BRIGHT SPARK

Hyundai’s EV has presence and performance but buyers may baulk at the price

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 makes a stirring first impression and it only gets better the closer you look. Pixelated head and tail-lamps, bladelike 20-inch alloys and a hatchshaped body that belongs in a video game draw plenty of attention on the road. It’s just as clever inside, but the truly impressive stuff is under the skin.

That’s because this is Hyundai’s first cleansheet attempt at an electric car.

Other models, such as the Kona Electric, are compromised conversions of existing petrol and diesel-engined machines.

Available from $71,900 plus on-road costs (about $77,000 drive-away) in two-wheel-drive trim, or $75,900 (about $81,000 drive-away) with all-wheel-drive, the Ioniq 5 is priced to take on premium electric cars from the likes of Tesla, Mercedes and Polestar.

This year’s modest supply of 240 cars sold out in two hours, suggesting some customers don’t have a problem with the price tag.

It’s loaded with equipment, including twin 12.3-inch displays up front, a Bose stereo, heated and cooled leather seats and all the safety gear and driver aids you could hope to find in a new car. Expect cheaper models with less gear to follow, as well as a high-performance model wearing Hyundai’s “N” badge.

Though the Ioniq 5’s outer dimensions are only a little bigger than the mid-sized Hyundai Tucson, the space between the front and rear wheels is longer than Hyundai’s enormous eight-seat Palisade. That translates to loads of leg room for five occupants, particularly in the back. The Ioniq’s clean-sheet EV design translates to a flexible and innovative cabin.

The front seats can lay near-flat like lounge room recliners while you wait for a recharge, the centre console and back seat slide back and forth as required, and there are five USB outlets (plus wireless device charging) to keep gadgets

topped up. Much of what you see and touch is sustainably sourced, including carpet made from sugar cane fibres, plastic recycled from drink bottles, paint made from plant oils and decorative paper-like trim pieces created using recyclable resin. The materials look and feel premium, there’s more leg room than you’ll find in many luxury sedans and the boot is big enough to handle family holiday duties.

The cabin’s flat floor sits on top of a large 72.6kwh battery pack delivering a claimed 451 kilometres of range for the two-wheel-drive version, or 430 kilometres if you opt for the allwheel-drive.

The standard car’s single electric motor sends 160kw and 350Nm to the rear wheels, while the premium version adds a second motor to the front axle to serve up 225kw and 605Nm. Hyundai claims high-voltage fast charging hardware can deliver 100 kilometres of range in five minutes. More realistically, a 50kw public charger needs about an hour to charge from 10 to 80 per cent, resulting in about 350 kilometres of range.

It also has an intriguing “vehicle to load” ability that allows it to power appliances or tools through the car’s charging port.

We tested the Ioniq in all-wheel-drive form, where its sure-footed traction and brisk acceleration impressed in wet and dry conditions. V8-like thrust delivers effortless progress and a sports car-rivalling 5.2-second dash to 100km/h. It’s quiet on the open road, and the combination of a high seating position and large windows make the machine easy to place with confidence.

The Hyundai’s 20-inch wheels thump over sharp bumps in a way that plusher airsuspended alternatives might not, and it can’t quite match the composure of more athletic alternatives with less mass.

Rapid steering hints at rare agility for a car this size, but push harder and you’ll find the Ioniq’s two-tonne weight translates to more body roll than you might expect.

Though the driving experience doesn’t quite live up to the car’s eye-catching looks – or the likes of Tesla – the Ioniq 5 is still a brilliant car.

VERDICT

Striking to behold, loaded with clever tech and impressively practical, the Ioniq 5 represents a strong – if pricey – option for buyers making the switch to electric.