Ostensibly, I was at a private racetrack north of Atlanta to test out some new compact sedan hotness — the 2022 Hyundai Elantra N. But when an opportunity to do a mini-test of the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq5 EV presented itself, I jumped. Figuratively speaking.
To be clear, this won’t be the most in-depth review you’ve ever seen on this site — I only got about 15 minutes of wheel time, almost exclusively on fairly pristine two-lane blacktop in rural Georgia, not far from the home of “Awesome Bill from Dawsonville.” No stop-and-go, almost no around-town driving, no freeway wheeling.
So this will be of the short and sweet variety. Sort of like my drive in the Ioniq5.
(Full disclosure: Hyundai flew me to Atlanta, Georgia, and fed and housed me for two nights so I could drive the Ioniq5, the Elantra N, and several other Hyundai models. I did not take the offered gift, which appeared to be an organizer of some sorts.)
As a reminder, the Ioniq5 is an EV with either rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, with standard or extended range. Standard range models with rear-wheel drive have 168 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque. Standard range is 220 miles, and that trim level is listed as SE Standard Range.
Extend your range on a SE/SEL/Limited rear-wheel-drive Ioniq5 and you get 225 hp and the same 258 lb-ft of torque and 303 miles of range.
AWD cars come with the same SE/SEL/Limited trim choices and 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque, with a range of 256 miles.
The rear-drive setup uses a rear-mounted electric motor, while the all-wheel-drive car has a dual-motor (front and rear, 74 kW + 165 kW) setup. The battery pack’s capacity is 77.4 kWh.
Hyundai had two Limiteds with AWD on hand.
My first thought as I hopped in and activated the electric motor was that the Ioniq5 is yet another EV that overcomplicates the act of putting the vehicle into gear — which is, by the way, a single-speed reduction gear. The shifter is mounted on the column, to the right of and down from the steering wheel, and you twist forward for drive.
Once in gear and on the road, however, I warmed up to the Ioniq5. All that torque being instantly available played a big part in that. It also helped that it could be summoned in silence.
You’d think the lack of engine noise from most EVs would mean that wind/tire/road noise intrudes, but other than a mild bit of wind noise from the A-pillars at higher speeds, the Ioniq5 was luxury-car quiet.
The ride was compliant without being soft, though I had no chance to hit up harsher pavement. The car glided through gentle sweeping corners with ease and minimal body roll, though the artificial steering felt distant.
Like a lot of EVs, the Ionig5 offers regenerative-braking paddles, and simply lifting the accelerator slows you down fairly quickly, though I can’t find the phrase “one-pedal braking” in the press materials. The conventional brakes worked just fine, if unremarkably.
I didn’t play much with the all-digital gauge and infotainment cluster, given my short time behind the wheel, but it did like a bit intimidating and confusing at first glance. It looks like one of those systems that has a learning curve for the newbie but it is easily understood once one has logged some significant seat time. I will say the clean, minimalist interior design mostly works here, and I had no issue finding the most important controls quickly. The controls also seemed to work better than they did in the Volkwagen ID.4’s I’ve driven. There’s none of the haptic-touch BS — the most important HVAC and audio controls are knobs and buttons.
Outside, I am less enamored of the Ionig5’s quirky looks. I don’t find it ugly, exactly, but the word “sexy” doesn’t come to mind, at least for me (I think I’ve seen others praise its design on the socials. Styling is subjective, after all). It’s not even handsome in a bland way, a la the ID.4.
The Ioniq5 comes across, at least at first glance, as a well-packaged crossover EV that blends futuristic looks and tech together without going off the haptic-touch control deep end while also combining power, handling, and a luxury ride. The downsides appear to be overly complex digital menus and gauges and a range sacrifice if you want AWD and the associated extra power. I’d also like to see how the Ioniq5 deals with cracked roads and the open freeway.
Pricing starts at $39,700, and a Limited AWD will cost y0u $54,500. Destination adds $1,245.
Hyundai has a solid competitor to other EV crossovers with the Ioniq5, and it’s interesting enough that it might get some ICE owners to consider EV adoption. My first take is fairly positive — I only hope, for Hyundai’s sake, that my initial take remains so after more time and miles.
[Images © 2022 Tim Healey/TTAC]
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I like this, but I like the EV5 better.
I bought an EV6 and love it, but in fairness I never got to actually test drive the Ioniq 5, and I’d be curious to drive them back to back.
I actually like the exterior styling of the Hyundai a bit more (I like the EV6 styling quite a bit, but the Ioniq 5 has some minimalist modernism going for it that I adore), but I couldn’t get past the steering wheel on the Hyundai, which to me looks like it could have been pulled from a late-90s Daewoo. It kills the whole car for me.
