Hyundai Ioniq 3 enters production as Europe orders open
Hyundai Ioniq 3 production has started at the automaker’s İzmit plant in Türkiye as the company opens orders for the electric hatchback across the United Kingdom and other European markets. The compact model starts at £22,245 in the UK and offers up to 496 km of driving range.
A €250 million factory transformation
The start of series production follows a two-year modernization program that saw Hyundai invest €250 million to convert more than half of the İzmit facility to electric vehicle manufacturing.
Türkiye’s Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacır said the plant will initially produce 30,000 units of the new model each year. More than 1,000 of the site’s roughly 2,400 employees have received new training as part of the transition.
Founded in 1997, the İzmit facility is Hyundai’s oldest overseas production site. Its cumulative investment has now reached €1.18 billion.
Hyundai Motor Europe chief executive Xavier Martinet said local electric vehicle production would increase manufacturing capacity and give the company more flexibility as demand for electrified vehicles changes across Europe.
Hyundai Mobis is also working on a battery assembly facility at the site. The project forms part of a wider €715 million investment plan for İzmit. From 2027, the plant is expected to add hybrid versions of the next-generation Bayon and i20 to its production portfolio.
Four versions open for UK buyers
Hyundai has opened UK orders with four trim levels. The range starts with the Advance at £22,245 and reaches £31,945 for the N Line Evo.
The entry-level version uses a 42 kWh battery and a 147 hp electric motor. It offers up to 213 miles of range. A larger 61 kWh battery raises the maximum range to 308 miles, equivalent to about 496 km.
The car uses Hyundai’s 400-volt E-GMP architecture and features an aerodynamic Aero Hatch design. Its drag coefficient stands at 0.263.
Despite its compact dimensions, with a length of 4,155 mm, the hatchback provides 441 litres of boot space. It also introduces Hyundai’s Pleos Connect infotainment system to the European market.
In the Netherlands, prices start at €27,995. Hyundai expects deliveries to begin at the end of September.
A model developed for Europe
Hyundai designed the model specifically for European markets. The company does not plan to sell it in the United States because importing vehicles from Türkiye would not be economically viable under current tariffs.
Hyundai also said the new model has generated the highest level of interest it has recorded for a new vehicle across its electric and combustion-engine ranges.
The launch gives Hyundai a locally produced electric model aimed at Europe’s compact-car segment while expanding the role of its Turkish manufacturing operations in the company’s wider electrification strategy.
