HYUNDAI IONIQ 5
HIGH-TECH DUAL-MOTOR IONIQ 5 WILL HAVE 225KW/605NM AND CLIP 100KM/H IN 5.2SEC – AND IT’S DESTINED FOR OZ LATE THIS YEAR
AWD and rear-drive EV versions headed for Oz with concept car styling bravely carried (mostly) over to production form
IT’S RARE WHEN a new model is unveiled with styling so loyal to the show-car concept that came before it, but Hyundai has managed just that with the Ioniq 5 electric car due for release here in the third quarter of 2021.
The Ioniq 5 follows the 2019 debut of a ‘modern retro’ concept known as the 45 – a tribute to the Giorgetto Giugiaro-penned 1974 Pony Coupe Concept that loosely previewed the important but decidedly more pedestrian 1975 Pony hatch. The 45 concept was anything but dull, and Hyundai has bravely retained its essence and key design details in the production car.
It brings the same boxy and angular lines that were common to most models in the Pony’s day, while adding bold character lines and details for futuristic flair. Importantly, it stands
apart from the Hyundai brand’s familiar styling at the front and rear, although the sharply geometric lines through the doors share a theme with the new Tucson and i30 Sedan.
Built on Hyundai’s new EV-focused E-GMP architecture and with a surprising 3000mm wheelbase, the Ioniq 5 will be offered with three battery and motor configurations, although it is unclear if all will make the Australian line-up.
At the top of the range is an allwheel-drive model with dual electric motors, producing a combined 225kW and 605Nm. An entry-level rear-wheeldrive model will also be offered with just one motor (350Nm torque, power figure unannounced). Both can be had with either a 72.6kWh or 58kWh battery pack.
Hyundai claims the 72.6kWh AWD model will sprint to 100km/h in a hot 5.2sec (the rear-drive model 7.4sec) and driving range is around 475km.
The Ioniq 5 will support both 400V and 800V charging infrastructures as standard without the need for adapters – a feat Hyundai declares is a patented world-first system, thanks to its ability to run the motor and inverter to boost 400V to 800V for stable charging.
Hyundai claims a 350kW fast charger will bump the Ioniq’s batteries from 10 percent to 80 percent charge in 18 minutes, with a full 100km of driving range available after just five minutes.
In Vehicle-to-Load mode, the Ioniq 5 can supply up to 3.6kW of power, allowing it to charge electric devices like personal transportation gear, camping equipment or power tools. Feeling generous? That power output will also let you lend some charge to something like a Nissan Leaf.
Another neat feature is the availability of a solar roof, allowing the vehicle’s power system to feed energy back into the battery pack.
The Ioniq 5 is the first offering in a new line-up of Hyundai electric vehicles, with an Ioniq 6 electric sedan and Ioniq 7 electric large SUV to follow in the coming years. In that range, the Ioniq 5 is well-positioned as the first to launch, thanks to a design perfectly suited to one of the world’s strongest-selling market segments – the mid-size SUV.
Hyundai has bravely retained the concept car’s essence for production