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Follow IMAGE contributing fashion editor Sinead Keenan as she travels to Milan with Hyundai for the unveiling of the new IONIQ 3.
There are worse ways to spend a working day than an early-morning flight to Milan. As the city of style was in full swing for Milan Design Week, I found myself swapping Dublin drizzle for espresso bars, polished streets and that unmistakable Milanese sense of purpose. Everywhere you looked, there was design in motion – beautifully dressed people walking through cobbled streets, sculptural shop windows, interiors worth moving house for, and creativity spilling from every corner.
After landing, it was a quick stop at the hotel to freshen up, a swift outfit change, and then a taxi through Milan’s elegant tree-lined streets en route to the launch venue. Even that journey felt cinematic, the kind only Milan can deliver – the perfect setting for Hyundai to unveil the all-new IONIQ 3.
Now, I’ll be honest. I’m not someone who leads with horsepower statistics or mechanical specs. What interests me more is how something looks, how it feels to use, and whether it actually fits into real life. Is it stylish? Is it practical? Does it make everyday life easier? Those are the questions many women I know ask too.
And that’s exactly where the IONIQ 3 surprised me. The launch took place in a striking immersive exhibition space built around the theme ‘From Paper to Steel’, showing how the car began as sketches and folded-paper concepts before evolving into its final sculptural form.
It felt more like visiting an installation than attending a car reveal, which made perfect sense for Milan Design Week. Hyundai clearly wanted to place the IONIQ 3 in the world of design, not just motoring – even the details around the event reflected that thinking.
Staff were stylishly dressed in custom uniforms by Uniqlo, embroidered with the car’s Mr Pixel motif, while the impeccably stylish Caroline Issa, CEO and fashion director of TANK Magazine, hosted proceedings, keeping style and design firmly at the heart of the launch.
The car itself has a clean, modern confidence to it. Sleek lines, sharp details and Hyundai’s signature pixel lighting give it a polished, contemporary feel. It’s compact enough for city life, but without looking apologetically small. Think less “tiny runaround”, more “smart urban essential”.
What impressed me most was the surprisingly spacious interior. Despite being designed with European city driving in mind, the IONIQ 3 feels far roomier than expected. The cabin has an open, calm layout with generous legroom and a sense of space that many compact cars lack.
As someone who regularly moves garment bags, rails, styling kits, shoes and the occasional oversized tote bag, boot capacity matters more to me than torque figures ever will. I was pleasantly surprised by how practical it felt.
There’s thoughtful storage throughout too. The kind of detail you only appreciate when juggling coffee cups, chargers, handbags and life.
