Hyundai Ioniq 5 — An electric vehicle with all the right stuff


MotowayAmerica.com

By Jim Meachen and Ted Biederman

(March 19, 2023) While the entire "everything electric" push continues at breakneck speed, there's considerable argument against this massive trillion dollar effort. We won't get into the negative side in this review. We will dwell on the positive, and we positively love the dozen or so electrics we have been privileged to drive and road test over the past couple of years. And some we love more than others.


One of the vehicles at the top of our list is the award-winning Hyundai Ioniq 5, which we discovered to be a superb compact-sized crossover with space-age styling, a comfortable and quiet interior, large easy-to-use controls, and outstanding performance in the AWD model we drove. We quickly discovered its futuristic design is a head-turner. Example number one, a framing crew building a new house in a subdivision we visited stopped working to get a look at the strange car. We could see four or five heads peering out through the studs for a look.

The Hyundai-Kia group has turned out a pair of outstanding offerings in its first large-scale push into the EV market — the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5. These spacious vehicles are extremely easy to live with on a daily basis and should satisfy their owners for months and years to come. And more are coming soon including the Ioniq 6, Ioniq 7, and the Kia EV9 crossover.


MotorwayAmerica.com

The Ioniq 5 qualifies for a government tax credit. Check with your dealer as to the amount of the credit based on the new Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2022.   

For this review we spent seven days and 175 miles with a two-motor AWD Ioniq 5. It features impressive charging speeds and has an estimated driving range of up to 303 miles (in rear drive configuration). Available with rear- or all-wheel drive, the EV makes between 168 and 320 horsepower depending on configuration. Its spacious interior boasts an intriguing dashboard loaded with technology, reclining front seats with footrests, and generous rear-seat passenger space.

The Ioniq 5 starts at $42,785 for the base SE Standard Range edition, moves to $46,835 for the SE, $48,785 for the mid-level SEL and tops out at $53,935 for the Limited. Last year Edmunds car-shopping site said be prepared to pay between $3,000 and $4,000 over sticker price. But Edmunds says things have changed with the 2023 model and there is virtually no markup. Our test Limited with AWD and a couple of extras including the attractive Atlas White paint ($400 extra) carried a bottom line of $58,405.

The 2023 is relatively unchanged from the 2022 with a few exceptions. For instance, all-wheel drive models now get an EPA-estimated 266 miles of range, up from last year's 256 miles. A battery heating system and preconditioning function are now standard on all models, and towing capacity grows from 1,650 pounds to 2,300 pounds with lager extended-range battery.

Regardless of trim level, plug the the car in to charge and a voice booms out "Charging started!" No need to jump inside to insure the car is charging. Even the neighbors know that the Ioniq 5 is, indeed, fueling up outside your garage.



Here's what each of the four trim levels brings in terms of performance and range. The base model uses a single electric motor located at the rear axle making 168 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The motor generates 225 horsepower in all other models. The AWD version adds a second motor at the front axle for a combined 320 hp and 446 pound-feet of torque.

The base SE Standard Range is powered by a 58 kWh battery pack with a range of 220 miles. All other trims use a 77.4-kWh pack. Rear-drive models enjoy a, EPA-estimated range of 303 miles. Opting for AWD — while increasing horsepower — reduces range to 266 miles.

If you live for performance, the two-motor setup is ready to reward you with a 0-to-60 time of 4.5 seconds and a quarter-mile time of 13.2 seconds @ 102 mph, according to Car and Driver magazine. We enjoyed the immense performance, but it comes at the expense of range, which we found for us to be with a full charge between 240 and 250 miles for our AWD model. We figure the one-motor setup with 225 hp should offer as much performance as most owners desire for the daily chores of life — and it comes with the 300+ mileage range.  

The Ioniq 5 has a unique look from its unusual 20-inch Parametric Pixel-inspired wheels to its space-age front end. Bodysides display an exaggerated diagonal slash pointing from the base of the A-pillars to the rear wheels. Flush door handles, smooth surfaces, and an expressive rear end provide a sophisticated appearance.

The Ioniq 5 has many innovative infotainment and connectivity features. A 12.0-inch touchscreen shares a panel on the dash with a 12.0-inch digital gauge cluster. The touchscreen acts as a hub for all things entertainment. This includes smartphone-integrated apps such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as advanced voice-recognition technology. Note however, the apps are not wireless. And some features like heated seats and steering wheel are buried among the "climate" controls accessed in the center screen.

There's room inside to house four adults in comfort. And transport 27.2 cubic feet of cargo under the hatchback behind the seats.

Every Ioniq 5 comes with a comprehensive set of safety features including forward collision mitigation, adaptive cruise control, blindspot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert, blindspot intervention that automatically steers the car back into its lane if a lane change is attempted while another vehicle is in the blindspot, and a lane keeping system.

TheIoniq 5 carries Hyundai's basic comprehensive 5-year/60,000-mile warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile battery warranty.

2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Essentials

Base price: $42,785; as driven, $58,405
Motors: electric
Horsepower: 320
Torque: 446 pound-feet
Transmission: 1-speed direct drive
Drive: all-wheel
Wheelbase: 118.1 inches
Length: 182.5 inches
Curb weight: 4,662 pounds
Turning circle: 39.3 feet
Luggage capacity: 27.2 cubic feet
Cargo capacity: 60.2 cubic feet
Towing capacity: 2,300 pounds
EPA electric range: 266 miles
EPA rating (MPGe): 113 city, 90 highway, 101 combined
Battery capacity: 77.4 kWh
0-60: 4.5 seconds (Car and Driver)
Also consider: Kia EV6, Toyota bZ4X, Ford Mustang Mach-E

The Good
• Exciting acceleration from dual-motor setup
• Comfortable, quiet ride
• Quick charging
• Increased towing capacity to 2,300 pounds

The Bad
• No wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto

The Ugly
• Fully load price approaching 60 grand