Hyundai is set to enter the green-car market in Australia, with the Korean company this week releasing a teaser image for its upcoming Toyota Prius-rivalling small car.
Dubbed the Ioniq, it will be a world-first as petrol hybrid, plug-in electric hybrid and fully electric powertrain options will be offered in the one vehicle. 
It is due to arrive in Australia in the second half of next year but the exact model line-up which will make it to our shores isn't yet clear. Hyundai Australia says the petrol-electric hybrid is a definite and will be first cab off the rank, but it is also pressing hard for the plug-in electric hybrid. 
While the fully electric offering is unlikely, Hyundai Australia says it hasn't yet been ruled out. 
Details remain few and far between, with the Ioniq set to debut in South Korea in   January ahead of appearances at the Detroit and Geneva motor shows early next year.
The Ioniq will be built on an entirely new platform made to accommodate its different powertrain options and, according to Hyundai, also deliver responsive handling. 
It will also likely feature Hyundai's recently unveiled Kappa Atkinson cycle engine, which is designed for use in hybrids and plug-in hybrids. 
Though the fully electric option seems a long shot to make it here, the plug-in hybrid will likely be able to cover most Australians' daily work commutes using only electric power.
Hyundai recently released a plug-in hybrid of the medium- sized Sonata in the US which is able to cover about 43km on battery power alone. It's fair to assume the smaller, Elantra-sized Ioniq plug-in would achieve at least a similar range.
Pricing details are still a long way off but with Hyundai Australia saying the Ioniq would be "competitive" one would think it will be similarly priced to the Prius.
The Prius stable currently ranges from $32,490-$43,990, though its pricing could change once the new-generation model beats the Ioniq into showrooms and arrives early next year.
However, judging from the teaser image, the Ioniq may win buyers turned off by the new-generation Prius' polarising sharp-edged design and more attracted to the Hyundai's relatively straightforward approach. Hyundai has previously dipped its toe into the green-car market in Australia with its ix35 Fuel Cell, which is available in select overseas markets but is hindered locally by lack of infrastructure.
Hyundai won't have it easy with the Ioniq in Australia, and it's easy to see why it's dubious the fully electric version will make it here; only 890 electric SUVs and passenger cars have been sold in Australia so far this year, including fleet sales, out of a market which has seen 1,055,792 units moved.
Sales of hybrids have risen among both private and non-private buyers this year, with 11,314 total sales so far marking a 7.8 per cent rise on last year.
'Hyundai won't have it easy 
with the Ioniq in Australia.'