New Hyundai Ioniq 3 to take the electric hatchback fight to the VW ID.3
Hyundai previewed its forthcoming electric hatchback with the striking Concept Three at the 2025 Munich Motor Show
The all-new Hyundai Ioniq 3 will be unveiled in April, the Korean brand has confirmed, just a few months after it unveiled the Concept Three, which previewed the rakish electric hatchback that’s set to take on the Kia EV4, Volkswagen ID.3 and Cupra Born.
Following its springtime debut, the Ioniq 3 should hit the streets before the end of the year, and we expect it will be priced from around £28,000. That would allow it to undercut all those rivals we mentioned, and position it between the Hyundai Inster city car and Kona Electric SUV in the brand’s EV line-up.
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What will the Hyundai Ioniq 3 look like?
Hyundai hasn’t released any teaser images of the Ioniq 3 yet, but we do have a fairly clear idea of what it will look like thanks to the rakish and very striking Concept Three that was unveiled at the 2025 Munich Motor Show.
“We wanted Concept Three to have a very sporting stance with a clear silhouette defined by aero hatch profile and typical EV-specific proportions with the low front,” Eduardo Ramirez, Hyundai Design Europe chief designer, told Auto Express.
Although Hyundai gives its EVs their own character rather than following the same design language from small to large cars – think how different the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 9 look – the pixel lighting theme that connects all three of those models is widely used on the Concept Three. The large pixel squares on the front, which look like a grille at first glance, are capable of showing the movement of the car’s animated companion, Mr Pix.
Meanwhile, the rear lighting is an evolution of the pixel-based displays on existing production cars, deploying parametric pixels that give the light bar a 3D effect rather than the retro 2D lighting on the likes of the Ioniq 5.
That front animation is one element that won’t make it through to production, although Simon Loasby, the head of the Hyundai Design Centre, said it’s not beyond possibility for production. “We can do it, but it’s about adding cost into the vehicle and would it move the car on in the eyes of the customer,” he told Auto Express. “But there is a fun factor to doing it. We get too serious sometimes and it gives impact and is memorable.”
The front end also features active air flaps to cool the battery, and a narrow band of LED lights. The rear is adorned by what looks like a pair of central exhaust pipes that, on closer inspection, are actually speakers designed to "deliver an emotive experience through sound,” according to Ramirez.
“This is the first compact car under the Ioniq brand and it’s been a lot of fun developing it,” added Loasby. Playful elements across the car include frequent appearances of the Mr Pix character, and the wording ‘May the downforce be with you’ stamped onto the huge rear diffuser.
The diffuser is another element that will be stripped away when the production version, which has been designed in tandem with its more extravagant concept sibling, is revealed next spring.
“Obviously they had some liberty in designing the concept car, but the dimensions are very very close to what you’ll have with the final vehicle,” Hyundai’s European boss Xavier Martinet told Auto Express. “The exterior is quite close, and the interior will be more traditional, although don’t expect it to be boring.”
At 4,288mm long, the Concept Three was larger than an ID.3, and just 52mm shorter than Hyundai's own i30 petrol hatchback. Meanwhile, the concept’s cabin is, according to its designers, supposed to represent a living room, with each item in the car representing an individual piece of furniture.
How much range will the Hyundai Ioniq 3 offer?
The Ioniq 3 will be based on the same slightly simplified version of Hyundai’s E-GMP platform that the Kia EV3 uses. That means it won’t have the complex and costly 800-volt electrical system, which gives the Ioniq 5 its ultra-rapid charging capabilities, but will help make it more affordable.
If the Ioniq 3 uses the same 58.3kWh and 81.4kWh batteries as the EV3, entry-level models should deliver around 300 miles of range, while the higher-spec versions might be capable of close to 400 miles on a single charge. We know a highly potent Ioniq 3 N is also on the cards.
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