2018 Hyundai Ioniq vs Toyota Prius

What's the difference?

Not content with cutting the hot-hatch grass with its fresh-out-the-box N Performance range, Hyundai now has the green market firmly in its sights with the new Ioniq family. And having just spent a week behind the wheel, Australia’s long-standing hybrids should be looking over their eco-friendly shoulders.

The ultimate irony of the Prius is that there’s no place for it in a hybridised world it is largely responsible for creating. 

With the same fuel-efficient drivetrain technology readily available from Toyota’s freshly updated range of cars, and the fact there are now more innovative competitors in the market, the list of reasons to consider a Prius is considerably shorter than it once was.

It still strikes a practicality middle-ground between the Camry and the Corolla though, and for some eco-conscious buyers the Prius name still rightfully carries weight.

Do you think the Prius still has a place in a hybridised world? Tell us in the comments below.

We’re a tad smitten with it, to be honest. At least from the front, where a wide, silver-slatted grille takes up plenty of real estate, stretching sideways to join the slim and swept-back headlights and vertical DRLs. It’s a premium front-end treatment, and it looks very good on this hybrid.

The rear three-quarter view isn’t quite so sharp, though. With slippery aerodynamic function clearly taking precedent over styling form, there’s a touch of the old Prius in the liftback-style design.

Inside, our test car was like an ode to grey, with the colour of the seats near-matching that of the dash and door panelling. I’d be optioning a little more contrast, but the touchpoints all have a quality feel to them, and the ambiance is only improved by the soft and flat-bottomed steering wheel that feels lovely in your hands.

So, the hybrid touches: the driver’s binnacle display is made up of three gauges - a dial which shows you how much battery you’re using at any one time, the battery and petrol gauges, and a speedo - and there’s an air-con feature that allows you to only activate the driver’s zone to save power. Oh, and there's a foot-operated parking brake (so beloved by US drivers), which feels weirdly old-school in such a tech-savvy car.

You know when middle-aged folks become acutely aware of the endless march of time and lash out to reclaim former youth. Colloquially known as a mid-life crisis, I think the Prius is well and truly there on the design front.

The ’97 first-gen car had ugly, awkward styling. But it made its point. The awkward shape back then was the reality of the future. Cars needed to be smart and practical, forgoing the luxuries of beautiful styling or long, sculpted bonnets.

For the eco-conscious the original Prius’ design was kind-of punk-iconic. They were indifferent, or worse still, proud of its unusual shape as it reinforced to everyone who gazed upon it that they’d made the tough choice to drive a Prius, for the good of the planet.

I would argue, however, that our fourth-gen car you see here doesn’t need to be as edgy. But it is. And it’s trying really hard to be. Look at all the science fiction hard lines and angles. The design goes out of its way to look controversial. It’s like a mid-40s relative suddenly wearing skinny jeans and using emojis.

I’d say our base-spec Prius doesn’t look bad, per se. Especially in its appealing ‘Lunar Blue’ paint, but the wacky assault of angles which dominates the front lower fascia, side three-quarter and lifted-up rear will be enough to scare off some buyers.

Inside, the design theme continues, with oddly-placed screens, a cardinal design sin of placing the instrument binnacle centrally in the dash, and a weirdly low (but nicely-sized) 7.0-inch touchscreen.

To detract from the appeal further, there’s a mish-mash of matte and gloss materials in different colours and patterns. I was particularly offended by the random glittery off-white plastics used around the steering wheel and shift-lever. Strange.

On a more positive note, I will say the Prius’ large windows grant excellent forward and side vision for the driver, and - gloss plastics aside - the cabin ambiance has generally improved greatly over the previous-generation car.

At 4470mm long and 1820mm wide, Hyundai’s Ioniq is about on-par with Toyota’s Prius (4540mm long, 1760mm wide), and serves up an impressive amount of space for passengers in either row. 

Up front, expect two cupholders, along with two 12-volt outlets, two USB connection points and a wireless charging pad for your compatible phone. There’s room in each of the doors for bottles, and a deep central storage bin for extra items.

Climb into the back seat, and it does feel tighter than expected, given each door-trim moulding extends into the window seats, but at my 175cm, I had ample leg and headroom. 

There is a net on the rear of the passenger seat, and two cupholders that live in the pull-down divider that separates the back row, as well as two ISOFIX attachment points. Back seat riders do get air-con vents, but no temperature controls, and there are no USB points or power outlets, either.

The boot opens to reveal a high-load space, with a full-size spare wheel hidden below the shelf. There is 563 litres (VDA) on offer if you’re willing to stack your luggage to the roof, swelling to 1518 litres with the rear seats folded flat.

The Prius is reasonably practical, though perhaps not as much as its hatchback body would suggest.

Yes, it’s bigger and more spacious than the new Corolla, offering greater legroom, headroom and boot space but due to the car’s teardrop silhouette, it’s easily aced by the Camry.

