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Hyundai’s smallest Ioniq model has been caught on camera just a few weeks before it makes its official debut.
Electric Cars
The Hyundai Ioniq 2, a small electric car similar in size to today's petrol i30 hatch, has been photographed undergoing testing in heavy camouflage ahead of its expected reveal at next month's Munich motor show.
Sized to fit in between the compact Inster and more traditional small SUV positioning of the Kona Electric, the Ioniq 2 shows a fastback profile, but with the slightly elevated ride height of a crossover SUV.
Unlike the Inster and Kona, which use adapted internal combustion platforms, the Ioniq 2 is set to use a version of Hyundai’s E-GMP dedicated electric underpinnings.
However, compared to the larger Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 that debuted the platform, the Ioniq 2 is expected to switch to front-wheel drive, following the format used by the related Kia EV3, EV4, and EV5.
Although obscured by form-hiding front and rear padded camouflage, the Ioniq 2 shows signs of having a sloped front end similar to that of the Ioniq 6, blended with a fastback hatch shape, similar to that of the 2026 Hyundai Nexo fuel-cell SUV.
Visible lighting, shown through the masked front and rear, hints at a separated left and right front lights, with Hyundai’s ‘parametric pixel’ tail lights at each side of the rear. Full-width light bars, as seen on the Kona, i30 Sedan, and Sonata, don’t appear to be used on the Ioniq 2.
The Ioniq 2 is likely to be revealed to the public at the Munich motor show (IAA Mobility) in September.
Full details of the battery and motors for the Ioniq 2 are yet to be announced, but the positioning of rivals suggests it could offer a flagship option with over 400km of range, or an entry-level battery with closer to 300km.
As with other small E-GMP cars, the Ioniq 2 will be based on a 400-volt electric architecture, not the 800-volt system found in the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6.
As a result, DC fast-charge power is likely to be capped at about 100-130kW, in line with other small Hyundai EVs.
Full specifications and details of which global markets are likely to receive the Ioniq 2 are set to follow the car’s reveal, but the German public debut suggests that Europe is expected to be the car’s primary market.
Hyundai currently sources all of its electric models for Australia from South Korea, but if the Ioniq 2 is destined primarily for Europe, it may use the brand's Czech Republic factory.
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Kez Casey migrated from behind spare parts counters to writing about cars over ten years ago. Raised by a family of automotive workers, Kez grew up in workshops and panel shops before making the switch to reviews and road tests for The Motor Report, Drive and CarAdvice.