Here we have a compact hatchback that the manufacturer insists on calling a crossover, just like the Chevy Bolt. Do not trust your lying eyes.
And yes, I know about the Bolt EUV, But Chevy was trying to pawn off the original Bolt as a crossover, before they gave up and built the EUV.
“Do not trust your lying eyes.”
It isn’t a compact hatchback. It has the dimensions of a Tuscon. The styling just makes it looks smaller than it is.
And the casual shopper will make the same mistaken assumption. That’s the problem.
The won’t mistake it for a compact once they see it. This is not a small car.
It’s a hatchback, but it’s anything but compact. Your lying eyes are the ones that are telling you based on photos that it’s a small car.
Bolt owner here and I can tell you that this thing makes the Bolt (EUV or not) look like a scale model.
someone explain the center vertical stripe on the bumpers – it looks completely decorative – and it’s bugging me.
The stylists are still trying to figure out how to style EVs. Make them look the same as ICE vehicles, or go whacky. Most seem to be going for whacky
Agreed, but why? Recall the styling of early hybrids. They, too went for the forced “ultra modern” look. I hated that. I thought that a hybrid should look similar to a standard car and ultimately most models did just that. EVs should take a lesson from that past exercise.
I think EV makers are trying to go with the Tesla model, which involves “look at how futuristic I am!!” styling. Same with the ergonomics.
I’d rather have a red and black Tesla Model 3 Long Range with 18″ Aero wheels. One hundred miles more range and $2,300 cheaper.
But you have to do business with a company whose business practices are established by Elon Musk. I’ll take any professionally managed OEM, thanks.
Ah yes, giving Starlink to Ukraine was absolutely horrible!
I’ll take guys like Musk who didn’t ask for a bailout to make payroll and aren’t hanging out at the government trough for more EV handouts, thanks.
Of course to folks of your political persuasion, handouts aren’t really an issue.
We get it, you don’t like Musk. Wonder if Astronauts would rather fly in the spacecraft built by the “professionally managed” company that can’t get their spacecraft off the ground or keep their 737’s from flying into it or Musk’s company?
“Handouts” are a left wing thing? I wasn’t aware Donald Trump – the guy who did a couple trillion bucks’ worth of them – was a leftist.
Well now you know. He definitely is…fiscally anyway. Not sure what he has to do with Elon Musk, but I get it…you folks can’t help but mention him.
So which spacecraft would you fly on? Starliner or Dragon? I mean hypothetically of course since you can’t actually fly on the one built by the “professionals” lol.
The Model 3 is a sedan (which helps with range and price), not a CUV.
The comparison is the Model Y which has the shape of a humpback whale.
I want the review where they take a 3 year old, 35K mile unit to the Hyundai dealer with a couple of gripes and some scheduled maintenance of some kind, along with maybe a required software update.
That will be one hilarious review.
Yeah, based on my experience with Korean home appliances, I wouldn’t be confident about the reliability.
Plus it seems Kia and Hyundai dealerships attract the dregs of society who can only afford bargain-basement brands.
What the heck does a dishwasher have to do with a car? This site has some of the dumbest commenters, I swear. It’s also not 2001 anymore, Kias and Hyundais are not any cheaper than the competition, really.
ququa, In 2030 you will argue that it is not 2022 anymore.
No, but them and FCA will finance those that the others reject. Additionally, they aren’t any cheaper, but they do seem to be worse. Pass.
Not exactly true these days – Hyundai has a higher ATP than Honda, and Kia has the most models that command prices well above MSRP.
These days, it’s more FCs and Nissan.
Range is still way too short unless the recharge time from 5% or less (to 100%…not that 80% then trickle charge BS) is 5 minutes or so.
It’s vastly overpriced too.
If this is overpriced, then every other EV is even worse. Y’all know this thing is big, right?
Yes. EVs are very much overpriced. To encourage adoption, they should be about 10-15% cheaper than a comparable ICE model. If they are going to continue to be vastly inferior, they should at least be cheaper, not more expensive.
Cool. So all you need to do is find an ICE car with this much room that can accelerate to 60 in 4.5 seconds for less than $57k.
You don’t need to hit 60 in 4.5 seconds you fnckhead
Duh. Since when has that stopped people from dropping six figures on cars just because they’re much faster than they need to be?
Art, I’m sincerely worried about you. You often make good comments but lately my feeling is that you’re under the influence most of the time when you post, and then you just call people names. I hope you are doing OK.
“Cool. So all you need to do is find an ICE car with this much room that can accelerate to 60 in 4.5 seconds for less than $57k.”
