(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Muscat- Hyundai has shown the road forward towards an electric future at Dubai International Motor Show 2017, with all three versions of its IONIQ eco-car on display together for the first time in the Middle East.
The three cars, which use a different electrified drivetrain, were shown alongside the brand's full UAE line-up of passenger cars and SUVs, including the new-generation Azera and 'reborn' Sonata models.
Launched globally last year, the IONIQ is manufactured in hybrid, plug-in and fully electric versions and is the first car in the world to offer a choice of the three most popular electrified drivetrains. The range is offered for sale in selected Middle East and African markets, with the IONIQ Hybrid now available in the UAE.
Hyundai's head of Operations for Africa and the Middle East, Mike Song, said, 'Hyundai is fully committed to the transition away from fossil fuels towards clean energy, but we cannot make this change in a single leap. The IONIQ shows our flexible approach to achieving more sustainable mobility. Rather than emphasising one technology, the IONIQ offers a choice of three different drivetrain options, each one meeting the needs of different drivers and different markets. We believe that this is the most effective way of achieving real change, step-by-step.'
Hyundai launched the IONIQ Hybrid and IONIQ Electric on international markets during 2016, while the Plug-in version arrived this year. They are part of coherent 'green' product plan for Hyundai, which flows from the recently announced 'Smart Stream' range of highly efficient internal combustion engines, through to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles which combine the zero emissions of an electric motor with the convenience of hydrogen 'fuel' for energy storage.
Hyundai's innovative approach aims to democratise e-mobility, making low-to-zero emission driving more accessible to everyone. The company has the ambition to become one of the leading brands globally for electrified vehicles, and the IONIQ has already won multiple awards recognising its excellence. These include several 'Car of the Year' awards in Europe, Red Dot Design Award and Good Design Award, and it has been named as Euro NCAP's Best-in-Class Small Family Car for its advanced safety features. In the US, the IONIQ Hybrid Blue has been rated as the most fuel-efficient hybrid available on the market.
Song added, 'The IONIQ is the first eco-car for Hyundai in the Middle East, and it puts us immediately at the front of the market. It is very much a car of the time, capturing the fast-growing excitement for electric vehicles and green motoring in the region, offered in an affordable, practical package.'
The IONIQ was displayed alongside Hyundai's wide range of popular sedan and SUV models, including the new-generation Azera and 'reborn' Sonata, both of them new arrivals in the market during 2017. Engineered as the carmaker's top-of-the range passenger sedan, the sixth generation of the Azera is longer, wider and taller than ever before, and offers even higher levels of comfort and equipment. The large sedan offers buyers a car that is bigger and significantly more advanced than the model it replaces, and also comes with a larger, more powerful engine than is available anywhere else in the world: A 3.5l, 290 PS V6, matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission.
The redesigned Hyundai Sonata features a dramatic new exterior design, an impressive list of standard safety features and new engine and transmission options, again setting the standard in the mid-size sedan segment.
Created at Hyundai's California Design Studio, the Sonata builds on the model's strong legacy, while distinctive new exterior styling transforms Sonata's visual signature. The new appearance is highlighted by Hyundai's bold new 'Cascading Grille' in front and an all-new rear with more prominent branding and relocation of the license plate from the trunk lid to bumper.
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