2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid Review

　　

2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid Review

byCameron RogersManager, News

　　Cameron Rogers has worked in the automotive industry since 2013. He has tested and reviewed hundreds of vehicles over the course of his career. Today, he leads the news team in developing cutting-edge news articles, opinion pieces and sneak peeks at upcoming vehicles. Favorite cars that he's driven during his tenure at zzdcar include the 991-era Porsche 911 Turbo S, Rolls-Royce Ghost and several generations of Honda Odyssey (really).

　　As its name suggests, the 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid is a plug-in variant of the standard Hyundai Ioniq Hybrid. It comes with a bigger battery pack that you can plug into a charging station or wall outlet to recharge. Doing so provides an EPA-estimated 29 miles of electric range. After that the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid switches over to being a regular gasoline hybrid and gets an impressive 52 mpg in combined city/highway driving.

　　The more frequently you can recharge the less dependent on gas you'll be. In that sense, the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid provides a nice stepping stone between the gas-only Ioniq Hybrid and the electric-only Ioniq Electric.

　　The Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid is a small hatchback that is primarily concerned with delivering high fuel economy. Like its primary competitor, the Toyota Prius Prime plug-in, the Ioniq isn't very exciting to drive. It is, however, adequately comfortable, and it offers more cargo space than other plug-ins. We also think the Ioniq makes a strong value statement because of its compelling price and more standard and optional features than its direct rivals.

　　

zzdcar' Expert Rating for the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid

Due to significant updates for 2020, we're revising our rating for the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid. In the meantime, check out our full rating of last year's Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid for a comprehensive evaluation. Certain scores may change for 2020, but our vehicle testing team's overall assessment from last year still applies.

　　

Which Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid does zzdcar recommend?

The Ioniq's rear sightlines are impacted by wide pillars, so we'd start with the SEL, which counts a blind-spot monitor among its many added features. That said, we think the top-trim Limited is the sweet spot in the lineup. It doesn't cost significantly more than the SEL, and it comes with a ton of extra convenience and luxury features.

　　

2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid models

The 2020 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid is a five-passenger, four-door compact hatchback. It shares its basic hybrid powertrain and six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission with the regular Ioniq Hybrid, but the Plug-In Hybrid comes with a larger 8.9-kWh battery, which allows it to drive an EPA-estimated 29 miles in electric mode. The Ioniq Plug-In uses a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine combined with an electric motor to produce a total of 156 horsepower. Three trim levels are available: SE, SEL and Limited.

　　SE

　　Standard features on the base SE model include:

　　16-inch alloy wheels Heated mirrors Keyless entry and ignition Leather-wrapped steering wheel with paddle shifters Height-adjustable and heated front seats Dual-zone automatic climate control 8-inch touchscreen Six-speaker audio system Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integrationThe Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid SE also includes several advanced driving aids, such as:

　　Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios) Lane departure mitigation (warns you of a lane departure when a turn signal isn't used and can automatically steer to maintain lane position) Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane) Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid and the car in front)SEL

　　Stepping up to the SEL adds:

　　LED headlights Chrome exterior and cabin trim Digital instrument panel Auto-dimming rearview mirror Power-adjustable driver's seat Wireless charging pad Blind-spot monitor (alerts you if a vehicle in the next lane over is in your blind spot) Rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle behind you is about to cross your vehicle's path while in reverse)Limited

　　The top-trim Limited includes everything above, plus:

　　Sunroof Power-folding mirrors Driver-seat memory settings Rear air vents Leather upholstery 10.25-inch touchscreen Navigation Eight-speaker Harman Kardon audio system

　　Cargo cover

　　Front and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible behind or in front of the vehicle when parking) A more capable version of the lane keeping system

　　

2020 Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid Highlights

Trim: SESELLimitedSE

　　

Base MSRP	$26,500
EV Tax Credits & Rebates	$4,400
Engine Type	Plug-in hybrid
EPA Electric Range	29 miles
Combined MPGe (Electric + Gas)	119 MPGeMPGe is the official metric that the EPA uses to measure the efficiency of alternative-fuel (including electric) vehicles. Just like regular MPG shows how far a car will travel on one gallon of gas, MPGe shows how far a vehicle will drive on 33.7kWh of electricity - the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. Combined MPGe is the combined total of 45% city MPGe + 55% highway MPGe.
Cost to Drive	$66/month
Total Charging Time (240V)	2.3 hours
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	23.0 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	5 years / 60,000 miles