All-electric Hyundai Concept Three previews Ioniq 3 hatch at Munich motor show
The Hyundai Concept Three has been unveiled at this year’s Munich motor show, and previews what is almost certain to be a production version of the Hyundai Ioniq 3 compact hatchback.
When it enters production in 2026, the Ioniq 3 is set to carry over the Concept Three’s overall shape, proportions, and surfacing. Measuring roughly the same size as a Volkswagen Golf, the Concept Three adopts a design what Hyundai calls an ‘Aero Hatch’ with a rakish body and a sculpted rear hatch not dissimilar to the futuristic, hybrid Honda CR-Z manufactured from 2011 to 2016.
Meanwhile, the ducktail spoiler – aimed at improving aero and therefore efficiency – appears to be inspired by the 641bhp, Ioniq 6 N hyper saloon.
It’s certain that the Ioniq 3 won’t carry over the yellow glassbox and gullwing doors of the Concept Three. However, the pixel graphics on the light bars front and rear synonymous with the all-electric Ioniq sub-brand will remain.
The Concept Three ushers in a new design language for Hyundai. Called ‘Art of Steel’, the exterior aims to showcase the possibilies of working with steel, and demonstrated how the metal can flow and bend. Updated aesthetics continue inside with the ‘Furnished Space’ concept.
According to Hyundai Design Centre boss, Simon Loasby, ‘Furnished Space’ looks to shape and finish materials in “in a more natural way” as if they were in a living room.
To “keep safety at the top of the pyramid”, the Concept Three benefits from an updated version of Hyundai’s HMI multimedia interface, with more physical buttons than its current system to help the driver remain focused on the road, rather than jabbing at a touchscreen.
Inside and out, the Hyundai Concept Three has a series of hidden Easter eggs featuring a repeating icon called ‘Mr Pix’. This approach of adding a sense of character to the Concept Three is not dissimilar to what Hyundai did with its Insteroid. This wild, race-derived version of the Inster city car recieves its very own avatars – a vehicle seemingly derived from Mario Kart, and a Pac Man-esque ghost.
When it arrives, the front-wheel drive Hyundai Ioniq 3 will sit between its Inster and Kona EVs.
It is expected to use the same E-GMP platform as a host of other Hyundai and Kia models. That most likely means either a 58.4kWh battery returning somewhere in the region of 260 miles of range, or an 81.4kWh battery with a 350-mile-plus range, and around 210bhp.
