2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Exterior

The Ioniq 5 is based on the 45 concept that was revealed in September 2019 at the Frankfurt Auto Show. It is underpinned by the automaker’s dedicated electric architecture called Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The car comes with quirky styling, which is an ode to Hyundai’s first production car, the Pony.

Up front, it features a clamshell hood which makes it aerodynamically more efficient. There are two sharp U-shaped LED daytime running lights on either side in the kinetic cube styling LED headlights. This design theme is called Parametric Pixels and is the design philosophy of this vehicle. It features a Hyundai logo on the hood, which means the automaker is not letting it go solo at the moment. We could see that happening in the future, though.

The Ioniq 5 features fastback-like styling when viewed from the side and it makes it looks quite handsome. There is no sloping-roofline at the back, which is a good thing as it doesn’t compromise with the headroom at the rear. It rides on 20-inch aero-optimized wheels, which are the largest fitted on a Hyundai EV. Also, it comes with flush door handles that retract when you approach the car. In terms of dimensions, the Ioniq 5 measures 182.5 inches in length, 74.4 inches in width, and 63.2 inches in height. The wheelbase measures 118.1 inches, which is quite long vis-à-vis its length.

The rear is no exception as it follows the unique retro-futuristic design, which Hyundai has managed to pull off quite well.

The Parametric Pixels are seen in the taillights, too, with the ‘Ioniq’ branding between them. Whether for good or not, there is no full-width LED taillight which is the trend these days. As for the charging ports, there are two of them, one on each side, for the sake of convenience. Overall, the styling is neat, and despite the quirkiness, it will please the majority of the folks.

Hyundai had also noted earlier that the Ioniq 5 will make use of eco-friendly Color Material Finish on the Ioniq 5 to add to the sustainability factor. In total, there will be nine exterior shades on offer, which include five nature-inspired hues. The colors are:

• Gravity Gold Matte
• Shooting-Star Gray Matte
• Digital Teal-Green Pearl
• Lucid Blue Pearl
• Atlas White
• Cyber Gray Metallic
• Phantom Black Pearl
• Galactic Gray Metallic
• Mystic Olive-Green Pearl

The last two shades, by the way, won’t be offered in the U.S. market.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Interior

On the inside, the Ioniq 5 follows a ‘Living Space’ theme. You’ll have three different interior color combinations to choose from:

• Obsidian Black and Dark Pebble Gray/Dove Gray
• Dark Teal/Dove Gray
• Terra Brown/Mud Gray

In terms of tech features, the Ioniq 5 features two 12-inch screens on the center console, one that acts as a digital instrument cluster, and the other, an infotainment system. They are conjoined in a glass housing. It will be supported by Hyundai’s Bluelink connected car services.

Coming to the sustainability factor, the company has said that surfaces like seats, headliner, door trim, floor, and armrest are manufactured using use eco-friendly, sustainably-sourced materials such as recycled PET bottles, plant-based yarns, and natural wool yarns, and so on.

• Electrically-adjustable front seats
• Cupholders
• 15W wireless charger
• USB ports
• Voice Recognition system
• Eight-speaker Bose audio system

Interior Space

Courtesy of the lack of a transmission tunnel, the Ioniq 5 has a flat floor. Hyundai has taken the ‘space issues’ a little too seriously and has offered a super-spacious cabin here. The 118.1-inch long wheelbase plays a major role here. It is, in fact, almost four inches longer than the much larger Palisade SUV’s wheelbase.

If this wasn’t enough, the automaker has also provided a sliding center console, which can be pushed back by 5.5 inches to create more space. This allows more movement space inside the cabin and will be helpful when you have to slide into the next seat to get out of the car when parked in a tight spot. The company has also reduced the thickness of the front seats by 30-percent to create more legroom for the rear passengers. Hope this hasn’t affected the comfort to any extent.

Speaking of the cargo space, the Ioniq 5 offers 18.8 cubic feet of space behind the seats as standard. Flip down the rear seats and you have 56.2 cubic feet of space available at your disposal. The car also comes with a frunk. In the two-wheel-drive configuration, it offers two cubic-feet of space, and in the case of an all-wheel-drive layout, the space reduces to 0.8 cubic feet.

