The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is our new favourite EV

With some of the best design and tech we’ve seen yet on an electric car, Hyundai’s new flagship EV knocks it out of the park
Rating: 9/10 | Price: from £36,995
WIRED

Innovative interior; the best charging tech around; singular design

TIRED

Some might expect a sportier drive; we'd have liked a longer range

It says something about an EV that after your first spell driving the car, you have to arrange to go back and try it again just to make sure it was as good as you thought it was. Such was the case for the new Hyundai Ioniq 5. This showcase of the Korean brand’s second-generation EV tech will undoubtedly have competitors nervous, if this accomplished entry into premium EV sector is anything to go by.

Hyundai and sister brand Kia already make perfectly fine entry-to-mid-level EVs, but the Ioniq 5, with its hugely impressive specs as well as a genuinely refreshing new look at car design, both inside and out, is unquestionably looking to take on premium models such as the Audi Q4 e-tron, Jaguar's I-Pace and the Tesla Model Y just as much as Volkswagen’s ID.4 or Ford’s Mustang Mach-e. And, yes, it is more than capable of doing so.

Design

What's striking about the Ioniq 5 is that is looks like nothing around right now. Hyundai says the overall look has been inspired by the 1970s Pony, but, far from being a slave to the retro trend, the company has struck just the right balance between nods to the past and creating something futuristic yet still not out of place on the road now. It’s a laudably neat trick, and one many rivals have failed to master.

The exterior is loaded with choice details, too. A glowing front panel, the bitmap headlights made from 256 LED cubes. And see those diagonal slashes down the sides, not only does this break up what would have been a large flat-panel space, it serves as visual trickery to make you think the car is shorter than it is. 

This optical illusion is a masterstroke. Looking at the pictures here you would think the Ioniq 5 is the size of a small family hatchback. It’s is not. It is much bigger. Sitting on the company's new Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the same that will power the coming Kia EV6, the car is 4,635mm long and 1,890mm wide. That's longer than the Land Rover Discovery Sport. What's more, thanks to that EV architecture, the wheelbase is 3,000mm, that's longer than an Audi A8 and approaching BMW 7-Series territory.

This magic trick works in real life, too. Even as you stroll up to the Ioniq 5 it looks like it is smaller than it really is. You have to walk round the thing a couple of times until the scale starts to make sense. And then you open the door and get inside.

Interior

We’ve has been getting frustrated with auto companies’ design apathy for some time when it comes to looking at interiors in a completely new way, especially now that the transmission tunnel can be done away with on EVs. It was a criticism we levied at the Q4 e-tron, for example. The cabin of the Ioniq 5 makes no such errors. 

It feels cavernous. Nothing is cramped or squeezed in. The pleasingly flat floor allows the console between the two front seats to slide back and forth, for either the people in the front or those in the back. The rear bench repeats this trick, sliding forward and back meaning that legroom can be precisely adjusted. The two front seats recline to almost flat. If anything, it’s more reminiscent of Fuse Project’s Ori Living modular morphing furniture than a traditional car interior. This is what can be done if you throw out past methods and come at the EV with completely fresh eyes. 

Then you have the wide, configurable, dual cockpit with a 12in touchscreen alongside the 12in digital gauge cluster. The Ioniq 5 also has an “Augmented Reality” Head-Up Display, a first for Hyundai. It works in a similar way to the Q4 e-tron’s, so you effectively get a pimped HUD with a bigger display area and contextually aware indications as the car takes data from the camera systems and sensors. It’s got a better field of view than the Audi version, but the graphics are not quite as clear. Thankfully, Hyundai has also included its useful Blind Spot View Monitor that shows you live footage from the door mirror camera when you flick the indicators.  

Even the boot is acceptable. Yes, it’s shallow - a common issue with EVs - but such is the size of the car you still get 527 litres of space. We could go on, about the quality of the eco materials on the seats or the upgraded Driving Assist systems, but by now you’ll have got the picture.

Performance

This will depend on which of the two battery options you choose and whether you opt for two- or four-wheel drive. A 58kWh battery paired with a single 168bhp motor at the rear is good for a 0-62mph in 8.5 seconds and a range of 238 miles. The 73kWh battery iteration sees that range go up to 280 miles, the highest possible on the Ioniq 5, while power bumps to 214bhp, and 0-62mph in 7.4 seconds.

The top spec model has that 73kWh battery pack, but adds a second motor at the front for 301bhp and 605Nm of torque. Now, while the range drops to 267 miles, this version is by far the fastest, with 0-62 dispatched in 5.2 seconds. Despite the speeds on tap, the ride is on the whole relaxed. The acceleration is smooth and predictable. The steering is responsive. The regeneration braking works well, and one-pedal driving is easy.

This is a car for cruising in style, not for throwing about on country lanes. It’s quiet, and the turning circle is superb considering the size. But most of all you get that sense of quality. It feels like a premium experience driving the Ioniq 5. 

Charging

The charging ability of the Ioniq 5 is undoubtedly its party piece. The E-GMP can support both 400V and 800V charging, without the need for additional adapters. This impressive multi-charging system is a world-first patented technology that operates the motor and inverter to boost 400V to 800V for stable charging. 

What does this mean? Well, the Ioniq 5 can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes with a 350kW charger – 18 minutes. Or, if you are in a hurry, you can get 100km of range in just five minutes. 

It doesn’t stop there, either. The car also has a V2L – vehicle to load – function that lets you use the Ioniq 5’s battery as a giant personal charger on wheels. Via a simple adaptor you can plug in standard household appliances – yes, TVs or microwaves – into the car, and these will work just like they would back at home. This feature alone could make Hyundai's new EV the ultimate camping vehicle. 

What’s more, you can even charge other electric cars from the Ioniq 5, rescuing stranded EV drivers who have run out of juice at the side of the road. In an ideal world, this is how all EVs should work.

Verdict

All this should make you think the Ioniq 5 costs a fortune. Well, it doesn’t. Prices start at just £36,995. This is cheaper than the Audi Q4 e-tron. And this is better. 

If this is the standard of Hyundai’s EVs from now on then other manufacturers will need to raise their game. It is stand-out impressive in almost every area, with the best charging system around and technology on board that no one else is matching for the money. 

The only quibble is we would have liked a range north of 300 miles, but considering what you get for your outlay here, it’s very hard to complain at all. 

Canny investment in Rimac, the acquisition of Boston Dynamics, and now this absolute peach of an EV. Hyundai is on a roll right now. Long may it continue.

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This article was originally published by WIRED UK