
The Numbered Ioniqs
Last year, however, Hyundai introduced an entirely different EV and gave it almost the same name. The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 doesn’t look like anything else on the road. It looks like a 1980s video game character filtered through the imagination of 2022.
The Ioniq 5 recently won the coveted 2022 World Car of the Year title from a jury of international automotive journalists. It offers nearly as much passenger space as a large SUV in the footprint of a small one, up to 303 miles of range, and funky styling that no one could call a Kirkland brand take on a Toyota.
Hyundai has plans to use the Ioniq name for a full lineup of EVs. A swoopy Ioniq 6 sedan and a hulking Ioniq 7 3-row SUV are on the way.
Which makes it more than a little confusing that there’s a car just called the Hyundai Ioniq.
Ioniq Production Ends in July
So, there won’t be for long. Hyundai has announced that the last Ioniq will roll out the factory doors next month.
The move isn’t a shock. The company had already announced plans to stop building the EV version of the Ioniq this year. This week’s announcement extends that to the other Ioniq versions and saves Hyundai salespeople from repeatedly explaining the strange naming convention.
In an ordinary year, this is where we’d tell you to go buy an Ioniq while you can. Traditionally, car prices drop once manufacturers announce the end of a vehicle’s run.
But with prices back on the rise and a global microchip shortage keeping dealers in short supply, the last few Ioniqs on Hyundai lots will probably sell for MSRP or a touch higher.
