Shopping, pick up and drop off, errands and going to the recycling centre – daily and weekly tasks that require something a bit more substantial than the manual two seater we’d all drive in an ideal world. And for those who are realistic, who know they will need a vehicle which can handle being stuffed full of household items or children as well as offsetting the world’s Co2 issues, there is the Ioniq 5. In many respects, Hyundai and Kia are leading the latest electric car revolution. You could argue that they follow on from BMW’s i3 (unfortunately soon to cease production) Renault’s Zoe or the Nissan Leaf and those cars didn’t arrive with a 400 to 500 kilometer range or affordable price tags. The Ioniq 5 is new from the ground up but does it do enough to separate itself from its stablemates as well as the ICE competition?
Special mention : Floating consoles and no transmission tunnel for added space in an already huge cabin. The boot is absolutely massive with the seats down. Steering wheel has a pleasant texture and adds to quality feel. Lots of charging options throughout the cabin (yet no USB-C plugs) for a modern car.
Needs work : Stalks could be prettier, with Drive, Reverse, Park taking a little getting used to. Some cabin noise at motorway speeds. Lane assist is buried within the menu’s and on badly designed Irish roads, it’s not as helpful a feature as intended. More colourful paint options would be nice. Lights require manually turning on to ensure you’re properly seen during the day as well as making sure rear lights are also on.
| BHP 170 PS | Electric / Auto |
| 0-100 km/h in 6.1 seconds | Road Tax €120 |
| Price: €38,495.00 | Boot space 527 / 1,600 + 57 frunk litres Range 360 km |
The Ioniq 5 is our first taste of Hyundai’s upcoming generation of electric cars which shares much of its hardware with Kia’s EV6. The available range stands at between 384 and 480 km depending on which Ioniq 5 you go for. Its talent is how fast it can charge when you hook it up to an ultra rapid public charger it will go from 10 to 80% in just 18 minutes. That’s 338 Kilometres in 18 minutes but charges like this are still quite rare and expensive. While the infrastructure is improving all the time, it’s still not a given that you will get these quick charging rates.
The interior is very minimalist, where old Kona and the new Ioniq models crossover is their use of a lot of grey dull plastics. Some might argue a white interior is impractical for the family car buyers that this car is so squarely aimed at so the dark colours are probably better suited to those with active children and lifestyles.
As for the infotainment screens, the 12.3 inch screens dominate the dashboard and the typeface will feel familiar to existing Hyundai owners. The menus are pretty logical but everything within these two displays has been freshened up for the Ioniq 5. The central screen is responsive and even entry level models get sat nav plus Apple and Android connectivity. The climate control is operated by a touch sensitive panel and while the system is better than the one you’ll find in a Volkswagen ID.4 they’re still not that intuitive to use. The flat flush panels may look great but rotary dials and switches are still the most utilitarian.
Comfort, quality and the general ambience of the cabin is right up there with the best cars in this class. Hyundai has a history of putting all of its resources into the exterior design and leaving the cabin as a bit of an afterthought but that is no longer the case. If it was our money we’d look at the mid spec model which comes with those twin screens, dual zone climate control, fast charging and all the safety kit you need.
There are two batteries to choose from 58 kilowatt-hour and 73 kilowatt-hour the bigger of those two brings a bit more power whilst four-wheel drive adds an extra motor to the front axle upping power. The range topper boasts 301 BHP and you can tell the moment you pull away from a standstill that power output is pretty significant and it’s available from the off with 0 – 100 km/h taking 5.2 seconds which is not only faster than a Volkswagen ID4 GTX but most petrol-powered hot hatchbacks too. You’d be right to consider that the Ioniq 5 weighs just under two tonnes, it might feel a little bit uneasy in the corners but actually because the battery’s mounted so low down it actually handles rather nicely. The steering isn’t super sharp but there’s very little body roll, it always feels secure so you’ve no problem placing the car exactly where you want with confidence. A Ford Mustang Mach-e is more fun though if that kind of thing matters to you the smaller 19 inch wheels can make the ride feel a little fidgety. That said all of the worst lumps bumps and imperfections are soaked up by comfortable leather seats. Even the cheapest model does 0 – 100 km/h in about eight and a half seconds without sacrificing handling.
The amount of range you’ll manage depends on the model you go for. The smaller battery rear wheel drive cars officially return 384 kmwhile those with a bigger battery should do 500 km. The four-wheel drive model sits somewhere in between returning a real-world range of 400 km, not as good as the longest range Mustangs but competitive in this class. If you can charge at home using a 7 kilowatt wall box it will top up overnight in a little under 12 hours. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is based on a completely bespoke electric car platform so it doesn’t share any of its DNA with a petrol or diesel model like the Hyundai Kona does. Now that works wonders for practicality, perhaps the floor is a bit high so you do have to hook things up into the boot but it’s no worse than you’ll find on one of this car’s SUV rivals at least it’s got a hatchback opening rather than the Tesla Model 3’s saloon style opening. Boot space measures 527 litres, almost a match for the ID.4. Folding the seats down you’ll find 1600 litres of space which is bigger than conventional petrol hatchback rivals and plenty for what most family buyers will use this car for.
Considering the space throughout the rest of the cabin, the space in the frunk is pretty poor but big enough to stow the three-pin plug cable should you need it in an emergency. Unlike many electric cars the Ioniq 5 has been officially rated for towing depending on which one you go for, it’s 750 to 1600 kilos. The wheelbase is actually two millimeters longer than you’ll find in an Audi A8. This means there’s loads of space to stretch out, acres of knee room and enough headroom for six footers. The completely flat floor as well that means that it’s even practical for someone to sit in the middle seat. The long wheelbase does mean that the rear doors are pretty long which can prove challenging in tight car parks but if you’ve got the space those doors do make fitting a child seat nice and easy.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 will charge almost as quickly as a Porsche Taycan despite costing thousands less. You can add 340 km in 18 minutes and the benefits of this car’s electric only platform are clear as there’s loads of space inside and a massive boot too. No matter which Ioniq you go for you get twin 12.3 inch displays and loads of standard kit. The plush seats absorb some of the bumps and lumps of badly pock marked roads. The Kia e-Nero and the Hyundai Kona electric are the benchmark affordable long range EVs and this feels like the logical next step. The design ensures it’s infinitely more desirable than those two cars and is absolutely brimming with tech. It can charge quickly as long as you have access to super fast chargers that give the full blast.
With interesting and individual looks that set it apart from the crowd, Hyundai has added to the Ioniq 5’s kerb appeal with competitive standard spec, reasonable pricing and advanced (if annoying) active safety systems. The Ioniq 5 is a large family EV which chases the premium electric rivals. It’s looking to persuade EV buyers who are motivated by stylish design, good on-board tech and practical range that it’s worth considering a brand they may not have looked at previously.