Hyundai presents its smallest Ioniq, the Ioniq 3, in Europe
The Hyundai Ioniq 3 aims to be an ideal city-car for the tight European streets, offering a claimed range of 496km in its Long Range variant!
This newest and smallest Ioniq is offered with 42.2kWh and 61kWh battery packsThis model debuted as Hyundai’s ‘Concept Three’ at IAA Mobility 2025. The series production-ready model is called the Ioniq 3, and it’s been introduced for sale in the European market as an electric city-car solution. Here’s a close look at what is known so far about this EV.
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 3 design
The Ioniq 3 carries over various aesthetic elements from the ‘Concept Three’ ermm, concept car, which itself followed the philosophy of ‘Art of Steel.’ Despite the small footprint, it gets a generous 2680mm wheelbase, 1800mm width and 1505mm height. It continues to have a flat nose, but with a conventional lighting setup – DRLs on top and main headlight cluster below. Hyundai has kept the four illuminated squares in the centre, directly lifted from the concept car. The profile also follows the source material very closely, with sharp character lines and smooth accentuations in the body cladding. It will be available with alloy wheels ranging from 16 inches to 19 inches on the basis of the variant selected. Moving to the rear, Hyundai has managed to retain the extended glass in the tailgate. The ‘N Line’ variants will specifically get a pronounced boot-lip spoiler and lower diffuser in the rear bumper.
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 3 cabin
On the inside is where the looks have taken a departure from the bright and quirky concept’s cabin. It gets a HUD screen, positioned in the driver’s line-of-sight, whereas the central infotainment system will be made available in 12.9-inch and 14.6-inch sizes. Irrespective of the display real estate, the system will run Android Automotive OS. It comes equipped with Bose premium sound system, dual-zone automatic AC and ambient lighting. The non-N Line model features what Hyundai calls Relaxation Seats which are heated and ventilated. These seats are upholstered in either textile fabric taking inspiration from 1970s Italian furniture design or recycled and bio-based options.
This is Ioniq 3 N Line's interior with a squircle-shaped steering wheel and black microfibre upholstery
Exclusive to the N Line, there’s a squircle-shaped steering wheel with a prominent ‘N’ badge in the centre. Another N Line specific aesthetic detail is the microfibre upholstered seats with red accents and contrast stitching. It can swallow a total of 441 litres of cargo, which includes a 322-litre boot along with a 119-litre Megabox – an under-floor compartment. Additionally, it will have Hyundai’s Digital Key 2 tech which enables keyless access from smartphones and wearable devices. There’s also an interior and exterior Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) functionality and Highway Driving Assist 2 in the Ioniq 3.
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 3 battery, powertrain and performance
It will be available with two battery sizes – a 42.2kWh (Standard) with a claimed range of 344km, then there’s a bigger 61kWh (Long Range) pack which will deliver 496km of claimed range. The Ioniq 3 will sport a single-motor setup, only driving the front wheels, with a peak output of 145bhp (Standard) and 133bhp (Long Range) with 250Nm of torque. 0 to 100kmph is claimed in 9 seconds (Standard) and 9.6 seconds (Long Range). Hyundai’s smallest Ioniq model will top out at a top speed of 170kmph. It weighs between 1550kg and 1580kg. Both batteries are capable of fast DC charging which can take the charge level from 10 to 80 per cent in 29 minutes, whereas AC charging supports up to 22kW.
2026 Hyundai Ioniq 3 availability
Hyundai Ioniq 3’s unveil only pertains to an upcoming launch in Europe alone at the moment. Hyundai Motor India has not yet disclosed its plans for a possible Indian launch of its smallest Ioniq model. Stay tuned for any and all updates on the same.
