Who wants an upgraded Ioniq?

goz83

As you know, the Ioniq is available, but the only options are 5 colours in the Republic of Ireland. Our neighbours in Northern Ireland and the UK have the benefit of ordering a premium version for an extra £1800 (€2100) which adds a myriad of extras. These are:

Alloy Pedals
Ventilated Drivers seat
Electric Driver seat adjustments
Driver seat Memory
Front Passenger seat ventilation
Heated rear seats
LEATHER SEATS
Front & Rear Parking sensors
Blind spot detection system (handy for the wide pillars)
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (handy due to poor rear visibility)

Our basic model does come with the chrome effect inner handles.

I have been hearing that Hyundai Ireland "don't do extras". To me, that just sounds like "Ireland is a small market, so take what you're offered, or nothing at all."

My local dealer said they can arrange a retro fit of leather seats for €1500. Retrofitting leather seats in a brand new car is just terrible and expensive.

Hyundai needs to do better by us. I really like the Ioniq EV, but I am seriously being put off by this.

Should we be glad of what we can get, or should we expect to be able to order extras, or the better spec model available everywhere else? After all, every order has to come from the factory now.

KCross

I see the waiting times on the Premium SE is also much longer so maybe that played into Hyundai Irelands thought process?

Presumably the factory is only doing a limited run of the SE model and Ireland decided to stick with the "basic" model to ensure quicker delivery?

Still... that should be the buyers decision to wait, not the dealers.


In the list above, the ones I would like are the heated leather seats. I'd see those as a must as thats what I have in the Leaf. The other one that I would really like is the driver seat memory. The leaf doesnt have that and since we got the EV we are sharing the car alot more so it is a pain every other day to be readjusting seat and mirrors from my wife and vice versa. When we had two ICE we would rarely drive the others car so its a problem when you go EV! I would really like that option.

slave1

This is not EV exclusive, it's the same across a large range of cars, my ICE import has way more spec than the Irish top of the range, it's just the way it is with a small population.
Whilst everyone would not like to pay for the top spec it would be nice to see and have the option, but I think it only really kicks in when selling/buying second hand as the higher spec will always sell quicker than it's poorly fitted out comparative...

goz83

slave1 wrote: »

This is not EV exclusive, it's the same across a large range of cars, my ICE import has way more spec than the Irish top of the range, it's just the way it is with a small population.
Whilst everyone would not like to pay for the top spec it would be nice to see and have the option, but I think it only really kicks in when selling/buying second hand as the higher spec will always sell quicker than it's poorly fitted out comparative...

The exception here is that any Ioniq EV now ordered is an order to the factory (or so I am told), so there should be no issue in ordering options, as the car has to be built to order anyway.

The seats are a big one for me. Leather and Memory for easy cleaning and for adjusting the car to a memorised comfortable position after the wife has used it.

unkel

Hardly a "Paddy spec" tbh

I for one wouldn't pay 2 grand of my hard earned cash for leather electric seats and front sensors. I'd rather take the family on a holiday with that money. Have 3 kids, have always had leather seats in case the kids puked and guess what? Only one of them ever puked in the car and it went straight onto the carpet bypassing the cleanable leather

It's always 10C in Ireland, you don't need heating or cooling at all really in your car, never mind your seat and your steering wheel

liamog

I've said it before, front sensors are the only feature I would have added.

I wonder if they could be retrofitted?

Not a fan of leather seats, and the rest of the tech is Tesla Lite rather then Paddy Spec. (nn the Premium)

goz83

unkel wrote: »

Hardly a "Paddy spec" tbh

I for one wouldn't pay 2 grand of my hard earned cash for leather electric seats and front sensors. I'd rather take the family on a holiday with that money. Have 3 kids, have always had leather seats in case the kids puked and guess what? Only one of them ever puked in the car and it went straight onto the carpet bypassing the cleanable leather

It's always 10C in Ireland, you don't need heating or cooling at all really in your car, never mind your seat and your steering wheel

Is it not the lowest available spec? That's what I call Paddy Spec. It's grand if you're happy with the available spec and don't fancy spending extra on options. But, the options should be available to those who are willing to pay the extra.