Vehicle-to-load Technology

A month before the launch, Hyundai had released three videos teasing the Ioniq. AIt showcased the Ioniq 5’s ‘Ultimate Camping’ capabilities. A 220V socket placed behind the rear seats was seen, which could be so it can be accessed easily to power other products. The EV was seen powering a treadmill, an outdoor sound system, and even an oven. This comes courtesy of the Ioniq 5’s Vehicle-to-Load technology that functions as a general power supply (110/220V) and can dish out 3.6 kW of juice.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Powertrain, Battery, and Range

Hyundai will offer the Ioniq 5 with two different battery packs – 58 kWh and 72.6 kWh. Both of them will be offered with a single- and dual-motor setup.

Standard-Range 58-kWh Battery Pack

When opted with the single motor setup, it produces 168 horses and 258 pound-feet of torque. The car takes 8.5 seconds to hit 62 mph from a standstill. When you go for the dual-motor setup that powers all the wheel, the Ioniq 5 produces 232 horses and 446 pound-feet of torque, combined. The 0-62 mph time here is rated at 6.1 seconds.

Long Range 72.6 kWh Battery Pack

With the bigger battery pack, the single motor setup churns out 215 horses and 258 pound-feet of torque. It takes 7.4 seconds to hit the 62 mph mark. When you opt for the dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup, the combined power output increases to 302 horses and 446 pound-feet of torque. It takes just 5.1 seconds to gallop to 62 mph. This is the most powerful and fastest option that you can buy with the Ioniq.

Irrespective of the configuration, the top speed is limited to 115 miles per hour and the maximum towing capacity is rated at 3,527 pounds.

Range

Hyundai has not yet announced the range for each model, but has provided only the estimated figures for the two-wheel-drive iteration with the larger 72.6 kWh battery pack. The WLTP-estimated range here is 298 miles. This, mind you, is in its best avatar. The Ioniq 5s with the smaller battery pack and all-wheel-drive configuration will suffer horribly, and the EPA-estimated range for them could be just around 200 miles.

The charging times are also not announced at this point, but Hyundai has said that the Ioniq 5 supports 350 kW DC fast-charging. When connected to this, it will take just 18 minutes for it to replenish from 10-percent to 80-percent. Hyundai also mentioned that you can add up to 62 miles of range in just five minutes. The Ioniq 5 features a solar roof, too, which collects enough energy to avoid battery discharge at its worst and add extra miles to the range at its best.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Pricing

The pricing for the Ioniq 5 is not out yet, but we speculate it to be priced in the $42,000-$48,000 bracket before options. This puts it on top of the Hyundai Kona electric in the product hierarchy. A starting price of sub-$40,000 would be exciting, but it will cannibalize into the Kona electric’s sales, which starts at $37,390.

Hyundai EVs are still eligible for the $7,500 tax credit in the States and the prices mentioned and speculated here don’t include the credits.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The EV comes with many safety and driver-assistance features. This includes:

• Augmented Reality Head-Up Display
• Surround View Monitor
• Highway Driving Assist 2
• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
• High Beam Assist
• Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Blind-Spot View Monitor
• Driver Attention Warning
• Safe Exit Assist
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist
• Reverse Parking Collision-Avoidance Assist

Final Thoughts

The Hyundai Ioniq EQ is looking like a complete package overall. It looks sweet, comes with a good load of features inside the cabin as per the segment norms, and looks futuristic. As an urban commuter, it ticks all the boxes; but not otherwise. The Ioniq 5 is offered with multiple permutations and combinations when it comes to powertrain and battery setups, but they aren’t very impressive. It doesn’t offer even 300 miles of range in its best avatar, that too according to the lenient WLTP cycle. This will be a deal-breaker for a lot of people. It looks like Hyundai is doing a BMW here – offering a good product that suffers from massive range anxiety. The only way Hyundai can make sure it flies off the showroom floors is to either offer bigger battery packs or price it aggressively.

The Ioniq 5 will arrive later this year and will be followed by the Ioniq 6 sedan in 2022 and Ioniq 7 SUV in 2024.

• Love it
  • * Looks unique
  • * Interior and cargo space
  • * Various battery and drive layout options on offer
• Leave it
  • * Price could be on the higher side
  • * Range is not acceptable