Hyundai Ioniq 3: small EV priced from £25,000 due in September

For drivers watching their outgoings, a new compact electric car priced from £25,000 is worth paying attention to. According to multiple reports, the Hyundai Ioniq 3 is heading to the UK in September, positioning itself as an affordable entry point into Hyundai's electric range and a direct rival to cars such as the Renault 5 electric.

Despite measuring just 4,155mm in length, closer to a Volkswagen Polo than a Golf, the Ioniq 3 is said to offer a genuinely spacious interior, thanks to a longer wheelbase than its exterior dimensions might suggest. That kind of packaging efficiency matters when you are spending £25,000 and want real-world practicality in return.

Hyundai describes the car as an 'aero hatch', with a low, wedge-shaped body designed to cut through the air as cleanly as possible. Better aerodynamics tend to translate into a longer real-world range, which in turn reduces how often you are stopping to charge, a direct saving on public charging costs for those without a home charger. Range figures for the production version have not yet been confirmed, but efficiency is clearly a central part of the engineering brief.

Prototype drives carried out at a Hyundai test track have drawn broadly positive early verdicts on handling and interior quality, according to multiple reports, though journalists have not yet driven the finished production car on public roads. A sportier N Line variant, stretching to 4,170mm, is also expected in the line-up. If you are weighing up whether the Ioniq 3 makes financial sense against alternatives, comparing running costs and financing options across a range of models is straightforward at Car.co.uk.