Hyundai Ioniq 4 2026 Spied? Hyundai ‘OE’ prototype spotted testing in Sydney: EXCLUSIVE

Whereas cousin-price Kia has been on EV offensive in Australia, Hyundai’s Ioniq range is yet to lengthen previous 5 SUV and 6 sedan.  The delayed Ioniq 9 is due this one year, nevertheless a top price substantial SUV isn’t a huge volume seller — and Hyundai would possibly perchance perchance perchance also plan with a gross sales boost in Oz.

Chasing Autos noticed a camouflaged prototype on the streets of Sydney’s Internal West that would possibly perchance perchance also be the impending Ioniq 4 or Ioniq 3 — Hyundai’s mooted, cheap mid-dimension electric SUVs to rival the Kia EV5 and Tesla Model Y.

The auto spied was wearing Zebra-be pleased unlit and white screen on many of the physique and centre caps of the wheels.

It has a long wheelbase with short overhangs, and a excessive roof-line — nearly be pleased a mini of us mover. Provocative headlights with four cubic ingredients are all that will moreover be viewed on the front, whereas on the rear there is a tubby-width gentle bar that wraps as much as the tailgate glass.

A excessive-mount LED taillight and low-mount reflectors are unparalleled, as are the astronomical wheel arches. It nearly looks be pleased an overgrown Inster electric automobile fused with a 2d-gen Kia Niro.

We didn’t discover a transparent appreciate on the inner.

There was no insist from Hyundai Australia’s PR crew on the model pictured, nevertheless the NSW quantity plate finds about a issues — in conjunction with that it is supplied with a excessive-voltage battery, thanks to the blue ‘EV’ triangle.

Beyond that, the automobile has been registered in NSW since Would possibly well well moreover, with the model name listed as ‘OE EV’ — here’s in-conserving with the manufacturers’ other EVs be pleased Ioniq 5 (CE), Ioniq 6 (NE) and Ioniq 9 (ME).

The plate also finds this automobile’s weight, at 1908kg, which is upright 2kg lower than a faulty model Kia EV5 air.

Speculation and seek photos from The Korean Automobile Blog display cowl a automobile with increased diameter alloy wheels (doubtless increased orderly) and counsel the OE will doubtless be in line with the E-GMP platform.

Nonetheless, Hyundai and Kia’s E-GMP platform appears to be extra fluid in its definition than, as an illustration, Volkswagen’s MEB. The EV5 professes to reveal E-GMP, nevertheless its ‘N3 eK’ variation of the platform runs a 400– as adversarial to 800-volt machine along with other variations.

If the automobile noticed is in line with the similar underpinnings because the EV5 (no longer exclusive — appreciate at EV6 and Ioniq 5) then Hyundai would possibly perchance perchance perchance perchance smartly be going in early to hone its glossy model on Australian roads.

The EV5 has no longer been bought moreover to Kia’s other electric autos, with Chasing Autos finding shortcomings in walk, handling and effectivity. Our roads are famously rotten, so it is also the case Hyundai is tuning early to produce obvious its next electric SUV is neatly bought.

READ MORE: Kia EV5 GT-Line review

In gross sales phrases, Hyundai was beaten by Kia for the predominant time in 2022, and has struggled to discover motivate on top since then. This one year is having a peep better, with Hyundai up 3.4 percent to the tip of Would possibly well well moreover.

Contemporary items, notably ones that offer stable fee, will doubtless be crucial in the next 12-18 months. If Hyundai’s in a intention to carry a brand glossy, sub-Ioniq 5 EV in for shut to $50,000, it would possibly perchance possibly perchance perchance perchance also snipe gross sales from the Kia EV5, Tesla Model Y, Xpeng G6, and host of other opponents.