Despite the fully raising hatch rear, the boot floor is quite high to accommodate batteries and the space saver spare, giving the Prius a 457 litre (VDA) cargo capacity.

It’s eclipsed by the Camry Hybrid’s 524 litre boot space, and while that’s partially due to the sedan’s longer body, it’s also due to a smarter placement of the batteries under the rear passenger seats.

Room in the cabin is plentiful, and feels bigger than it is due to the low-slung dashboard and generous window space. This Prius also has a lower seating position than the previous generation, with softer, more comfortable seats. 

There are two large cupholders in the centre up front as well as well-sized bottle holders in the doors. The centre console opens up to reveal a decent sized storage space, plus there is one USB port, one 12-volt outlet and an auxiliary in socket located in front of it. 

The Qi wireless charging bay is nice, but arguably eats a lot of space. More storage down the centre would be welcome.

Rear passengers are treated pretty well, too, with nice headroom but legroom that’s only slightly more generous than a hatchback. There are no vents up the back (disappointing), but the inclusion of four decent-sized cupholders is a plus.

Our base model Prius costs $36,440 before on-road costs, and even in Toyota’s stable it’s precariously priced. You see, you can now get the really very good Toyota Camry Ascent Hybrid for just $29,990, and I honestly don’t know why you wouldn’t.

For just $4460 more than the Prius (at $40,900), you’re also looking at a significantly more luxurious (and still hybrid) Lexus CT200h.

The Prius also needs to look over its shoulder considering the new Hyundai Ioniq hybrid will soon hit dealerships and is touted to cost similar amounts of money with a more mainstream design.

The base Prius comes loaded with a 7.0-inch touchscreen with built-in sat-nav, Bluetooth connectivity and a premium JBL audio system. It’s a more comprehensive multimedia offering than what’s present on some other Toyotas, but Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are still a while off for Australia.

It has to be said that Toyota’s native multimedia UX is feeling old. It’s slow to respond to inputs, poorly laid out and not exactly easy to navigate. Competing Hyundai, Mazda and Kia systems are vastly superior.

Also standard are, keyless entry on the driver’s door, a head-up display (which is a godsend given you don’t get centrally-mounted instruments), climate control with an 'Eco' mode, a ‘Qi’ (Chee) wireless phone charging bay (nice addition), LED auto-levelling headlights, LED DRLs, and rain-sensing wipers.

There are no parking sensors, but you do get a rather good reversing camera. Fans of antiquated media forms will be happy to know there’s still a CD player.

If you combine those features with the ones included in the safety section of this review, the value isn’t too bad. However, the in-some-ways-better-equipped Camry Ascent Sport Hybrid beckons…

The Ioniq’s 1.6-lire, four-cylinder engine serves up 77kW/147Nm, but the addition of an electric motor lifts combined outputs to 104kW/265Nm.

They pair with a six-speed dual-clutch automatic (complete with utterly inexplicable paddle shifters), shuffling power to the front wheels.

The Prius is powered by a combination of a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, and two electric motors (housed in a transaxle and powered by a nickel metal hydride battery).

The 1.8-litre engine employs some smart tech. It re-circulates exhaust gas to heat up the engine and has a new exhaust and intake system. Toyota claimed, at the time of this Prius’ launch in 2016, it was the most thermally efficient mass-produced engine in the world. Total outputs are on the low side though at 72kW/142Nm.

Of the two electric motors, only one actually provides drive to the wheels via the transaxle. That motor can produce a max output of 53kW/163Nm.

Both power sources combine for what Toyota claims is a total output of 90kW. That’s not a big number, and the electric motor only supports fully electric driving up to 30km/h. 

If there’s anything a brand like Tesla proves, it’s that there’s much more to be expected from today’s EV tech, while you can hardly compare them by any measure (price, tech or otherwise), it shows how far we’ve come since the Prius’ hybrid tech was new.

A CVT transmission combines the outputs of the electric motor and petrol engine to drive the front wheels.

The nickel-metal hydride battery is an 'old kind', with the Prius overseas getting newer, theoretically safer and higher-energy, Lithium-ion batteries instead.

The claimed fuel consumption is 3.9 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle, and after treating it very, very unkindly, the on-board computer said we were using 6.1L/100km. Emissions are a claimed 92g/km of C02. For the record, Toyota claims 3.4L/100km for the Prius hybrid.

The Ioniq’s 45-litre tank will accept cheap-as-chips 91RON fuel, which is a very good thing.

Old technology or not, the Prius’ drivetrain is tried, tested and refined. The result is a real-world fuel figure which is difficult to argue with. Over my test week I scored 4.1L/100km. 

That’s seriously impressive, even in today’s hybridised world, and not too far off Toyota’s claimed combined cycle figure of 3.4L/100km. 

