The advent of electric vehicles and the huge surge with many carmakers taking the plunge and adding a variety of electric vehicles in their lineup with the 2018 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid being the most talked about addition. Hybrid vehicles are cleverly paired gasoline engines with electric motors, so you could run the vehicle on both. This helps add more mileage makingtransportation more environment friendly. Plug-in Hybrids are the latest innovation in Hybrid vehicles which run on batteries and the engine is only a charging mechanism. You can either fill up or charge up based on availability, time and convenience. The 2018 Ioniq Plug-in Hybrid from Hyundai we checked out at Petaluma Hyundai takes hybrid electric vehicles to an all new level and has feature highlights worth studying.

Outward Appearance

The exteriors of the Ioniq Plug-in with its no-nonsense aerodynamic profile from front to back has shown a coefficient drag of 0.24 which is a notch lower that most of the well-known top players vying for top space in aerodynamic design. The huge air inlet vents in the bumper incorporate LED Daytime Running Lights, a feature which is now becoming quite trendy. Things start getting exciting when you notice that the front grille features active air flaps that open and close automatically to enhance the aerodynamic performance. Hyundai has added a signature blue accent bar across the lower part of the bumper to differentiate its Hybrid range from its other vehicles apart from smooth sculpted body lines.

High Tech Interiors

The Plugin Hybrid comes in two variants – the Plug-in and a Plug-in Limited edition, with very few changes on the outside and specs and most differentiating features lying on the inside. The spacious interiors of the Ioniq Plug-in are plastered with technology with one of the most digitally mastered dash and driver LED cluster display in the Limited. You get a Proximity Key with Push-button start and one of the most advanced 7-inch color audio touch screen display with Apple Car Play, Android Auto that also displays images from the rearview camera. This is 8-inch in the Limited edition.

Upholstery is smartly trimmed cloth in the Plug-in with available leather seating which is again standard in the limited edition. Heated front seats and 6-way adjustable driver and passenger seat which includes height adjustment is common, while the Plug-in Limited features a 10-way power driver seat with power lumbar support.

Under the Hood

Things get extremely high tech and almost fuzzy as you peek under the hood and you realize that this is not one engine you would be meddling with without technical assistance from someone experienced like the Petaluma Hyundai dealership. The Ionic Plug-in Hybrid comes with a 1.6 Liter, DOHC 16 valve inline 4-cylinder engine that doles out 104 horsepower with 109 lb-ft of torque. The featured Interior Permanent Magnet Synchronous electric motor outputs a 45 kW @60 HP with 125 lb-ft torque with a 360V Lithium-ion polymer battery bank. You get a max 75mph with this system.

You want to perk things up then you would be going with the combined operation mode which generated a massive 139 hp which you control using the featured 6-speed EcoShift Dual-Clutch transmission on an FWD drive train that’s standard on both trims.