Hyundai IONIQ 5: the new electric SUV from Hyundai with a range of 480 km

The first model in the new range of electric vehicles from Hyundai has arrived: the IONIQ 5. An electric car aimed squarely at the VolkswagenID.4, with which it will surely wage a battle that will spark, and that is no exaggeration.

Actually, in the future we will see a real rivalry between “families”: the IONIQ from Hyundai and the ID from Volkswagen, since both brands follow a similar electrification strategy. Hyundai has already announced its next members: the IONIQ 6, the IONIQ 7 and an SUV in the upper segment.

Design of the Hyundai IONIQ 5: compact or SUV?

Neither compact nor SUV: Hyundai refers to the new IONIQ 5 as a CUV. And what is that? You could say it’s a compact SUV. Beyond the wordplay, what matters are its dimensions. The IONIQ 5 measures 4.63 metres long, 1.89 metres wide and 1.60 metres high, with a wheelbase of no less than exactly 3 metres. To put it in context, the Volkswagen ID.4 is 5 centimetres shorter, four centimetres narrower and 4 cm taller. And it has a wheelbase 23 cm shorter.

This relationship between length and wheelbase largely defines the look of the IONIQ 5, with very short overhangs, especially at the rear. It is also one of the keys to offering a very spacious cabin.

Continuing with the exterior design, the IONIQ 5 clearly departs from the rest of the Hyundai range. It doesn’t even resemble the Kona, its current electric model. There are very distinctive elements such as the clamshell bonnet, the V-shaped front bumper with no specific grille, the design of the light clusters, and the pop-out door handles flush with the bodywork…

Hyundai references the “parametric dynamics” design debuted on the new Hyundai Tucson, although the IONIQ 5 takes this philosophy much further, especially with the cuts and planes visible at the rear. The wheels can be up to 20 inches.

Hyundai will offer up to nine exterior colours, five of which will be exclusive to the IONIQ 5, inspired especially by nature. Two of them will have a matte finish.

Cabin: thinking about space and comfort

Inside, the IONIQ 5 also presents interesting solutions. The most notable is the centre console that slides between the front seats, which can move up to 140 mm, creating free passage between the two front seats. The modular platform on which it is built, designed specifically for electric vehicles, allows the battery to be placed under the floor, leaving a very flat surface.

The beltline is high, but the glazed area is large, which brings light into the cabin. To further improve the available space, the seats have been reworked with a structure 30% thinner, allowing centimetres to be gained for rear passengers’ legs.

And since the focus now is on sustainability, Hyundai also points out that for many interior elements, such as the floor, door trim and headliner, eco-friendly materials from sustainable sources are used, such as recycled plastic bottles or plant-based textiles.

Boot capacity reaches 531 litres, expandable to almost 1,600 litres by folding the rear seats, which also offer 135 mm of longitudinal adjustment. Under the front bonnet there is an additional storage space of almost 60 litres.

Connectivity and multimedia: augmented reality arrives

On the dashboard, the instrument cluster and the multimedia system screen form practically a single unit, suspended behind the steering wheel. Both the instrument cluster and the infotainment screen measure 12 inches diagonally.

Hyundai’s Bluelink system ensures on-board connectivity, with new features such as cloud-based connected routes, which recalculate the journey more reliably by taking traffic, charging point availability and charging times into account. There is also voice recognition, as well as all the possibilities offered by the now-common connection of the electric vehicle to a smartphone: remote control of climate control and charging, checking the vehicle’s status… The user can even receive notifications if a door or window has been left open.

Another novelty in Hyundai debuting on the IONIQ 5 is a head-up display with augmented reality, which turns the windscreen into a true display for the most relevant information.

As for driver assistance systems, the SmartSense package evolves and adds a new assistant that Hyundai debuts on the IONIQ 5: Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2). It is based on a front camera and radar to control speed, the safety distance from the vehicle ahead and lane keeping, as well as helping the driver with lane-change manoeuvres.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VPZPTZMPHTY&feature=youtu.be

Motor, battery and charging

For the IONIQ 5, Hyundai offers two battery options, 58 kWh and 72.6 kWh, with two mechanical configurations: a single rear motor in the 4×2 variants, and two motors, one on each axle, in the 4×4 versions.

The 4×2 version with rear motor produces 160 kW (218 CV) and 350 Nm. With the smaller battery, the IONIQ 5 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 8.5 seconds, and in 7.4 seconds with the larger battery. As for the more powerful IONIQ 5 with four-wheel drive, the rear motor delivers 155 kW (210 CV) and 350 Nm, while the front motor provides 70 kW (95 CV) and 255 Nm. Acceleration in this case is 6.1 seconds with the standard 58 kWh battery, and 5.2 seconds with the 72.6 kWh battery.

Top speed is limited to 185 km/h in all cases, and the announced maximum range, according to the WLTP cycle, is between 470 and 480 km. The IONIQ 5 is also approved to tow a trailer of up to 1,600 kg.

The battery supports a 400 and 800 volt charging infrastructure, without the need for additional adapters. With ultra-fast charging it can go from 10% to 80% capacity in less than 20 minutes, or recover 100 km of range in 5 minutes.

The vehicle is also prepared for Vehicle-to-Load bidirectional charging, with one socket located under the second-row seats and another on the outside of the vehicle, delivering a maximum power of 3.6 kW. The interior socket can be used with the vehicle switched on, and the exterior one provides power so customers can charge high-power equipment using a converter, even with the car switched off.

Hyundai IONIQ 5 Project 45: launch edition

For the launch, in some European markets an online reservation period opens for a special edition of the IONIQ 5 called Project 45, of which 3,000 units will be built.

This edition is characterised by its generous equipment, with 20-inch wheels, panoramic roof, head-up display… Customers who place a reservation will be able to learn about further features of the car in advance, and will be invited to the exclusive official launch event. Additionally, in some countries a free subscription to the fast-charging network IONITY will be included.

For the time being, this launch edition is not available in Spain.

Image gallery: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Technical specifications of this car

CrossoverHyundai IONIQ 58 versions · from 44,670 €