First Look: 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5

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Not sure what the Korean translation of chutzpah is, but, whatever it is, Hyundai certainly demonstrated a good measure of it in the press notes for the world premiere of its all-new electric vehicle. To wit: The Ioniq 5 “evokes the daring attitude of Hyundai Pony, the company’s first production car, highlighting 45-year journey of Hyundai design and looking ahead to the future.”

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Now, as someone who was a young driver when the first Pony galloped into Canada, and someone who drove one (a girlfriend’s) I could come up with quite a number of adjectives to describe the vehicle. “Daring” would not be one of them. However, that, as they say, is far in the distant past, and today Hyundai is producing some of the best value-for-money vehicles available in the country. Particularly in the electric vehicle segment, where the Korean automaker is second behind only Tesla in terms of EV sales in Canada.

The Ioniq 5 is an all-new, midsize crossover EV, and joins the Ioniq EV and the recently updated Kona EV in the Hyundai electric stable. Production begins in August.

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The Ioniq 5 is the first vehicle to be built on the automaker’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), a dedicated electric vehicle architecture that features the wheels pushed right out to the corners and a flexible drivetrain system. On that latter point, the Ioniq 5 comes standard with rear-wheel-drive and offers all-wheel-drive as an option, and two choices of battery size — a standard range 58-kWh pack and a long-range 72.6-kWh pack.

Depending on powertrain choice and battery choice, power output ranges from 214 horsepower (160 kW) and 251 lb-ft of torque (350 Nm) in the standard-battery/two-wheel-drive model to 301 horsepower (225 kW) and 446 lb-ft of torque (605 Nm) in the long-range/AWD model. Zero-to-100-km/h times range from 8.5 to 5.2 seconds, respectively.

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As to full-charge range, Hyundai reports a WLTP rating of 470 to 480 kilometres in a two-wheel-drive model equipped with that big battery. No other figures for other configurations were released.

All of that is fairly standard stuff in the EV world circa 2021. Where the Ioniq 5 dares to look to the future is in its charging capabilities, notably in ultra-fast battery charging and a Vehicle-to-Load (or V2L) function.

The Ioniq’s E-GMP platform offers 800-V charging capability as standard, along with 400-V charging, without the need for additional components or adapters. According to Hyundai, this multi-charging system is a world’s-first patented technology that operates the motor and inverter to boost 400 V to 800 V for stable charging compatibility.

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What that translates to in terms of real-world charging is that with a 350-kW fast-charger, the Ioniq 5 can charge from 10 per cent to 80 per cent in 18 minutes. Or think of it this way: every five minutes of DC fast-charging puts approximately 100 km of WLTP range in the battery pack. It’s also worth noting that Hyundai sees the new E-GMP platform being suitable for all its EVs currently being planned, from the relatively small Ioniq 5 all the way up to a full-sized SUV, so look for this quick-charging technology to highlight a number of upcoming new products.

The V2L function underscores what Hyundai sees as our growing sustainable electric mobility lifestyle, that will allow Ioniq 5 owners to use the vehicle itself to charge electric devices — such as electric bicycles, scooters or camping equipment — while on the move or at rest. The V2L function can supply up to 3.6 kW of power, with one V2L port located under the second-row seats and the other at the charging port on the vehicle exterior. Using a converter, customers can charge high-power electric equipment. The outside port provides power even when the vehicle is turned off.

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In addition to providing customizable powertrain options, that E-GMP architecture provides designers with a flat platform that allows for a re-imagining of the body and the cabin. Most notable in terms of the exterior is the Ioniq 5’s short overhangs front and rear, which stretch the cabin space to the limits, and the Parametric Pixel lights front and rear that give the crossover a decidedly EV appearance. And the so-called “vision roof” consists of one large glass panel without any support materials spanning the entire ceiling of the cabin.

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But where the platform really pays dividends is in the interior, with that flat floor allowing designers to create lots of legroom front and rear. The Ioniq 5’s wheelbase is 3,000 mm, which is 100 mm longer than Hyundai’s flagship SUV Palisade, meaning a cabin more like a big passenger car than a midsize SUV, yet still offering 1,600 litres of cargo space with the rear seats folded flat.

A unique feature is a sliding console with gear selector located behind the steering wheel, which allows passengers to enter and exit the cabin on either side when parked in a narrow spot. Second-row passengers also get a centre console, with cupholders, a 15-W fast wireless phone charger, and USB ports.

And the infotainment system is the first to feature something called Jong-e Graphic User Interface (GUI), which, according to press notes, “offers various interior ambience settings, such as soft, delicate and exuberant.”

“Delicate and exuberant.” Hmmm. Two more words that don’t fit into my Pony description. Just goes to show how far this company has come in less than half a century.

No pricing has been released for the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 but Hyundai is particularly bullish on EVs, estimating that the global market for plug-ins will increase by some 30 per cent next year alone with Hyundai expecting to sell some 70,000 Ioniqs worldwide. The Ioniq BEV is scheduled to arrive in Canada in the fall.

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