Hyundai Ioniq 3 starts at £18,495 (~$24,800 USD) in the UK after the full EV grant

Hyundai has opened UK orders for the IONIQ 3 at £18,495 (approx. US$25,000) and up, after confirming that every version gets the full £3,750 (around US$5,000) Electric Car Grant. For that price you get a five-seat hatchback with 213 miles (343 km) of WLTP range. BYD's Dolphin Surf costs a little more and goes 137 miles (220 km).

The grant decision is the real news. When reservations opened in August, Hyundai offered its own £1,500 (roughly US$2,000) saving on the 61kWh cars while the grant was still being assessed. People who reserved can now turn that into a full order and get £3,750 (US$5,000) off instead.

What you need to know

Version	Battery	UK price, after grant	In US dollars
Advance	42kWh	£18,495	US$25,000
Advance	61kWh	£21,995	US$29,000
Premium	61kWh	£23,695	US$32,000
Ultimate	61kWh	£26,195	US$35,000
N Line Evo	61kWh	£28,195	US$38,000

The 42kWh battery is rated at 213 miles (343 km) WLTP, while the 61kWh battery gets 265 to 308 miles (426 to 496 km) depending on trim, so the 308-mile figure in Hyundai's headline is the best case.

Before the grant, prices run from £22,245 to £31,945 (roughly US$30,000 to US$43,000).

Car	From	In US dollars	Range
Hyundai Ioniq 3 42kWh	£18,495	US$25,000	213 miles (343 km)
BYD Dolphin Surf (base)	£18,650	US$25,000	137 miles (220 km)
BYD Dolphin Surf (longer range)	£21,950	US$29,000	200 miles (322 km)
Renault 5	£21,495	US$29,000	Up to 252 miles (406 km)
VW ID. Polo	£23,945	US$32,000	Up to 281 miles (452 km)

Hyundai, BYD and Renault prices include the full £3,750 grant. The ID. Polo price is VW's list price; a VW dealer says it gets the smaller £1,500 (US$2,000) grant, with first cars due from November. BYD has said the Dolphin Surf may not qualify for the grant at all.

• Charging: the 61kWh battery needs about 30 minutes to go from 10% to 80% on a 350kW charger, Hyundai says. VW quotes about 24 minutes for the ID. Polo's bigger battery.
• Timing: the cars are built in İzmit, Turkey, and Hyundai says they reach retailers this month.

The more telling price comparison may be one step up from the base car. The 61kWh Ioniq 3 comes within £500 (~US$700) of the cheapest Renault 5. Hyundai Motor UK president Ashley Andrew said the full grant means the company can "turn that interest into orders".

Not coming to the US or Canada

If you live in North America, you can't buy one. Hyundai Canada told The Car Guide in April that the Ioniq 3 won't be sold in Canada. Carscoops reported that it won't be offered in the US either, because it's built in Turkey.

So there's no US or Canadian price, and the dollar figures above are just conversions of UK prices. The Car Guide pointed budget shoppers at Hyundai dealers to the Kona Electric, or to Kia's EV3, EV4 and EV5.

With cars due at retailers this month, the first independent tests will show how close real-world range comes to Hyundai's 213 to 308 mile (343 to 496 km) WLTP figures. Reviews so far are from prototype drives: Electrifying.com scored the car 8/10 in June but said it still needs to drive the production car before giving a final verdict. If you're shopping for a small EV, which matters more to you: the £18,495 (roughly US$25,000) entry price or the bigger 61kWh battery for £3,500 (approx. US$5,000) more?