Because the only thing that matters is 0-60.
Here in the real world, I prefer to own a vehicle that I can QUICKLY fill up anywhere I want and not have to worry about range or any of the other major shortcomings EVs have.
“Art, I’m sincerely worried about you. You often make good comments but lately my feeling is that you’re under the influence most of the time when you post, and then you just call people names. I hope you are doing OK.”
Translation: I don’t like that you are correct so I’m going to assume something is wrong with you.
Good for you. Here in the real world I prefer to own a vehicle that I can commute into the city with five times a week and visit family on weekends, and literally never have to fill up other than plugging into the plug in my garage at night. But you do you.
EBFlex, you’ve never had much reading comprehension ability, and this situation is no different. I meant what I said.
No, you folks slide your little insults in. I have just decided to be overt in how I do it. I haven’t drank in some time. Thanks for your concern.
You guys have gotten to the point where when someone dies because they didn’t get vaccinated, you seem to get some sick satisfaction from it. Then you want to tell everyone else how much smarter you are than them. Go fnck yourself dude. I’m just not humoring your ilk anymore by pretending it isn’t disgusting.
Also all of the Canadians that are enthralled in US Politics is annoying. I will take every opportunity to remind them how insignificant they and frankly their country is.
I track my cars. Being able to do more than 5 laps and not having to hustle something that weighs more than my F150 around is a plus. But you do you man. I got to 60 faster than that fast for under 20 BTW. 37k buys a ton of gas and speed parts. Stay smarter than everyone else though lol.
I really like the exterior of the car, but from the pictures of the interior I’m not crazy about about the interior ! – the dashboard has a very “sterile look”
“I did not take the offered gift, which appeared to be an organizer of some sorts.”
I’ll bet she was pretty, though.
What organizer means? I hope it is related to UAW.
The one good thing about Hyundai going electric is that they won’t need to build any more 4 cylinders that like to spit their internals out of the block and catch on fire
Still, given my experience with Hyundai, I’d rather roll the dice on a German model or Tesla quality.
You can keep these miserable $#!+boxes. Plenty of EVs out there from non bottom of the barrel companies that don’t require me to watch Maury in the service waiting room with the 540 credit score brigade when they do break.
“Tesla quality”
Tesla’s quality is the best of the EVs but it’s still FAR below acceptable standards.
As was my last Hyundai
“Tesla’s quality is the best of the EVs”
Huh? Tesla quality seems just below the Chevy Volt. In terms of build quality. That’s why I don’t understand why the wealthy don’t demand better from team Elon. These folks came from lux cars that at least were put together well with good materials.
Maybe e-car revolution means cheapo interiors. Someone should tell Porsche and Volvo this. Taycan and XC40 interiors look good and worthy of their respective asking price.
Very curious how Rivian and Lucid pull this off.
This looks pretty OK. We’ve got one electric car so far and I doubt we’ll ever get another gas-powered car. This might work when it’s time to replace the Mazda.
“The conventional brakes worked just fine, if unremarkably.”
Minor nit: I’d be surprised if you used the conventional brakes *at all*, if that’s what you meant, unless you engaged ABS(?). 99% of braking/slowing-down in an EV is regenerative. Regardless of what silly paddles or “one-pedal” modes might be available, the “brake” pedal is also a regen pedal. For example my Bolt with 70k miles, rotors/pads have virtually no wear on them. I think the rear brakes are used lightly during normal slowing (for dynamic stability), and the fronts maybe in steep downhill maneuvering at parking lot speeds.
(Consequently, driving like an a-hole in city traffic is the most “eco” way to do it, because the more frequently and harder you stop the more juice you get back, woohoo!)
“the most “eco” way to do it, because the more frequently and harder you stop the more juice you get back”
Incorrect. (Regenerative braking is *maybe* 70-80% efficient, so you are still spending energy every time)
Sure, if you must let reality be a wet blanket on my tongue-in-cheek “eco” comment… But 70% regen in stop light grand prix is still much less of a guilty pleasure compared to:
1) any stop-and-go with any ICE, where everything is totally wasted (fuel and brake pads)
2) EV flat highway cruising, where EVs don’t get to recapture much energy and wind drag steals more energy anyway
Why is everybody saying this thing is so big? I checked one out at my local dealer sitting sandwiched between a Sante Fe and Tucson and the weird looking Ioniq definitely sits lower to the ground and is shorter and is far more like a hatchback than a crossover! It’s interior was also a major turn off for me along with the styling and the near 50K price tag had my jay dropped considering it lacked a moonroof and leather and it’s range was so poor. I’ll pass