FWIW, I much prefer the feel and look of leather in cars...the easy clean is a bonus.

irishgrover

seems totally daft.... I would not buy a car new car that did not have heated leather seats + a **** off stereo....each to their own but these are my 2 must haves....
Was seriously considering an Ioniq but the speed of innovation (specifically in relation to range) + the constant additions to wider availability, which may impact re-sale value is putting me off a little. Would consider a 1 year old next year, but not if it does not have heated leather seats and a good stereo...

pwurple

Oh heated seats and steering wheel are the business. I have them in the leaf, and I'll want them in any other car. 

10C in Ireland, where are you living?

It's a luxury alright, but stepping out my front door on an icy miserable morning to a defrosted, pre-warmed car is lovely. No arsing around with jugs of water or turning on heaters. Bug bear is there is no heater in the side mirrors... had that in my last car, and kind of expected it with the heat pack in the leaf.

unkel

goz83 wrote: »

Is it not the lowest available spec? That's what I call Paddy Spec.

Auto aircon, rear camera with sensors, active cruise control, wireless phone charging, multiple high power 12V and USB charging points, lane assist, Bluetooth, Apple car play, Android Auto, touch screen Sat Nav, auto lights, auto wipers, auto emergency braking on a €25k car? Pretty ridiculous to call that Paddy spec imho.

In pretty much any other car of this value many of these options aren't even there and if they were, to add them all would have added thousands to the price of the car.

KCross

unkel wrote: »

Auto aircon, rear camera with sensors, active cruise control, wireless phone charging, multiple high power 12V and USB charging points, lane assist, Bluetooth, Apple car play, Android Auto, touch screen Sat Nav, auto lights, auto wipers, auto emergency braking on a €25k car? Pretty ridiculous to call that Paddy spec imho.

In pretty much any other car of this value many of these options aren't even there and if they were, to add them all would have added thousands to the price of the car.

I dont think anyone argues that its a bad spec... clearly it isnt. The term "Paddy spec" might have been a bad choice of words but the point is still the same... why cant you order leather if you want it?.... thats paddy spec because our UK neighbours can order it... hence paddy spec!

bk

unkel wrote: »

Auto aircon, rear camera with sensors, active cruise control, wireless phone charging, multiple high power 12V and USB charging points, lane assist, Bluetooth, Apple car play, Android Auto, touch screen Sat Nav, auto lights, auto wipers, auto emergency braking on a €25k car? Pretty ridiculous to call that Paddy spec imho.

It is interesting, I think there is a changing view on what premium spec means.

In the past, people mostly thought premium meant leather seats and lots of wood, etc.

But increasingly I think their is a new generation of people who are less interested in Leather and wood and a lot more interested in the tech gadgets added to cars, reversing cameras, auto stop systems, Apple car play, etc.

You see this conversation often with regards to the Model S, you see some people saying that they don't think the Model S is a true luxury car because it doesn't quiet have the same levels of leather, wood, etc. as the big Beemers and Mercs.

But I've been in plenty of big Beemers and Mercs and I've often found them to be quiet boring and pretentious. Not something that would impress me at all or something I'd feel worth paying for. First time in a Model S though and I was blown away, it felt like being in a space ship, the tech was simply amazing and I felt like it was worth the cost.

And working for a US IT company, most of my west coast colleagues seem to have the same opinion. They would never bother upgrading to a big merc or beemer, but they have all rushed out to buy a Model S, because they are so impressed by the tech and think it is worth the upgrade.

I think there is a new class of high end buyer who is more interested in the tech, then old fashioned leather and wood.

I'm not saying that the Model S shouldn't have better quality leather for the price or the Ioniq premium model shouldn't be available here, just that peoples ideas of what "premium" means is changing.

goz83

unkel wrote: »

Auto aircon, rear camera with sensors, active cruise control, wireless phone charging, multiple high power 12V and USB charging points, lane assist, Bluetooth, Apple car play, Android Auto, touch screen Sat Nav, auto lights, auto wipers, auto emergency braking on a €25k car? Pretty ridiculous to call that Paddy spec imho.

