Hyundai Ending Production Of The Original Ioniq This July

When it came out in 2016, the Hyundai Ioniq was the first vehicle in the world to offer hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and all-electric powertrains in one single model. The original Ioniq hatchback is what began the automaker's successful venture into the electric era, but it will soon be discontinued worldwide, according to a press release on Hyundai's European media site.

Last year, we learned that the Ioniq EV would be dropped from the lineup, which sparked suspicion that Hyundai would eventually axe the hybrid and plug-in hybrid too. But it wasn't dwindling sales or dismal performance that led Hyundai to cut the cord on the remaining Ioniq models. In fact, automaker is very pleased with the hatchback's sales over the years, saying that it "fully met the company's business expectations." The Ioniq served as more of an experiment for Hyundai and its electrified powertrains, in order to see how its hybrids and EVs would fare against competitors and demanding consumers. Now that the original Ioniq has run its course, Hyundai is ready to move on to the next chapter in its electric journey with the launch of a newer Ioniq series.

For the record, the future Ioniq lineup began with the retro-tastic Ioniq 5 crossover, which is the company's first dedicated EV. So far, the 5 has been a sales success alongside its Kia EV6 sibling. By the end of the decade, the Ioniq family will expand to include the 6 sedan and 7 three-row. The former will reportedly take the original Ioniq's place, despite the automaker insisting that there will be no replacement anytime soon.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 (shown above) represents a new generation of Hyundai EVs.

Production of the Ioniq at Hyundai's South Korea plant will officially come to a close this July, but sales are expected to slow down this May.

Will you miss the original Ioniq, or are you looking forward to Hyundai's next generation of EVs?

Images: Hyundai