Hyundai reveals wild Ioniq 5 EV
When designers start looking back fondly on the likes of the Hyundai Pony, one has to ask, has retro-futurism gone a little too far? In the case of Hyundai’s striking new Ioniq 5 EV, we’re pleased to report any reference to the Pony is little more than a wink and a nod, rather than a wholesale retro reimagining. Even so, the Ioniq 5 looks to cut a slice of the excitement surrounding cars like the Honda e, Renault 5 Prototype and indeed, the Fiat 500.
Hyundai says that the Ioniq 5 manages to “evoke the daring attitude of Hyundai Pony”, with design freedom afforded by the bespoke BEV platform on which it rides, named E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform). Honestly, despite the understandably tenuous connection with, let’s be polite, that most humble of beginnings, we reckon it looks great, with its sharp angles, chiselled minimalist lines and jewel-like LED light treatment. It’s simple and old-school but also sophisticated and futuristic.
On the inside, it’s all screens and sustainably-sourced materials, which depending on what your house looks like, may or may not hold true to Hyundai’s claim that it’s “a home away from home”. The seats, headliner, door trim, floor and armrest use materials made of recycled plastic bottles, plant-based yarns, natural wool yarns and more. Two enormous 12-inch screens dominate the instrument cluster and dashboard, though there’s no mention of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity. There’s also an Augmented Reality Head-Up Display which ‘essentially turns the windshield into a display screen’.
It is said to be very spacious, too, with a flat-floor and that massive 3,000mm wheelbase allowing for great leg and headroom. We do wonder how the boot gets on, mind, being full of wheel wells and all. One last unique capability of the Ioniq 5 is V2L or vehicle-to-load. Put simply, it can be a charger for everything from an electric bike or scooter, to camping gear when out in the sticks, via 3.6kW outlets under the back seats and at the charging port.
As for the guts? Two battery pack options are available, at 58kWh and 72.6kWh, while both can be had with either a single motor up front, or a motor on both axles. With the 72.6kWh pack and all-wheel-drive, it produces around 300PS (225kW) and 605Nm (448lb ft) and can sprint to 62mph in 5.2 seconds. The Pony has blossomed into a racehorse... The smaller battery and single-motor combination variants push that acceleration into the six, seven and eight-second.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 price and range
With a single motor and the 72.6kWh battery pack, the Ioniq 5 is good for a WLTP-standardised range of 300 miles. Add another motor at the front axle and that goes down to 270 miles, while the single motor 58kWh car has a range of 240 miles. All Ioniq 5s come with both 400V and 800V charging infrastructures, a capability previously the preserve of the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT. This means that while hooked up to a 350kW charger, the Ioniq 5 can be boosted from 10 per cent to 80 per cent charge in 18 minutes. Five minutes on the juice will give the Ioniq 5 an extra 62 miles of range.
Now then, what will you have to Pony up for the privilege of Ioniq 5 ownership? Well, the range will introduce, as is becoming the norm, with a first edition of sorts, named ‘Project 45 Edition’, named for Hyundai’s 45 years of design heritage. Just 3,000 are on their way to the UK and Europe, starting from £45,000 including the Plug-in Car Grant. As you’d expect, it gets all the toys, from the AR windscreen, to solar power in the roof and 20-inch wheels. The least expensive model will be the 58kWh RWD car in SE Connect trim, priced from £33,995. For £36,295 you'll get the same mechanicals in Premium trim, while the 72.6kWh RWD machine in Preimium trim is £38,945 and with AWD is £42,145. There are other models on top of those, closing out with the RWD 72.6kWh car in Ultimate trim with the added tech pack, yours for £46,640. As for what’s to come? Hyundai claims this is just the latest in a line-up of Ioniq-badged machinery to come. We’re all for it so far.
Hyundai
Ioniq 5
EV
electric cars
