The Hyundai Ioniq 2020: a connected car service saves the day

It was an email that I hoped I would never have to write. “Hello [Hyundai PR person]I hope you had a nice July 4th. I hate having to type this email, but someone just stole the Ioniq they’ve loaned us. “Up until that point, my week with the small subcompact hybrid had been wonderful, after all, what I don’t like about 55mpg (4.3L / 100km)? But he turns out to be a surprising hero in this story, one vilified by much of the Ars Technica audience: a connected car service saved the day.

The Ioniq is not the newest electrified vehicle in Hyundai’s line; in fact, it debuted in 2016 and has been joined in later years by plug-in EV hybrid and EV battery versions. But for some reason or another, this 2020 Ioniq model year was the first time we tested one. The range starts at $ 23,200 for the most efficient, albeit more equipped, setting, the Ioniq Blue. But since it’s the way of the press fleet, ours was a $ 31,200 Ioniq Limited, loaded with features like adaptive cruise control, LED headlights, a 10.25-inch infotainment system with navigation (and CarPlay and Android Auto) , to name just a few.

The biggest change for this model year was a mid-life update, with a new, more streamlined look and a revised interior. The Ioniq is powered by a 1.6L Atkinson direct injection four-cylinder engine that generates 104hp (76kW) and 109lb-ft (148Nm), working in conjunction with permanent 43hp (32kW), 125lb-ft (169Nm) -electric motor synchronous magnet that together will send up to 104 hp (139 kW) to the front wheels via a six-speed dual-clutch transmission. The battery is a 1.56kWh lithium-ion pack, and that helps the Ioniq achieve that combined average of 55mpg, or 58mpg (4.1l / 100km) if it’s the blue rim, thanks to that car’s 15-inch wheels. (compared to Limited’s 17-inch alloys).

The car is well designed for life as a city out of control. It’s easy to get in and out, and the ride is good on the broken streets that seem to be an inescapable feature of 21st century life in an American city. The Ioniq is also remarkably full of life – attribute that to the electric motor that is always ready to send its torque to the wheels.

Hey, have you seen my car keys?

The first hint of the drama to come was at lunchtime on July 5. The Ioniq had been parked for a couple of days thanks to the long weekend and the pandemic, and I wanted to go out and bring lunch, but for the life of me, I couldn’t find my car keys anywhere. We spent an hour searching the house and our parking lot was left empty. Feeling a little silly, I emailed the company that looks after Hyundai’s press fleet, informing them that the driver should bring the spare key when they come to pick up the car on Monday at the end of our week.

At 6 p.m., I received a disturbing email from a neighbor who alerted me to a young man, probably not more than 14 years old, whom he saw suspiciously acting next to the car. I went to check outside, but no one was in sight. According to the images of the security camera, the boy returned 22 minutes later, armed with the keys that I could not find. They must have fallen out of my pocket when I brought some groceries a couple of days earlier, and instead of delivering them, he used them to unlock the car and drive away.

Let me tell you that stealing a borrowed car is not a great feeling. Mortified, I alerted the fleet company and Hyundai, and called the police, who may not have understood that the crime had literally occurred, because they did not send anyone until the next morning. (Also, trying to explain that the car belonged to Hyundai and carried manufacturer’s badges that did not appear in its database was a fun challenge.)

Connected cars have a bad reputation on this site. Citing privacy and cybersecurity concerns, most of our audience only want to read about them when the story is about a security feat or an embarrassing hack. Since 2017, three years of Hyundai’s free Blue Link service has been a standard feature at Ioniqs. Some of the features are only available for your convenience, such as being able to remotely start the car via a smartphone or smart watch. But many of Blue Link’s features are focused on safety or security, and connect you to an emergency response center in the event of an accident. And if your car is stolen, Blue Link can locate and immobilize it so that the police can retrieve it. Which is what ended up happening in this case, was even found to be undamaged, though unfortunately I don’t have any further details on where it was recovered.

From this experience, I have learned several things. First off, the Ioniq is a fine little hybrid, and 55mpg is nothing to sniff at. Second, I need to make sure that the key to each car in the press is connected to my key fob, which has at least one tile locator beacon. Third, you should be grateful that this did not happen a week earlier, when the car was a $ 238,000 McLaren and not a $ 31,000 Hyundai. And finally, connected cars can have merit, and people should know that.

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