New Hyundai Concept Three revealed – show car previews next year’s Hyundai Ioniq 3
Inside and out, the design of the Concept Three will influence the next generation of Hyundais, starting with the Ioniq 3 electric family car...
On sale Summer 2026 Price from £32,000 (est)
Fittingly, the new Hyundai Concept Three previews the future of Hyundai on three levels.
First, this sleek electric hatchback gives us a good idea of what the brand’s answer to the Cupra Born and Volkswagen ID 3 will look like, when it goes on sale next summer.
Second, while it was rumoured that the production car in question was going to be called the Ioniq 2, it’s now safe to assume it will actually be the Ioniq 3.
And third, the Concept Three tells us about the future look of Hyundais more generally, because it’s the first car to feature the brand’s new ‘Art of Steel’ design language.
Now, of course, the bodies of most cars are made from steel; this isn’t something that’s unique to Hyundai. But what is unusual is that Hyundai manufactures its own steel instead of buying it in – something it wants to celebrate with designs which play to the metal’s strengths.
That mean simple, unfussy surfaces, and panels that curve in a single direction, with large radii. But they’re combined with a visor-style wraparound windscreen and the pixel detailing that has become a Hyundai signature in recent years; the Concept Three’s front grille even features a digital ‘Mr Pix’ avatar, which you can expect to find on the infotainment screen of the Ioniq 3.
Details that are pure show car include speakers in the rear bumper, and rear doors that are hinged at the back rather than the front. Meanwhile, the wheels and the ducktail rear spoiler will shrink slightly in the transition to production. However, the fundamental design of the Concept Three will be retained.
As Hyundai’s head of design, Simon Loasby, explained to us: “Look at how closely the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 9 resemble the concepts that preceded them, and you’ll have a good idea of what to expect from the production car. The concept is just that bit more pimped, as the high-performance N version would be.
Does this mean we can expect an N version? “We’d love to do one, so please ask for it,” said Loasby. “Let us say [to the bosses]: ‘See, people want this’.” Well, if said bosses are reading this, the idea of a smaller, more affordable car featuring the technology from the Ioniq 5 N sounds, to us, like the recipe for a fantastic hot hatch.
While Hyundai has a good track record when it comes to carrying forward the exterior designs of its concepts, their interiors tend to go no further. But the Concept Three’s will apparently be more influential.
“The execution for the production car is different,” admitted Loasby, “but the principles are absolutely the same, with the goal to put safety first by ensuring you never have to take your eyes off the road.”
In practice, this means key information is displayed high up, in the driver’s peripheral vision, while the controls for frequently used functions – such as the air-con – are not only physical, but shaped so that they can be identified and operated by feel alone.
The other way in which the Concept Three’s interior will apparently influence future production Hyundais, is in the way it treats individual elements like separate pieces of furniture instead of having the dashboard wrap around to the doors and flow down into the centre console.
“A lot of car companies are focused on making interiors feel sporty,” said Loasby. “But we felt if you want to be as safe as possible, you need to make sure the driver is as comfortable as possible, and what’s more comfortable than being at home in your living room?"
No technical details have been revealed yet, but we’d expect the Ioniq 3 to offer the same 55kWh and 78kWh battery options as the Kia EV3, from Hyundai’s sister firm. In that car they deliver official ranges of up to 270 and 375 miles respectively. However, given its more aerodynamic shape, the Ioniq 3 should improve on those figures.
The finished car is likely to be revealed in early 2026, with deliveries starting – appropriately enough – in the third quarter of that year.
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here
