Revealed in February this year, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the first model under the brand’s Ioniq electric sub-brand. It’s built on a dedicated electric skateboard platform and is meant to spearhead Hyundai’s global EV onslaught strategy.
As was reported by us earlier, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 will see its market launch in India sometime time year. It will come in as a CBU and will be positioned as a niche offering. Ahead of its launch, here's five things that you should know about the Ioniq 5 EV.
Hyundai Ioniq 5: exterior design
The Ioniq 5 was first previewed as the 45 EV concept car at the 2019 Frankfurt motor show and the final production model closely sticks to the retro-inspired styling of the concept. It looks notably different from any other Hyundai model currently on sale and it will be unique even in the Ioniq clan as Hyundai is keen for there to be minimal family resemblance between the Ioniq 5 and subsequent models in the Ioniq range.
It’s characterised by crisp, clean lines, flat surfaces and a typical SUV-ish stance, but with highly raked windshields. The pixelated front and rear LED lights and the flamboyant alloy wheels stick out on the otherwise simplistic and unsophisticated design.
Hyundai Ioniq 5: interior and features
One of the biggest advantages of an electric skateboard platform is that it allows for a flexible and modular interior design. As such, the Ioniq 5 is characterised by a flat floor, flexible seats that can slide and recline and even a movable centre console that slides back and forth by up to 140mm. The cabin is rather minimalistic with lots of free space and even uses sustainable materials, such as recycled plastic bottles and paperette for the seats and door upholstery.
In terms of gadgets and equipment, the highlight is a pair of 12-inch screens for the instrument cluster and infotainment system featuring Hyundai’s BlueLink connected-car suite. It also gets an advanced head-up display featuring augmented reality functions, advanced driver assistance features that operate via radar sensors, front-view cameras and GPS data. It even gets digital screens for the rear-view mirror display.
Hyundai Ioniq 5: powertrain and platform
Globally, the Ioniq 5 is available with two powertrain options. The base version gets a single motor setup that produces 169hp and 350Nm of torque and drives the rear wheels. In this configuration, the Ioniq 5 can sprint from 0-100kph in 8.5 seconds. There’s also a dual-motor, all-wheel drive version that produces 306hp and 605Nm of peak torque. This will translate to a 0-100kph time of 5.2sec, and it can go on to hit a top-speed of 185kph.
It remains to be seen which of the powertrain options Hyundai brings to India. As mentioned already, the Ioniq 5 is built on a dedicated electric platform known as Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). The platform is pretty flexible, which means it can be adapted to other body styles as well.
Hyundai Ioniq 5: battery and charging
The Ioniq 5 is available with two battery packs – 72.6kWh and 58kWh – with the larger battery having a maximum range of 481km on the WLTP cycle. Meanwhile, the smaller battery promises a range of 385km on the WLTP cycle. Both rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive versions of the Ioniq 5 can be had with either battery packs.
The Ioniq 5 also uniquely features an 800V battery technology that was so far only seen on the Porsche Taycan sportscar. This allows for the potential of ultra-rapid charging, where the Ioniq 5 can juice up its batteries from 10 percent to 80 percent in just 18 minutes using a 220kW DC charger.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 will come to India as an import
The Ioniq 5 will reach our shores sometime this year as a fully imported model and that means it will be on the pricier side – even pricier than the Kona Electric, which is locally assembled. While it will only find limited buyers, Hyundai is following a top-down approach with its EV line-up in India. The Ioniq 5 will be positioned as a flagship EV showcasing the brand’s prowess in electrification. Later in 2024, Hyundai will also introduce a mass-market electric vehicle at a much affordable price point, and one that will be specifically developed for India.
We have already driven the Ioniq 5 on roads abroad and you watch our excluive video review here. Additionally, you can also reach out for the upcoming January issue of the Autocar India magazine to read our detailed first drive review of the Ioniq 5.
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