Cars

Hyundai IONIQ 5 debuts with retro-modern looks & generous space

By Sagar

Posted on February 25, 2021

I’ll have one, with a Lancia badge, please

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 has finally made its debut in its production form via a virtual event from somewhere, and will go on sale later this year in “select regions” (Europe included). No, what we’re seeing here is not a concept, but a series-production model that you might be able to purchase at a dealership near you. Although the IONIQ is now a sub-brand dedicated to EVs, it appears that Hyundai is not yet ready to drop the Hyundai prefix to the Ioniq 5.

As you can see, the logos have been retained too. Anyway, the Ioniq 5 is the first model to be underpinned by the Group’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) that is claimed to facilitate a spacious and customizable interior. If you’ve seen the photos already, you’d probably agree. As for the design, the Ioniq 5 mixes the ‘Sensuous Sportiness’, ‘Parametric Dynamics‘ and ‘Parametric Pixel’ design languages to achieve this retro-modern look. Compared to the 45 concept upon which this is based, the Ioniq 5 looks more like a ’70s Italian hatchback rather than an SUV — so much so that a Lancia badge on its nose and tailgate wouldn’t look out of place. I love the way it looks.

The Ioniq 5 measures 4,635 mm long, 1,890 mm wide and 1,605 mm tall. It boasts a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. The aero-optimized 20-inch wheels are the largest rims ever fitted to a Hyundai EV. Notice that the wheel arches continue the swirly theme.

Buyers can choose from 9 exterior colors, including 5 “nature-inspired” hues exclusive to the model. These include two matt finish options: Gravity Gold Matte and Shooting-Star Gray Matte, along with Digital Teal-Green Pearl, Mystic Olive-Green Pearl and Lucid Blue Pearl. Other colors include Atlas White, Galactic Gray Metallic, Cyber Gray Metallic and Phantom Black Pearl.

Hyundai gave us a sneak peek of the Ioniq 5’s cabin prior to its full reveal, but these full images truly reveal the generous space on offer. It’s not just the front seats that allow you to fully stretch and relax but also the center console that can slide back as much as 140 mm for added comfort. Also, the front seats are less thicker (by 30%) in order to make more space for the second row occupants. As for the materials used, the Ioniq 5’s cabin has a significant amount of sustainably sourced materials, such as recycled PET bottles, plant-based (bio PET) yarns and natural wool yarns, eco-processed leather with plant-based extracts, and bio paint with plant extracts.

Technology inside includes a 12-inch driver display, a 12-inch central touchscreen, Augmented Reality Head-Up Display, and Hyundai SmartSense Advanced Driver Assistance Systems with all the usual stuff such as Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), High Beam Assist (HBA), and more. The Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai model to offer Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2). It uses the front camera, radar sensors and navigation data to control the vehicle speed and following distance while keeping the vehicle centered in its lane.

The Ioniq 5 also offers Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) function that makes the vehicle a charger on wheels. The first V2L port is located underneath the rear seats, while another one is located at the charging port outside. Via a converter, owners can charge electronic devices even when the vehicle is turned off.

Moving on to the juicy bits of the story, the Ioniq 5 will be available in a single motor RWD or a dual motor AWD. There’ll also be two battery packs on offer: 58 kWh (Standard Range) and 72.6 kWh (Long Range). The Standard Range RWD offers 125 kW (170 metric hp) and 350 Nm (258 lb-ft) of torque while the AWD model develops a combined 173 kW (235 metric hp) and 605 Nm (446 lb-ft) of torque. The Long Range RWD boasts 160 kW (218 metric hp) and 350 Nm while the AWD tops the range with a combined 225 kW (306 metric hp) and 605 Nm of torque. The Long Range AWD is the quickest among the lineup with a claimed 0-100 km/h (62 mph) sprint time of 5.2 seconds.

Max range as per WLTP is claimed to be up to 480 km (298 mi) for Long Range RWD.

Ioniq 5’s E-GMP can support both 400- and 800-volt charging infrastructures. With a 350 kW charger, the vehicle can charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes, Hyundai said. A 5-minute charging is claimed to get 100 km (62 mi) range.