Hyundai reveals IONIQ 3 prices start at $30,000, and it already looks like a hit

Hyundai says the IONIQ 3 is attracting more customer interest than any vehicle it’s ever launched. With over 300 miles of range, Hyundai’s new high-tech infotainment system, and a starting price around $30,000, the electric hatch checks all the boxes.

Hyundai IONIQ 3 prices revealed in the UK

After the electric hatch made its first public debut “on the road” in the UK at the Goodwood Festival of Speed (FOS) earlier this month, Hyundai is starting to open orders across Europe and the UK.

The IONIQ 3 has received “the highest-ever level of customer interest recorded for a new Hyundai model,” the company said. That includes gas-powered and electric vehicles.

With orders set to open soon, Hyundai confirmed IONIQ 3 prices are expected to start at under £25,000 in the UK, or about $33,500.

On Vertu Motors’ website, the base Hyundai IONIQ 3 Standard Range model is already listed at £22,245 ($29,800).

It’s available in Standard or Extended Range versions with four different trim options: Advance, Premium, Ultimate, and N-Line Evo. The IONIQ 3 N, Hyundai’s electric hot hatch, will also join the lineup.

In the Netherlands, prices for the IONIQ 3 start at €27,995 ($32,000). It’s available with the same battery pack options (42 kWh or 61 kWh) and six trims: Select, Trend, Vision, N-Line, Prime, and N-Line Evo. Hyundai said the IONIQ will begin arriving in showrooms in late September.

As Hyundai’s first compact EV in its IONIQ series, the electric hatch is positioned as a smaller, more affordable sibling to the IONIQ 5.

Although it’s part of the same lineup, the IONIQ 3 debuts a new “Aero Hatch” design that makes it distinct from Hyundai’s other electric vehicles.

The new look “reimagines the compact EV silhouette,” according to Hyundai. Not only that, but it also provides a drag coefficient of just 0.263, the best in its class.

At just 4,155 mm (163.5″) long, 1,800 mm (70.9″) wide, and 1,505 mm (59.3″) tall, with a wheelbase of 2,680 mm (105.5″), the IONIQ 3 is even slightly smaller than the new Chevy Bolt EV and Kia EV3.

Despite its compact size, the IONIQ 3 is more spacious than it looks, with a luggage capacity of 441 liters, which, according to Hyundai, is expected to “set the benchmark in the segment.”

Ashley Andrew, president of Hyundai Motor UK, said the IONIQ 3 will “open up electric driving to a whole new group of customers.”

“The fact that we’re already seeing record levels of interest before it’s even gone on sale tells us everything we need to know about its appeal,” Andrew added.

Based on the same E-GMP platform as Hyundai’s other IONIQ models, the IONIQ 3 will be available with two battery packs: 42.2 kWh and 61 kWh. The standard range (42.2 kWh) provides a WLTP range of up to 213 miles (344 km), while the extended-range battery (61 kWh) delivers up to 308 miles (496 km).

Unlike the IONIQ 5, the electric hatch is based on a 400V architecture rather than an 800V one to cut costs.

With DC fast charging, the IONIQ 3 can still recharge from 10% to 80% in about 29 minutes with the standard (42.2 kWh) battery. The long-range (61 kWh) battery takes about a minute longer, at around 30 minutes.

The IONIQ 3 is also Hyundai’s first vehicle in Europe and the UK equipped with its new Pleos Connect OS and infotainment system.

Based on Android Automotive OS, the system is more like Tesla’s with a smartphone-like user interface.

The setup will be available with 12.9″ or 14.6″ center infotainment screens, plus an optional driver display. Like Volkswagen, Hyundai is bringing back physical buttons for climate control, audio, and more, located under the center infotainment and on the steering wheel.

Hyundai’s new system features an AI companion, Gleo AI, that learns and adapts to offer a more personalized experience.

Electrek’s Take

Starting at just £22,245 ($29,800), the IONIQ 3 is an affordable, practical everyday electric hatch. With Hyundai’s latest tech and software, it’s no wonder the IONIQ 3 is seeing record customer interest.

Will Hyundai bring it to the US? Don’t get your hopes up. The IONIQ 3 is designed and built in Europe for European buyers.

The Trump Administration’s import tariffs would make it too expensive, plus hatchbacks are a tough sell in the US with Americans favoring large trucks and SUVs.

While those in the US will miss out on the IONIQ 3, the IONIQ 5 is America’s best-selling EV outside of Tesla so far this year for a reason.

The 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 starts at $35,000, making it one of the most affordable electric vehicles in the US. Like the IONIQ 3 for Europe, Hyundai builds the IONIQ 5 locally in the US at its Metaplant outside of Savannah, GA, enabling it to offer it at lower prices.