The Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV: Shockingly good!

Quiet, large and in control, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV is a shockingly good (yes, that was a pun) electric vehicle making quite a splash on paper and in the market. Underneath their two very different-looking skins, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV is the mechanical twin of Kia’s EV6. Napleton News had a chance to plug in, charge up and live the electric vehicle lifestyle for a week. Here’s what we thought.

What is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV?

It’s quite a few things, actually. Start with a four-door hatchback. Is it a four-door sedan or a crossover SUV? Yes, to all of these! But in short, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV is a brand new electric vehicle that utilizes its own skateboard-style platform that combines great style with extraordinary space. It looks like no other Hyundai in the brand’s product portfolio, but it is not so radical that it looks comical (We’re looking at you, Prius).

A lot is going on with the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV. Here are just a few features:

• Great looks
• 800-volt fast-charging circuitry
• Maximum range of 303 miles per charge
• Available Highway Driving Assist 2 feature
• Over-the-air feature updates multimedia software and firmware updates.

Although the Ioniq 5 is available in a rear-wheel drive model, our tester was the H-Trac all-wheel drive model with an electric motor at the rear axle and another at the front to make 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque combined. It delivers a zero-to-50 mph sprint in 4.9 seconds, thanks to its 77.4 kWh battery.

The Ioniq 5 includes 800-volt charging that can go from 10-percent to 80-percent in just 18 minutes. What if you only have a 400-volt charger? It’s no thing, as that will deliver an 80-percent charge in a nearly as quick 25 minutes! The standard charger should allow owners to charge fully in just under seven hours.

Charges are included!

Hyundai will give buyers 250 kWh of DC fast charging using the Electrify America app as an added incentive. When using the EA app, they can take advantage of unlimited 30-minute charge sessions for two years from the in-service date.

Yes, but how does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV look?

The new Ioniq 5 carries much of the styling of the concept car introduced at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show. That’s a good thing because the vehicle was quite striking then and held pretty true to form. It’s an exciting look, seemingly loaded with Easter Eggs at every turn.

 

There’s also a recurring theme consisting of square matrix designs at various points on the body. They appear on the running lights, the charging port door, the rear hatch and even inside the vehicle.

What about the inside of the Ioniq 5?

Inside, the Ioniq 5 features a well-thought design that brings an interior that, at 118 inches, is actually four inches longer than its big brother Hyundai Palisade SUV. An all-glass moonroof adds to the airiness of the cabin. Across the dashboard is a pair of flat-panel 12.3-inch display screens. They display traditional gauges for the driver and those showing the vehicle’s current state of charge.

The center console is headed by another flatscreen with controls for the rest of the vehicle, including the premium Bose audio system and options for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Cargo space behind the second-row measures in at 27.2 cubic feet. Fold that row forward and the space grows to 56.2 cubic feet behind the front seats.

Seating is comfortable and the driver’s seat even offers leg rests that enable you to take a load off while your car is recharging. Legroom is plentiful from almost every seating position and the rear seat is almost limo-like.

Driving the Ioniq 5

By now, we have become familiar with the various sounds that come from an EV. The space-aged whooshes or electronic flourishes give you the futuristic experience that we have come to expect from an EV. Once you are buckled in, we are ready to go.

The gear selector is a steering column-mounted affair that requires a twist forward or back, depending on where you want to go. Backing out brings up the rearview camera with movable lines that show where you will likely go when in reverse. Once we are in the street, flick the gear selector the other way and we are off.

Acceleration is silky smooth and quiet. The first thing you notice is there is nothing to notice. Save for Howard Stern on the Sirius XM Satellite Radio, the Ioniq cruises along silently.

We go fast.

Did we mention it’s fast?

Yes, very.

The Ioniq 5’s two motors offer rapid acceleration that quickly gets you off the line. Torque from the electric motors is instantaneous, allowing you to make any challenger an also-ran. Surprisingly, the vehicle does not suffer range-wise following such a go-fast spurt.

Braking comes on as you would expect. Foot off the accelerator and onto the brake for a typical slowdown. If you are interested in maximizing your charge, click the left paddle-shift lever to enter e-pedal mode. Here, you operate the vehicle in one-pedal mode. Use the go-fast pedal as you would normally, and when you are ready to slow down, lift it to engage regenerative braking. The car slows down by this simple act and adds a percentage of charge to the Hyundai battery packs.

The new Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the perfect example of an electric vehicle entering the mainstream. Will you be ready for it?

2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Specifications.

	2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD Specifications
Drivetrain	All-wheel drive
Engine Type	Twin electric motors
Horsepower	320 HP
Torque	446 LB-FT
Transmission	automatic
Fuel Economy	98 mpg (110 city/87 hwy)
Suspension	Strut / Multilink
Turning Circle	39.3 ft.
Also Available	Rear-wheel drive, smaller battery packs, trim levels
Specs
Warranty	5 years/60,000 miles
Powertrain Warranty	10 years/100,000 miles
NHTSA Safety Rating	N/A
Max Seating Capacity	5
Wheelbase	118.1 inches
Overall Length	182.5 inches
Width	74.4 inches
Height	63.0 inches
Cargo 2nd row/ 1st row	27.2/59.3 Cubic Feet
Headroom, Front	39.1 inches
Headroom, Rear	37.5 inches
Legroom, Front	41.7 inches
Legroom, Rear	39.4 inches
Shoulder, Front	57.7 inches
Shoulder, Rear	57.7 inches