Hyundai Ioniq 5 Comes Out Looking Highly Conceptual


The Hyundai the Ioniq 5 compact crossover made its debut Monday evening and it’s another win for the brand’s styling department. Despite being known as budget-minded automakers by Hyundai and Kia have delivered some of the most interesting designs the industry has to offer and with surprising consistency. The Ioniq 5 simply carries that formula into a product line that offers a healthy variety of battery, powertrain, and charging options without aiming too high or low.
Based on the Hyundai 45 EV concept from 2019, the Ioniq crossover looks as though it could be a show vehicle. But Hyundai has confirmed that this is actually the production version. The model’s angular design is interesting in itself and requires minimal embellishment, though the Parametric Pixel headlamps are a great touch and really help set the vehicle apart. While it won’t be the car for everyone, it certainly has its charms and will turn plenty of heads until more automakers decide to ape its style.

Alleged to be offering 18.8 cubic feet of space behind the rear seat, the Ioiniq 5 really sweetens the pot with the seats folded down so drivers can enjoy 56.2 of storage bliss. European models also come with another 2 feet of space in the frontal trunk while the North American units halve that space.
Trim has been broken down into four categories. The Standard Range 2WD (rear) configuration offers a compact 58-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack that juices up the 160-kilowatt rear motor. Hyundai claims the setup offers 218 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque (converted from Nm). The standard model can also be had in all-wheel drive, though this comes with the added benefit of a second motor capable of driving the front wheels and a not-so-modest bump in output. Standard AWD units come with 235 hp and 446 lb-ft of immediate torque.

Long Range variants come with a larger 77.4-kWh energy source, though some markets (not ours) will get a slimmed-down version of it. Sadly, the latter is the only one Hyundai has any test data for at present and it’s using the famously optimistic European WLTP testing cycle to estimate range. But it’s hardly a disaster at 300 miles and may even sway a few shoppers who have been underwhelmed by other electric vehicles with a smaller operating area.
While the Long Range 2WD uses the same rear motor as the Standard Range, AWD versions get a beefed-up front motor resulting in a combined output of 306 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque. Hyundai said it has managed to clock the crossover hitting 60 mph in 5.2 seconds (vs the Standard Range 2WD’s 8.5 seconds).
The Ioniq 5 is said to be capable of recharging at up to 350 kW, if you can find the applicable DC fast-charging solution. While 240-volt and 110-volt will also be available, the manufacturer wants to flaunt its maximum charging capacity. Hyundai is claiming 350 kW should allow the car to absorb enough energy for 62 miles of range in a 5-minute fast charge scenario or get you back up to 80 percent (from 10 percent) after 18 minutes. You can even use the vehicle to recharge other devices, something the company promised it would discuss at length in the near future. All we know now is that output will be about 3.6 kW with the possibility of more with the correct adaptor.

Outside of the brand equipping it with all the latest digital bells and whistles (Hyundai’s SmartSense, Remote Parking Assist, augmented reality HUD, BlueLink, 12-inch touchscreens), we’re still sitting in the dark on a few issues. Pricing, passenger volume, economy figures, and recharging capabilities are all supposed to be forthcoming. But Hyundai did let slip that the interior would be blessed by a column-mounted shifter, which is the only way to fly for laid-back and spacious cruising.
Availability could be a little wonky with everyone suffering from parts shortages and these EVs never seem to launch without some kind of trouble. But Hyundai would like to make the Ioniq 5 available in the most receptive markets by summer, with the U.S. launch scheduled for autumn.

[Images: Hyundai]
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- Analoggrotto By the time any of Hyundai's Japanese competitors were this size and age, they produced iconic vehicles which are now highly desirable and going for good money used. But Hyundai/Kia have nothing to this point that anyone will care about in the future. Those 20k over MSRP Tellurides? Worn out junk sitting at the used car lot, worn beyond their actual age. Hyundai/Kia has not had anything comparable to the significance of CVCC, 240Z, Supra, Celica, AE86, RX-(7), 2000GT, Skyline, GT-R, WRX, Evo, Preludio, CRX, Si, Land Cruiser, NSX etc. All of this in those years where Detroiters and Teutonic prejudiced elitists were openly bashing the Japanese with racist derogatory language. Tiger Woods running off the road in a Genesis didn't open up a moment, and the Genesis Sedan featuring in Inception didn't matter any more than the Lincoln MKS showing up for a moment in Dark Knight. Hyundai/Kia are too busy attempting to re-invent others' history for themselves. But hey, they have to start somewhere and the N74 is very cool looking. Hyundai/Kia's biggest fans are auto Journalists who for almost 2 decades have been hyping them up to deafening volumes contributing further distrust in any media.
- Bd2 Other way around.Giorgetto Giugiaro penned the Pony Coupe during the early 1970s and later used its wedge shape as the basis for the M1 and then the DMC-12.The 3G Supra was just one of many Japanese coupes to adopt the wedge shape (actually was one of the later ones).The Mitsubishi Starion, Nissan 300ZX, etc.
- Tassos I also want one of the idiots who support the ban to explain to me how it will work.Suppose sometime (2035 or later) you cannot buy a new ICE vehicle in the UK.Q1: Will this lead to a ICE fleet resembling that of CUBA, with 100 year old '56 Chevys eventually? (in that case, just calculate the horrible extra pollution due to keeping 100 year old cars on the road)Q2: Will people be able to buy PARTS for their old cars FOREVER?Q3: Will people be allowed to jump across the Channel and buy a nice ICE in France, Germany (who makes the best cars anyway), or any place else that still sells them, and then use it in the UK?
- Tassos Bans are ridiculous and undemocratic and smell of Middle Ages and the Inquisition. Even 2035 is hardly any better than 2030.The ALMIGHTY CONSUMER should decide, not... CARB, preferably WITHOUT the Government messing with the playing field.And if the usual clueless idiots read this and offer the tired "But Government subsidizes the oil industry too", will they EVER learn that those MINISCULE (compared to the TRILLIONS of $ size of this industry) subsidies were designed to help the SMALL Oil producers defend themselves against the "Big Oil" multinationals. Ask ANY major Oil co CEO and he will gladly tell you that you can take those tiny subsidies and shove them.
- Dusterdude The suppliers can ask for concessions, but I wouldn’t hold my breath . With the UAW they are ultimately bound to negotiate with them. However, with suppliers , they could always find another supplier ( which in some cases would be difficult, but not impossible)
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Styling is subjective but the IQ5 looks promising in pictures except for the steeply raked hatch stealing precious seats-up cargo space. A darker minimalist interior probably looks (and wears) better as it seems rather basic in white. Because renting a ICE vehicle for road trips is a stop gap measure towards BEV adoption, a 300 mile range + fast charging hits the lower end of the sweet spot for 100% ICE replacement capability in most driving situations. I’ve read measurements indicating the IQ5 is about CRV sized which some commenters say is too large. However, with compact to mid sized CUV’s dominating the market, any mainstream BEV must be at least this size and up to reach the widest audience.
I'll take an angry face over the old "smiling fat lip" Mazda had on the last or next to last gen 3 sedan. A vehicle's looks are pretty far down on my priority list, and I generally like Mazda, but that front end would have been a deal breaker for me.