Say hello to the Hyundai Concept Three — soon to be known as just the Ioniq 3, when the production version arrives in 2026. And honestly? I reckon this could be a key car for Hyundai. We’ve already had the 5, the 6 and the big Ioniq 9. All great cars - two of them previous World Car of the Year winners - but none of them are in the really big-selling mid-sized hatchback class. This changes that. Because the Ioniq 3 is going head-to-head with the biggest sellers out there. I’m talking about cars like the VW ID.3 and its sibling, the Kia EV3, as well as non-EVs like the VW Golf.
And don’t be fooled by the full concept car makeover on this Concept THREE. Under all the dramatic styling, there’s a fresh-faced, mass-market five-door hatchback - and this is pretty close to how the production car will look. No, really, it is! Oh, and it’s being built right here in Europe. Good, eh?
Watch the full video review of the Concept THREE
For a bit of context, at 4.29m long and 1.43m tall the Hyundai Concept THREE is 20cm shorter than the EV3, or 20cm longer the VW ID.3, but it’s also some 14cm lower than both thanks to that low-slung roofline.
As you’d expect they’ve gone big on the brand’s trademark Parametric Pixels - the lighting features front and back features them now more expressive, forming gradients for depth and rhythm. There’s this MASSIVE ducktail spoiler, too, although I struggle to believe that it’ll make the production car! Unless… Ioniq 3 N, anyone? Hmm.
Talking of the N models, the Concept THREE comes with visible speakers at the back of the car, where you’d expect exhaust pipes. And here’s the fun bit: in theory, when the Concept Three knows it’s about to pass another car, it could literally blast out the sound of a burnout as it goes by. It’s a bit daft, sure, but it’s playful.
And yes — before you ask — they are looking into whether this could actually make it onto the Ioniq 3 production car. Imagine that on your morning school run! Let us know what you think by leaving a comment on our YouTube video.
Range, battery and charging
There’s no confirmed information on on power and performance, yet, but we’d expect the forthcoming Hyundai Ioniq 3 to use the same battery packs as EV3 - so 58.3 kWh or 81.4 kWh. Hopefully, that lower and more aero-efficient body should deliver longer range – and the EV3 already manages an impressive 370 mile WLTP range, so the Ioniq 3 could do even better than that. Maybe it’ll edge towards the magic 400 mile figure?
Charging details are also still under wraps, but the Ioniq 3 is likely to have a 400 volt system like the Kia EV3 - rather than the 800 volt architecture of the Ioniqs 5,6 and 9. That’s to keep costs down, so rapid charging is likely to peak at 130kW. Still good enough for a 100 mile top-up in around 20 minutes.
Of course, we’d expect it to come with vehicle to load (V2L), which is offered on most Kia and Hyundai models.
Interior, design/styling and technology
Let talk screens! Blink for a split second at motorway speeds, and you’ve missed three or four metres of road. That’s why Hyundai’s stuck the screen above the steering wheel higher up, and kept proper buttons on the wheel, too. That layout will make it onto the Ioniq 3, too.
Hyundai’s design grandmaster told me that he’d love to keep the interior as minimal as it is in the concept, if that’s what buyers want. Just hook up your phone for integrated - no overload. And that’s exactly where Apple’s new CarPlay Ultra comes in. The Hyundai Ioniq 3 is expected to be one of the first models with Apple’s new CarPlay Ultra when it goes on sale, which is designed to make the system feel more like a smartphone than a car system. And it’s able to take over every screen in the cabin, including head-up displays.
Of course you get more pixels – including Mr. Pix: A symbolic character integrated throughout the car to offer ‘hidden surprises’ in the design. I suspect Mr. Pix will also pop up in the production car!
Sure, there’s plenty of concept-car sparkle here. But there will be some exciting tech heading into the product car, chiefly the brand’s new Android Automotive-based infotainment system.
Pricing and on sale date
I’d love to talk money, but I’m afraid we can’t because nothing’s been confirmed at this point. We won’t see the new Hyundai Ioniq 3 until next year, but expect it to be priced in line with cars like Kia EV3 and VW ID.3. Hyundai are serious about being a bit hitter in the hatchback market here in Europe and they know it will need to be priced right. It’s also likely to be built in Turkey, to reduce shipping costs and avoid any potential non-EU production tariffs.
Verdict
The Ioniq 3 could be the most important move yet for Hyundai. The Kona Electric has been popular, but this moves everything on to the new era of electric cars, and while the Concept THREE only tells us so much about what to expect, I’d be very surprised if it isn’t a big success.
