Function and desirability: those are two of the key elements of any great design, whether it be an armchair, a table or a new hatchback. Something which Hyundai understands well.
It’s fitting that the brand chose Milan Design Week (20-26 April) to unveil the latest addition to its electric vehicle line-up, because the IONIQ 3 is, as Hyundai's head of style Simon Loasby explains, a car with design at its heart.
Italian furniture of the 1970s and the simplicity of steel were key inspirations for Loasby and his team. They took a human-centric, ergonomic approach, but there is also that sprinkling of ingenuity and magic.
‘We knew we were going to make a five-door hatchback, but the question was about how we make it unique,’ says Loasby, whose team created 10-15 potential silhouettes for the car. It was lucky number seven that made him sit back and think, ‘there it is’.
‘You accelerate over the roof and then snap downwards,’ he explains of the shape that creates both more headspace and greater aerodynamics. Hyundai calls the car an ‘aero hatch’ – it has an expected class-leading drag coefficient of 0.263.
The IONIQ 3 is the first production model borne of Hyundai’s new ‘Art of Steel’ design philosophy, defined by fluid curves and sculpted surfaces that mimic the flow of sheet metal. This approach to form is aided by the fact that Hyundai manufactures its own steel; owning and understanding the material at every stage of the process gives the design team the ‘degrees of freedom that help them succeed’. And it is precisely this innovation, and the extra spaciousness it has created within the car, that allowed Loasby and his team to think differently about the interior too.
‘We looked to the pure, beautiful proportions of Italian furniture,’ he says. ‘That was the theme of the interior space – we looked at it as a set of pieces of furniture.’ In the same way you might have a sofa and an armchair in a living room, the intention was to create that same feeling of comfort and good design within the confines of a car, he explains. The seats are upholstered in a mix of all-black leather and Alcantara – a combination that Loasby points out ‘lends a real textural uniqueness between the surfaces’ – finished with a contrast red stitch. The textiles were inspired by 1970s furniture design and natural landscapes.
Yes, it’s an EV with the stats that drivers will be looking for: the standard range on a full charge is over 335km (and there’s a Long Ranger version that boosts that to over 490km), plus fast DC charging from 10 to 80 per cent in approximately 29 minutes, complemented by AC charging capability of up to 22 kW. But it’s also a lifestyle accessory.
The matte red exterior was chosen for its boldness, while Hyundai’s four dot pixel lighting appears on the back (the dots representing the letter H in Morse code). The design is eye-catching and speaks of a need for optimism. It chimes with the fact that, as Loasby says, ‘people are ready to smile’. It’s a trend that can also be seen in furniture and interiors: a desire for personality, individuality and fun. ‘Just look around Milan,’ he adds. ‘All the small cars are like a handbag – they make that punchy fashion statement. So we asked ourselves what the most punchy statement would be for this car.’ The result is electric.
Find out more at hyundai.com
