What's all this then?

This is the Hyundai Ioniq, the company's first European-launched hybrid car. And its first plugin hybrid. And its first pure electric car. Yup, Hyundai wants a slice of Toyota's Prius pie and it's using a three-pronged fork to steal it. Or something.

The Ioniq hybrid uses a 1.6-litre direct injection petrol engine with 105hp and 147Nm of torque. Hyundai says that it's the most thermally-efficient petrol engine in the world, rated at a diesel-like 40 per cent (that's how much of the petrol's calorific content it converts to power, before the rest is wasted as heat).

That's boosted by a 1.56kWh battery driving a 43.5hp, 170Nm electric motor and Hyundai says that the total output is 141hp and 265Nm. The Koreans are targeting a 79g/km CO₂ figure, but also saying that the car's six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox makes it nicer to drive than the rival Prius, with its droning CVT.

Then there's the plugin Ioniq, which gets a beefier 8.9kWh battery and a 61hp electric motor. Charge up the battery and Hyundai says you'll get 31 miles of electric-only range, not to mention a potential CO₂ figure of just 32g/km.

The all-electric Ioniq obviously has a 0g/km CO₂ figure, and an ever bigger battery - 28kWh, good for a 155-mile range, says Hyundai, and it drives a 120hp, 295Nm electric motor.

All of that is helped by a slippery 0.24 Cd body, inside which you'll find a big touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a seven-inch TFT digital instrument pack. Autonomous Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist System, Blind Spot Detection, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Smart Cruise Control all come as standard on the safety front.

Thomas A. Schmid, Chief Operating Officer at Hyundai Motor Europe, said: "With our pioneering ix35 Fuel Cell electric vehicle and several hybrid and plug-in hybrid models sold around the world, Hyundai Motor already has a proven capability in electrified powertrains. Now, with the launch of our first dedicated model, we are taking the lead as the only car manufacturer with hybrid, electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel cell vehicles in production."