Concept Three Is A Sleek, Compact Hatch
Hyundai has revealed the name of a compact EV concept it plans to unveil at the upcoming 2025 Munich Auto Show: Concept Three. That indicates the eventual production version will likely be called the Hyundai Ioniq 3, even though some reports hinted the name would be Ioniq 2. But Hyundai has switched numbers around before, showing the Seven concept but then releasing the production Ioniq 9.
Judging from a Hyundai teaser image, the Concept Three will be a sleek hatchback with compact proportions. Hyundai has coined the term “Aero Hatch” to describe the design, and that seems like an appropriate name given the canopy-like roofline and pointed front end seen in the teaser. Boxy fenders and a prominent rear spoiler give it a bit of a rally car look as well.
Cheapest Ioniq Model Yet?
Camouflaged prototypes of a small Hyundai electric hatch have been spotted testing recently, which is why we’re expecting a production vehicle based on the Concept Three. It’s likely to have a base price of around 30,000 euros, or just under $35,000 at current exchange rates.
That base price would handily undercut the $39,095 base price of the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, making the Ioniq 3 the cheapest Ioniq model sold in the United States. But it’s unclear if Hyundai will actually bring it to the U.S. or focus on Europe, where EV demand is stronger and Hyundai needs to shore itself up against competition from Chinese brands.
Even at that price, the Ioniq 3 also wouldn’t necessarily cost less than a Hyundai Kona Electric. Instead of sharing a platform with a gasoline vehicle like the Kona, the Ioniq 3 is expected to use the same E-GMP architecture as the other Ioniq models, but Hyundai could ditch the 800-volt electrical architecture used in other Ioniq models, bringing the Ioniq 3 closer to the Kona Electric in specs.
What We Know So Far
Whether it ends up being called an Ioniq 2 or Ioniq 3 in production form, Hyundai’s small Ioniq model is expected to be a sibling to the Kia EV2, which was shown as a concept earlier this year at the Kia EV Day event in Tarragona, Spain, and is expected to reach production in 2026. The EV2 is a much boxier design that would nicely contrast the “Aero Hatch” look of the Concept Three, following the template set by the contrasting design themes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6.
If the Concept Three hews closely to the EV2 concept under the skin, it will be properly compact. The EV2 sits between the Hyundai Kona Electric and Volvo EX30 in size, which would make it and a similar-sized Ioniq 3 among the smallest EVs in the U.S. Given Americans’ appetite for bigger vehicles, and the fact that Hyundai already has a compact EV for the U.S. in the form of the Kona Electric, the Ioniq 3 might be a long shot for this market.