It beats the claimed fuel figures of Hyundai’s Ioniq (3.9L/100km), but even here I’d prefer a Hybrid Camry (4.2L/100km) at such a slight fuel penalty.

Oh, and if you genuinely care about the environment, the Prius has a  CO2 output of 80g/km, most cars can’t even get below 100g/km.

If the mark of a good eco-friendly car is that you’re not constantly reminded that you’re driving one (and it really should be), then Hyundai’s Ioniq gets full marks.  

Despite a relatively modest power output being used to shift its circa-1.4-tonne kerb weight, it’s really pretty perky when you first plant your foot, albeit after a short pause while the gearbox gathers its wits. And there’s enough in-gear punch to ensure you won’t be checking your life insurance policy is up to date before pulling out to overtake.

Vision out of most windows is excellent, though the rear view is impeded by a bar that splits the glass into two sections, and in-cabin tech - including the touchscreen that will show you two functions at once - was flawless. 

For mine, though, it doesn’t feel quite as polished as some of Hyundai’s other products on the road, feeling a little jerkier and a little more skittish from behind the wheel than, say, the i30 Premium. But it’s something you soon get used to, and you adjust accordingly.

The steering is inner-city light, without much dead air in the centre, and the ride irons out most bumps without too much bother. But there was some noticeable tyre noise in the cabin on certain road surfaces.

Oh, and it’s got a Sport button, which makes the accelerator so super sensitive you need to treat it like it’s transformed into a cobra, but we abandoned it for the more comfortable Eco mode pretty quickly.

The Prius is hardly a car sold on the promise of sublime roadholding, but all things considered it’s actually not bad at all.

This is down to a few factors. Firstly – The Prius was the first Toyota to ride on the new ‘TNGA’ platform which now underpins half of Toyota’s range and, today's Prius has independent rear suspension, unlike the last-generation car.

It adds up to a package that’s surprisingly competent in the corners and has nicely weighted steering. Thankfully, it’s not as bland to drive as some Toyotas past.

The added ride height and softer suspension tune compared to the new Corolla and Camry (both of which I’ve driven recently) cause it to wallow and struggle to recover over larger or frequent bumps, however, so it’s still far from perfect.

It does offer up excellent levels of refinement though. Noise from the road is low, and the engine is so quiet it’s hard to tell when it’s actually on. The hybrid drive tech is seamless, moving between engine and battery power smoothly and efficiently.

It’s a slick application of the hybrid tech and shows how well refined Toyota’s version of the tech is. Gone are the days of the engine suddenly rattling to life and screaming up the rev range when it’s needed.

While I didn’t like the centrally-mounted instrument binnacle, I found myself hardly using it thanks to the head-up display providing me with all the info I needed.

On the topic of info, the economy monitor which shows you where power is being sourced from makes a game out of the drivetrain. I found myself trying to rely on the electric motor as much as possible, feathering the accelerator in city traffic so the engine wouldn’t turn on. ‘Winning’ was when the car chastised you for letting the battery level get too low.

As I said earlier, the electric motor in the Prius can hardly compete with the unlocked electric potential of Tesla-style motors. Don't expect brutal acceleration off-the-line. The Prius instead must mainly rely on its (rather limited) engine power under heavy acceleration.

It’s a sluggish but comfortable daily commuter, then. Exactly what it says on the tin.

The base Prius has some advanced safety tech, but doesn’t quite get the full suite, missing out on some notable items.

Standard advanced safety is 'Lane Departure Warning' (LDW), 'Active Cruise Control' and a pre-collision safety system that is equivalent to 'Auto Emergency Braking' (AEB). 

You’ll need to step up to the Prius i-Tech ($43,900) to get 'Blind Spot Monitoring' (BSM) and 'Rear Cross Traffic Alert' (RCTA).

Despite this, and thanks to its regular suite of airbags, stability controls, and chassis reinforcements the Prius maintains a maximum five-star ANCAP safety rating as of November 2015.

Additions to the safety arsenal include a reversing camera and ISOFIX mounts on the outboard rear seats. There’s a space-saver spare which you’ll lose if you upgrade to the i-Tech, which comes with a repair/inflater kit.

Expect the Hyundai Ioniq to be covered by Hyundai’s five-year/unlimited km warranty, with roadside assist offered throughout. 

While the specific prices haven’t been announced, the Ioniq should also fall under Hyundai’s extensive capped-price servicing scheme.

A sore spot on any Toyota ownership proposition is the three year/100,000km warranty. Almost every brand in Australia has moved on, but admittedly Toyota buyers don’t seem so bothered by this. The incentive to update it isn’t really there for the behemoth company.

Holden, Ford and even Mazda have joined Hyundai and Honda with five-year warranties. Worth considering with the Hyundai Ioniq not far away.

On the service front, the Prius requires attention every six months or 10,000km which is irritatingly frequent. It will come in at a cost of $280 a year, which is relatively cheap.