Distinctive-looking seven-seat SUV is the flagship of the Korean brand’s electric line-up
Stuart Milne stuart.milne@haymarket.com
LATE 2024
IT COULD WELL be a case of lucky seven for Hyundai, as it readies the next model in its Ioniq electric car line-up. Following the angular Ioniq 5 and the sleek Ioniq 6 comes the – you guessed it – Ioniq 7 SUV.
Like the Ioniq 5, the 7 (previewed by the Hyundai Seven concept, pictured) has a retro-futuristic look, but this time it’s scaled up to a similar shape and form to the petrol and hybrid-powered Santa Fe. Those concept car looks are likely to make it to production, as was the case with the smaller Ioniq models.
Where the production car is likely to differ most is inside; it’ll lose the concept’s swivelling front seats in favour of regular ones, and the concept’s rear-hinged back doors aren’t likely to make it to showrooms, either. That the concept’s axles are 3.2m apart (farther than those of a Santa Fe or even a Mercedes-Benz S-Class) mean there should be no shortage of passenger leg room.
Hyundai says the Seven concept points to the firm’s autonomous future; in place of a steering wheel, there’s a joystick that folds away to create a lounge-like interior environment. Don’t expect the production Ioniq 7 to truly drive itself, but it’ll be able to automatically maintain its lane position, speed and distance from other vehicles, as well as assisting with lane changes.
Another certainty is how the Ioniq 7 will be powered: its underpinnings will share technology with those used by the Ioniq 5 and 6. That means the 7 will have two electric motors (one for each axle) and a battery of around 77kWh (usable), which should deliver an official range of more than 300 miles. That would put it ahead of the BMW iX xDrive40 (253 miles) and Ford Mustang Mach-E Select (292 miles), both of which have similar-sized batteries.
As with its smaller siblings, the Ioniq 7’s battery is likely to accept charging rates of up to 240kW, enabling a 10-80% top-up in around 20 minutes. That’s less time than most rivals will take, but the gap will disappear if you use one of the less powerful 50kW or 100kW chargers that are more commonplace in the UK.
There’s no official word on Ioniq 7 pricing just yet, but we expect it to start at around £55,000. That would put it close to the smaller, less practical Mustang Mach-E and would mean that it significantly undercuts the iX.
Lotus Emeya
