[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/hyundais-prius-killer\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/hyundais-prius-killer\/","headline":"Hyundai\u2019s Prius Killer","name":"Hyundai\u2019s Prius Killer","description":"When Toyota introduced the Prius hybrid back in 1997, it could never have imagined that it would have a monopoly on the electric-petrol hybrid saloon market for the best part of two decades. But that\u2019s pretty much what has happened. Other car makers have tried to steal Toyota\u2019s hybrid crown over the years, with hybrid \u00a0powertrains shoehorned into the Ford Mondeo and VW Passat, but these have largely been afterthoughts and thus reaped limited success. It\u2019s only now, with the […]","datePublished":"2016-07-19","dateModified":"2016-08-03","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/feature-9.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/07\/feature-9.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/hyundais-prius-killer\/","about":["LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":611,"keywords":["electric-petrol hybrid","ford mondeo","hyundai","Ioniq","prius","toyota","VW Passat"],"articleBody":"When Toyota introduced the Prius hybrid back in 1997, it could never have imagined that it would have a monopoly on the electric-petrol hybrid saloon market for the best part of two decades. But that\u2019s pretty much what has happened.Other car makers have tried to steal Toyota\u2019s hybrid crown over the years, with hybrid \u00a0powertrains shoehorned into the Ford Mondeo and VW Passat, but these have largely been afterthoughts and thus reaped limited success.It\u2019s only now, with the imminent arrival of the Hyundai Ioniq some 19 years on, that the Prius has faced a true like-for-like rival. FlatteryThey say that \u2018imitation is the sincerest form of flattery\u2019 and at first glance, you could mistake the Ioniq for a Prius tribute act.The fourth generation Prius, which launched earlier this year, introduced sharper lines to wipe away some of its hippy image and create a more aggressive look.Instead, the Ioniq takes design cues from the preceding Prius with its whiter-than-white Baymax-like innocence, soft lines, and the rear-view splitting boot lid (a quirk pinched from the eighth-gen Honda Civic, to be fair). Numbers gameIts hybrid powertrain combines a 103bhp 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor producing the equivalent of 43bhp. When driving on a mix of motorway and urban driving and 15-inch tyres, the car can return 83.1mpg, emitting 79g\/km of CO2.That\u2019s not quite as good as the 94.2mpg at 70g\/km boasted by the latest Prius, but this is Toyota\u2019s fourth shot following on from several other hybrid models; the Ioniq is Hyundai\u2019s first ever hybrid car.The Ioniq may not quite match the Prius in the eco arena but starting at a fiver short of \u00a320,000, it\u2019s \u00a33,000 cheaper than the entry level Prius. That three grand will buy you a lot of petrol; 2747.25 litres going off current pump prices.As if trying to dethrone the Prius wasn\u2019t ambitious enough, an all-electric Ioniq will take on the Nissan Leaf in 2017. That means no trips to the petrol pump anymore and no air-polluting nasties coming out the back-end either, just silky smooth 100 per cent electric motoring for up to 174 miles. That\u2019s enough electric juice to get you from London to Manchester without stopping to recharge and much more than the 155 miles offered by the current best Leaf. A plug-in version [pictured] will also join the range in 2017.Plenty of kitAn entry level model usually means little more than the bare essentials but the \u00a320k Ioniq comes with plenty of bells and whistles such as DAB radio with bluetooth, cruise control, and rear parking sensors with a rear view camera.There\u2019s a high chance it could be awarded a top five star safety rating too, coming as standard with emergency self-braking, lane keep assist and individual tyre pressure monitoring.The next stepThe market may have finally caught up with Toyota on the hybrid front but the Japanese carmaker is now concentrating on developing a new generation of eco-cars – hydrogen-fuelled vehicles – with the Mirai, which is currently being drip fed to certain fleet customers. Between 12 and 15 units a year, according to Toyota\u2019s PR. \u00a0Hyundai isn\u2019t playing catch-up this time though with its ix35 FCEV, also in the midst of various trials. It is already a record breaker after setting the world record for the longest ever continuous journey by a hydrogen-fuelled vehicle (a bit of a stretch but it still counts). The ix35 FCEV (or an evolution of it) is sure to go on sale once the infrastructure and demand is there.The Ioniq is set to go on UK sale this October. "},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Hyundai\u2019s Prius Killer","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/hyundais-prius-killer\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]