Hyundai’s marketing and sales teams have a way with words. On the window sticker of the 2019 Hyundai Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid, they’ve managed to sum up the hatchback’s powertrain technology in two brief sentences: "Electric when you want it. Hybrid when you need it."
Hyundai launched the Ioniq Hybrid against Toyota’s top-selling Prius back in 2017. Last year, it extended the Ioniq’s lineup to include an all-electric model and this plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version. Although plug-in hybrids remain a very small percentage of new car sales, sales are increasing as consumers realize the benefits of the technology — especially as plug-in hybrids offer more range and better driving characteristics than ever before. There are also more models to choose from. Ioniq PHEV competes with a long list of competitors that includes the Chevrolet Volt, Honda Clarity, Kia Niro, and Toyota Prius Prime.