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The South Korean brand will field a competitor to the MG 4 and BYD Dolphin from early next year with the Ioniq 3 confirmed for Australia.
Electric Cars
Hyundai Australia has committed to bringing the Ioniq 3 electric vehicle (EV) to showrooms in early 2027, but the new model is yet to be officially unveiled.
In a statement to media, Hyundai Motor Company Australia director of sales David Rodda said the small electric hatchback would form part of the brand’s plans for broader all-electric market coverage.
“Our existing EV line-up already covers 85 per cent of the market, and with the introduction of the Staria commercial van later this year and Ioniq 3 hatch early next year, we expect to reach 96 per cent overall EV market coverage,” Rodda said.
However, details on the production Ioniq 3 – including styling, range, and performance – are yet to be confirmed, with the brand only previewing the model with a concept from September, 2025.
Known as the Concept Three, the show car is sized similarly to a Volkswagen Golf, MG 4, and i30 hatch, but many elements like the widebody, yellow glasshouse, and transparent rear spoiler are likely to change for the production Ioniq 3.
Speculation, however, points to the Ioniq 3 sharing much in common with the Kia EV3, including its 400-volt E-GMP platform.
If proven true, battery options for Australia could include an entry-level 58kWh version and a long-range 81kWh option, which affords a respective claimed 436km and up to 604km of driving range in Australian-spec EV3s.
All versions of the Australian EV3 are front-wheel drive and output 150kW/283Nm from a single electric motor.
However, production of the Ioniq 3 is set for Turkey, unlike the EV3 that is sourced from South Korea, which could lead to higher local pricing due to logistics and shipping.
For reference, the EV3 is available from $47,600 before on-road costs and tops out at $63,950, while Hyundai’s current most affordable electric car is the Inster that starts at $39,000.
Of note, only one other Hyundai Australia model is built at the brand’s Izmit, Turkey facility – the i20 N, which wound down production last month.
Hyundai is expected to reveal the production version of the Ioniq 3 later this year.
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Tung Nguyen has been in the automotive journalism industry for over a decade, cutting his teeth at various publications before finding himself at Drive in 2024. With experience in news, feature, review, and advice writing, as well as video presentation skills, Tung is a do-it-all content creator. Tung’s love of cars first started as a child watching Transformers on Saturday mornings, as well as countless hours on PlayStation’s Gran Turismo, meaning his dream car is a Nissan GT-R, with a Liberty Walk widebody kit, of course.
