Hyundai’s New Budget-Friendly Ioniq EV Spotted In Europe

One camouflaged Hyundai Ioniq 2 prototype was spotted near Hyundai’s testing facility in Germany.

Hyundai Ioniq 2 prototype germany

Photo by: CarSpyMedia

Andrei Nedelea

By: Andrei Nedelea

Aug 13, 2025 at 12:30pm ET

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Hyundai is working on a new small EV for Europe, expected to be called the Ioniq 2.
It will be built on the cheaper front-wheel-drive version of the E-GMP platform and slot between the Inster and Kona EVs.
It's expected to be unveiled next month and go on sale in Europe in Q3 2026.

Hyundai makes some of the best electric vehicles currently available, ranging in size from tiny (the Inster) to very large (the Ioniq 9). But there are still unfilled size segments in its lineup, which is why it’s readying a sixth electric model, likely badged Ioniq 2, to slot between its Inster entry-level EV and the electric Kona.

Hyundai hasn’t confirmed it, but this is believed to be a model exclusively designed for the European market, where it will go up against similar-sized rivals like the Renault 4 E-Tech. The Ioniq 2 will use the more affordable front-wheel-drive version of the Hyundai-Kia E-GMP platform. Kia is also working on an equivalent model expected to be called the EV2, which we’ve already seen in concept form.

After sightings in Korea, an Ioniq 2 prototype was spotted again, this time by CarSpyMedia, coming out of the Hyundai Motor Europe Technical Center located near the Nurburgring in Germany. We don’t know if the prototype was tested on the ‘Ring, but it very likely saw dynamic testing around the famed track’s 154 corners.

The Ioniq 2 looks like a tall hatchback with a fastback rear end. Its front will likely feature a full-width light bar and an aggressive design similar to the facelifted Ioniq 6, with separate headlights placed lower down on the fascia. Autocar says that the Ioniq 2’s interior will feature an all-new infotainment system with selectable-color ambient lighting and acceleration sounds tied to the driving modes.

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Only single-motor, front-wheel-drive versions of the Ioniq 2 will likely be offered. The slightly larger Kia EV3, which is built on the same front-wheel-drive version of E-GMP, gets a standard 58.3-kilowatt-hour battery or a larger optional 81.4 kWh pack, and all variants are powered by the same 201 hp motor.

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The Inster has 42 kWh and 49 kWh batteries, while the Kona EV can be ordered with either 48.4 kWh or 64.8 kWh. The Ioniq 2 will be closer to the Kona, whose size it more closely matches, so something in the 60-kWh range seems about right.

The veil is expected to drop next month when the Hyundai Ioniq 2 will be fully unveiled at IAA Mobility 2025, which starts on September 9. Deliveries in Europe will commence in the third quarter of 2026.