I clarified in post 7.

goz83 wrote: »

Is it not the lowest available spec? That's what I call Paddy Spec.

I know to some people it means manual windows, tape casette player and a hole in the floor to put your feet through to get the car going.:D

AFAIK, we are being offered only the lowest spec Ioniq EV. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe there is a lower spec model available. The lowest spec model still has more spec than any other car I have previously owned, but as I said before, we should be able to order what we want, if those options are available from the factory.

Water John

I don't know how the general car market operates. But I know most offer limited options into Ireland eg engines etc.
Maybe that's to limit range of stock.
Could not the couple of main sellers of a model be stocked and then have a parallel system of factory orders of any other spec. You simply have to wait for it.

Sabre Man

I'd want that if I wanted an Ioniq.

unkel

goz83 wrote: »

I clarified in post 7.

Ah, I know you did. I see where you're coming from but I can't agree with your definition of the "standard" spec as a Paddy spec

That said, I gladly would have kept another €4k in my pocket for a proper Paddy spec car without most of those gimmicks

listermint

Leather seats burn your ass in summer and are cold in winter till the heat kicks in.

I've had Nappa leather in my last car and extremely expensive option with heated seats and memory options


Are they worth it.

No they are not.

unkel

+1

I had Nappa leather (electric memory) comfort seats in my '96 BMW 7-series. Was an €11k optional extra when new. Nice but that's silly money. About the same as I paid for the whole car

Water John

You could be right Lister, hot leather not comfortable. But its choice that is required here. Let the client decide from all the options manufactured.

If I want something that most other don't want. I see no problem having to wait 10/12 weeks for that spec. Just that I have the option.

listermint

Water John wrote: »

You could be right Lister, hot leather not comfortable. But its choice that is required here. Let the client decide from all the options manufactured.

If I want something that most other don't want. I see no problem having to wait 10/12 weeks for that spec. Just that I have the option.

The question in the opening post is would you.

Not should you. Tbf

Water John

Lister, read opening post again. Should you..... both times.

unkel

Poll is constructed in such a way that it attracts people who vote for the first option, not for the last. Poll fail.

I didn't vote.

Although I agree that giving people more options rather than less options is generally better for the buyer. Henry Ford got that one wrong "you can have any color you like as long as it's black". Or maybe he got it spot on. His cars sold like hotcakes and they made him seriously rich

goz83

unkel wrote: »

Poll is constructed in such a way that it attracts people who vote for the first option, not for the last. Poll fail.

I didn't vote.

Although I agree that giving people more options rather than less options is generally better for the buyer. Henry Ford got that one wrong "you can have any color you like as long as it's black". Or maybe he got it spot on. His cars sold like hotcakes and they made him seriously rich

:pac::pac::pac::pac::pac:

You have a complete aversion to the "paddy spec" term don't you. I suppose my own bias can be seen in that, but the gist of the poll is clear enough. Give me the UK premium spec, give me options in general, or leave me with the basic spec offered.

I would probable end up going for Henry Fords black if I go for the Ioniq. Have a test drive in an Outlander tomorrow though. They look great in black.

unkel

I've no problem with a Paddy spec car, in fact I'd rather spend less than more on options generally. But calling a very well specced car (for the money) Paddy spec is just silly.

Paddy spec way back in the day came about because of our extreme taxation on cars with VAT (23%) and then VRT (36%) on top of VAT, so any option would double in price even after everybody like the dealer, the importer and the manufacturer had their already taken very nice margins. If you really wanted something (like a sunroof) it cost only a fraction to have it done after you got the car. Hence so many cars that came as standard with a very spartan spec. Windy windows, no air conditioning, steel wheels with plastic trims, etc. even on some lower end "premium" cars like Mercedes and BMW up to the early 00s. While UK cars had electric windows, air conditioning and alloy wheels as standard (not as an optional extra)

These days with our low or zero VRT, that distinction is mainly gone. BMWs have had the same standard spec in the UK and Ireland for about 15 years already i.e.

bk

unkel wrote: »

Although I agree that giving people more options rather than less options is generally better for the buyer. Henry Ford got that one wrong "you can have any color you like as long as it's black". Or maybe he got it spot on. His cars sold like hotcakes and they made him seriously rich

It is actually an interesting and complicated question.

