Hyundai is apparently saving the full release of the new IONIQ hybrid for when it’s ready to hit Geneva in March. But just to announce the car’s debut in Korea they have sent out a couple of pictures showing the highly anticipated Hyundai IONIQ in the metal.

And you know what? It frankly looked better in the renderings. We don’t mean it’s a hideous car or anything, but we were expecting more from the guys who have given us the i40 estate or a car as wonderfully crazy as the Veloster. Hyundai IONIQ looks like Prius’s buff cousin.

That is fair enough, since with Hyundai IONIQ the main focus – and we reckon most of the money – has been on the technical side of things. Some of the highlights include the availability of three powertrain with electric, plug-in hybrid, and gasoline hybrid options, and a lightweight construction consisting of 53% Advanced High Strength Steel combined with lightweight aluminum. It also features Lithium Ion Polymer Battery, Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT), and a revised version of the firm’s 1.6-liter Kappa GDi with 6-hole direct fuel injectors and class-leading thermal efficiency of 40 percent.

Rag Jung, Head of Project Management Division at Hyundai Motor R&D Center said, “IONIQ embodies Hyundai Motor’s new thinking and bold ambitions for the future. This world-class dedicated hybrid will be the starting point of our future mobility.”