Hyundai is launching Ioniq as a fully electric subsidiary
Hyundai is making Ioniq its own sub-brand for future battery electric vehicles based on the new Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) with 800-volt technology. The first model will be the Ioniq 5 based on the Hyundai 45 concept car next year, with two further Ioniq models already announced.
According to the Korean manufacturer, a number of numerically named electric models will be launched under the name Ioniq, with the even numbers used for sedans and the odd numbers for SUVs. The first model in the brand family to be launched early next year will be the Ioniq 5, a mid-sized crossover SUV based on the concept car 45. This will be followed in 2022 by a sports sedan called Ioniq 6, based on the Prophecy concept car. The Ioniq 7 model, a large electric SUV, will follow in early 2024.
Hyundai says it is responding to “the growing demand for electric vehicles” by establishing its own BEV subsidiary. “The IONIQ brand will change the paradigm of EV customer experience. With a new emphasis on connected living, we will offer electrified experiences integral to an eco-friendly lifestyle,” said Wonhong Cho, Executive Vice President and Global Chief Marketing Officer of Hyundai Motor Company.
Back in April, there was speculation that the production model based on the Prophecy concept could be a successor to the Hyundai Ioniq as a model name rather than a brand name. Hyundai initially launched a research and development project on environmentally friendly mobility under this name. Later, the Ioniq sedan was launched as a hybrid, a plug-in hybrid and a battery-electric car.
The name Ioniq is intended to combine the two terms “ion” and “unique”. At the launch of the new sub-brand, the Korean company also launched an advertising campaign that aims to establish the brand’s sustainability and “diverse lifestyle” with the slogan “I’m in charge”.
Whether the Ioniq sub-brand will also have consequences for production and distribution is not clear from the Group’s announcement. A spokesman for Hyundai Germany stated that Ioniq as a sub-brand is part of the existing organisation, meaning that it is developed and built by the current Hyundai team. Whether Ioniq would have its own dealers or special Ioniq areas at existing Hyundai dealerships could “not be answered at this time”.
0 Comments