Hyundai's Got An Awesome-Looking $30,000 EV. But It's Not For You

Hyundai's fantastic looking Ioniq 3 electric hatchback just silently drove up the hill at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. It was probably the cheapest car anywhere even near the event, but that's actually why it made such a splash. Hyundai revealed that the new compact EV is expected to start at under £25,000 in the U.K., the equivalent of $34,000 USD. When you check the specs, and oogle its very stylish design, that price tag seems alarmingly low. The only question that remains is whether it's ever going to cross the Atlantic. 

At the moment, Hyundai say it has no plans to bring the Ioniq 3 to the United States. It was designed, and will be built, in Europe, so the chances of it coming here are slim at the moment. However, funkier things have happened, so if tariffs cool off there may be a chance Hyundai decides to bring it over. I certainly hope that happens, because it would immediately become one of the most competitive EVs on the market. 

With its $30,000-ish price tag, the Hyunai Ioniq 3 packs a long-range battery that has up to 308 miles of WLTP range and 400-volt charging. OK, so its single-motor, 145-horsepower powertrain isn't exactly thrilling, but it also only has at most a 61 kWh battery pack (the standard-range model has 42 kWh), so it shouldn't be too heavy. Its 0-60 mph time of 9.0 seconds flat is dang slow, even by econobox standards, but with a 10-80 percent charge time of just 29 minutes, it's fast where it counts.

Hyundai Ioniq 3 (2026): displays and steering wheel in detail

Photo by: Hyundai

Just look at it, though. It's an awesome looking little EV, with its short overhangs, pointy D-pillar kink, and that cool zig-zag roofline. It looks good inside, too. Squircle steering wheels need to die but this is one of the better examples I've seen, and while the massive touchscreen might seem like much, the little driver's display on the dashboard is nice and simple. The N Line EVO adds a sportier flair, with black wheels and red accents throughout the cabin. 

If it were to come here, the Ioniq 3 would instantly become one of the cheapest EVs on sale, competing with cars like the Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf, and Hyundai's own Kona Electric, while looking better than all of them. Americans aren't in love with hatchbacks, but the current Hyundai Ioniq 5 is proving that cool styling and affordable EV pricing can overcome any hatchback prejudice, and the Ioniq 3 is even better looking. 

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