‘Koniq’ seems like a Hyundai Ioniq 8 – The perfect off-road Estate

Hyundai’s Ioniq range is growing with the Ioniq 5 and the soon-to-come Ioniq 6 and 7 models, as the Hyundai Motor Group has announced 23 EVs by 2025 with the ambition to sell 1 million EVs by that year.

Beyond 2025, as customers in every car segment turn to electric vehicles, Hyundai product planners will be concerned about models below and above the 2024 portfolio. So, could an expanded EV lineup see a Hyundai Ioniq 8, specifically, a bodystyle which Hyundai has not paid too much attention to in the past?

Hyundai Ioniq 8 – The concept

Hyundai Ioniq 8 rendering front storage
The pictures in this story were created by automotive designer Alexis Poncelet and do not reflect the design of a future Hyundai product.

Automotive designer Alexis Poncelet (Instagram) certainly thinks Hyundai would do well to introduce an electric, off-road-ready estate and has made renderings of such a project. Referring to it as the ‘Hyundai Koniq,’ Alexis feels that the EV can find its place in Hyundai’s diverse range, with its own ‘brutalist’ DNA. In this case, it will merge a vehicle for urban use and a rugged attitude, and we certainly can agree with the idea.

As for the positioning, Hyundai announced that the upcoming Ioniq 7 would be a (Santa Fe-sized) 3-row electric SUV, while the Ioniq 6 takes on the direction of an aerodynamic sedan. Hence, a hypothetical Hyundai Ioniq 8 would feature a low roof and the stylish body of an estate but with the USP of a go-anywhere vehicle, thanks to its ground clearance. It could undoubtedly appeal to a specific audience, though may not rake in volumes.

In addition, Alexis says the Koniq estate EV makes use of the bold center split (seen on the grille of the Ioniq 5) as an innovative gullwing opening for luggage compartments up front. A Hyundai Ioniq 8 would appeal to young families who are adventure enthusiasts but care about the environment enough to want an EV.

Hyundai Ioniq 8 rendering side
The E-GMP platform can support AWD, so a high-ground clearance off-roader is very much within its engineering realms. Image – Alexis Poncelet

Hyundai’s E-GMP electric architecture should be more than capable of handling models like a Hyundai Ioniq 8. The company has made it modular enough to accommodate large SUVs of 5 meters in length (the Kia EV9 concept measures 4,930 mm in length and will be built on the E-GMP). The Hyundai Ioniq 8 would benefit from the E-GMP’s 800V system, which supports 350 kW charging speeds. Since battery technology is a progressing industry, it could even see Li-ion battery cells with a higher energy density of 700 Wh/L compared to the current 600 Wh/L.

Based on the above, the Hyundai Ioniq 8 could deliver a range of 350+ miles (560 km), with fast charging topping up the battery to 80 percent in around 18 minutes. With such an impressive spec sheet, the versatile Ioniq 8 off-road estate EV could pose a significant challenge to any EV in the market.

Hyundai Ioniq 8 rendering rear quarter
Post the launch of the Ioniq 6 and 7, chances are we will hear about a smaller Ioniq 3. Image – Alexis Poncelet

In the next year, we should hear about Hyundai’s EV plans and what type of bodystyles are in the works beyond the first sequence of Ioniqs.

Featured Image – Alexis Poncelet‘s rendering of the Hyundai Koniq