The Model-T actually came in multiple colours before he said this and again a few years later. But it only came in black when he said this because they used a special quick drying paint, which allowed cars to be built faster (thus cheaper) and that paint at the time could only come in black.

When they eventually developed the same quick drying paint in other colours, then they offered those colours too.

So he actually didn't mind offering options, as long as it didn't interfere with the speed of production.

I actually think too many options can be bad. Look up the concept of The Paradox of Choice, where it has been found that too many options can actually increase a consumers anxiety and lead them to not purchasing your product.

I'm also not crazy about companies like Volkswagen who offer you the absolutely bearest minimum of specs and then nickel and dime you on every added option. I actually prefer companies like Hyundai who only have one or two specs and include most of the important features in the base model.

For instance I don't like the way Nissan has the 6.6kw charger and cold pack as extra expensive optional extras. They really should be in all models.

I agree that you really can't call such an incredibly speced car like the Ioniq a paddy spec! It really isn't a paddy spec. It is a very well speced car.

I do like Hyundai's approach. Just one battery size, very fast charger by default, parking camera by default, Apple Car by default, etc. Honestly calling something with all this a paddy spec really isn't fair IMO.

Mancomb Seepgood

bk wrote: »

I'm also not crazy about companies like Volkswagen who offer you the absolutely bearest minimum of specs and then nickel and dime you on every added option. I actually prefer companies like Hyundai who only have one or two specs and include most of the important features in the base model.

For instance I don't like the way Nissan has the 6.6kw charger and cold pack as extra expensive optional extras. They really should be in all models.

The heat pack in the Leaf wasn't super expensive,I consider it the best €300 I could have spent.Nissan aren't exactly doing the Leaf any favours at the moment with the money that they are charging for the 6.6kw charger and 30kw battery though.

I agree with you 100% regarding the paradox of choice and the Ioniq looks to be a very decent spec to me.That said I don't particularly like leather seats.

CalamariFritti

unkel wrote: »

Auto aircon, rear camera with sensors, active cruise control, wireless phone charging, multiple high power 12V and USB charging points, lane assist, Bluetooth, Apple car play, Android Auto, touch screen Sat Nav, auto lights, auto wipers, auto emergency braking on a €25k car? Pretty ridiculous to call that Paddy spec imho.

In pretty much any other car of this value many of these options aren't even there and if they were, to add them all would have added thousands to the price of the car.

€28,495 with €5000 government grant applied and excluding deliveries and charges. You're being very generous to call it a €25k car.

unkel

CalamariFritti wrote: »

€28,495 with €5000 government grant applied and excluding deliveries and charges. You're being very generous to call it a €25k car.

How often do I have to explain this? €28,495 minus guaranteed €4,000 Hyundai scrappage is €24,495. Any €50 car to be used as scrappage will do for most Hyundai dealers. They tend not to ask any questions. Plus delivery and extras, minus the discount you negotiate. My car would have been under €25k without metallic paint. All in, mats included and all cables, on the road.

liamog

We're getting a whole lot of car for €26k (for those of us without the super mad negotiating skills of unkel)

The Premium Spec as delivered to Ireland, is a great car, yeah it's not like the UK Premium SE.
I don't like leather seats, so would of been wanting the tech and not the seats.

CalamariFritti

unkel wrote: »

How often do I have to explain this? €28,495 minus guaranteed €4,000 Hyundai scrappage is €24,495. Any €50 car to be used as scrappage will do for most Hyundai dealers. They tend not to ask any questions. Plus delivery and extras, minus the discount you negotiate. My car would have been under €25k without metallic paint. All in, mats included and all cables, on the road.

Sorry for not keeping up with your post history But thanks anyway. Which one did you get? Full electric?

CalamariFritti

liamog wrote: »

We're getting a whole lot of car for €26k (for those of us without the super mad negotiating skills of unkel)

The Premium Spec as delivered to Ireland, is a great car, yeah it's not like the UK Premium SE.
I don't like leather seats, so would of been wanting the tech and not the seats.

I know nobody likes a grammar nazi, apologies, but really?