The Hyundai Ioniq 3 electric hatchback is due in Australia early next year as an indirect successor to the long-running i30.
Electric Cars
The smallest model in Hyundai's dedicated Ioniq electric-vehicle range has debuted – and it has been confirmed for Australia.
Set to launch in Australia early next year, the 2027 Hyundai Ioniq 3 electric hatchback is similar in size to the i30 petrol hatchback, which is no longer offered in standard guise in local showrooms.
The Ioniq 3 will rival electric hatchbacks such as the MG 4, BYD Dolphin and GAC Aion UT when it arrives in Australia, however, the Turkish-built model is expected to be upwards of $10,000 dearer than its Chinese competitors, though final RRPs are yet to be confirmed.
Previewed by the Hyundai Concept Three unveiled in Germany in September 2025, the electric hatchback is the brand's next model to feature the brand’s new 'Art of Steel' design language, following the second-generation Nexo hydrogen SUV.
Based on the front-wheel-drive, 400-volt version of the Hyundai Motor Group's Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) electric-vehicle architecture, the Ioniq 3’s motors and batteries appear to have more in common with the Kia EV2 than the Kia EV3 and EV4 already available in Australia.
Standard Range versions feature a 42.2kWh battery and a 99.5kW/250Nm front electric motor for a WLTP-rated 344-kilometre driving range, while Long Range editions upgrade to a 61kWh battery and a 108kW motor for a 496km range.
Hyundai claims a 0-100km/h acceleration time of 9.0sec for the Standard Range or 9.6sec for the Long Range, and a "class-leading" drag coefficient of 0.263.
A maximum direct-current (DC) fast charging speed has not been announced, but it is expected to match the 150kW of its Kia siblings, while it supports alternating-current (AC) charging power of up to 22kW.
On a DC fast charger, a 10 to 80 per cent charge is claimed to take between 29 minutes for the Standard Range and 30 minutes for the Long Range.
Measuring 4155mm long (4170mm for the N Line), 1800mm wide and 1505mm tall, the Ioniq 3 is between 170mm and 185mm shorter nose to tail than an i30 N Line hatchback, but 5mm wider and 52mm taller.
Its 2680mm wheelbase is identical to the Kia EV3 and the European-market, short-wheelbase Hyundai Tucson SUV, and 30mm longer than an i30 hatchback.
The five-seat hatchback has a 441-litre luggage capacity, split between 322 litres from the boot floor and a 122-litre 'Megabox' beneath, providing "additional, cleverly concealed storage space".
The Ioniq 3 is the first Hyundai production model to feature its new Android Automotive-based Pleos Connect infotainment system – replacing the current 'ccNC' software found across most of its models – ahead of the next-generation Tucson and i30 Sedan later this year.
Certain vehicle functions have been integrated within its 12.9-inch or 14.6-inch touchscreens, but Hyundai has retained a row of physical controls in the Ioniq 3's cabin, including key climate and audio functions, along with a permanent row of touch-based shortcut controls.
Available features include digital phone key functionality, heated, ventilated and 'relaxation' tilting front seats, a Bose premium audio system, dual-zone climate control, and interior and exterior vehicle-to-load (V2L) support.
It is also available with Hyundai's semi-autonomous Highway Driving Assist 2 system, remote smart parking with a new memory reverse function, blind-spot cameras, adaptive LED headlights and a surround-view camera.
The Ioniq 3 will be offered in Europe in eleven exterior colours, including a new matte red finish, along with "multiple interior schemes" and wheel options between 16 and 19 inches.
N Line versions add "sporty design elements and exclusive touches" to the Ioniq 3, including N branding on the steering wheel.
The electric hatchback will be manufactured in Hyundai's factory in Turkey, which currently builds the i20 hatchback and Bayon SUV, including the i20 N hot hatch for Australia before production ceased last month.
More details on the 2027 Hyundai Ioniq 3, including local pricing and specifications, will be confirmed closer to its Australian launch early next year.
Electric vehicles under the Luxury Car Tax threshold – recently increased to $120,000 as one step in unlocking a European free trade deal – are exempt from a 5 per cent import tariff, unlike non-electric vehicles manufactured in countries without free trade deals, such as Turkey.
However, the Ioniq 3 is still expected to cost more than small electric hatchbacks from China, which start from around $30,000, and slot between the Inster and Kona Electric, likely starting in the $40,000 range.
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Jordan is a motoring journalist based in Melbourne with a lifelong passion for cars. He has been surrounded by classic Fords and Holdens, brand-new cars, and everything in between from birth, with his parents’ owning an automotive workshop in regional Victoria. Jordan started writing about cars in 2021, and joined the Drive team in 2024.
