WWhen I first saw Hyundai’s 45 at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2019, I described it as a ‘pure one-off concept vehicle’. I am now willing to eat these words because Hyundai has introduced the eye-catching Ioniq 5 production crossover which is now based on the 45, all the way to the diagonal fold over the doors. It also has a lot to do under the sheet metal, with an 800 volt electric drive system that should deliver an excellent range and decent performance.
The Ioniq 5 is built on Hyundai’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform, with drive and steering wire technology and a flat battery floor. Like other recent EV platforms, it has allowed for maximum interior space while keeping the external dimensions fairly compact. It also has an optional roof that can charge the main battery directly.
Hyundai
There are a number of configurations determined by the size of the battery, two- or four-wheel drive and power. The Standard Range 2WD model starts with a 58-kilowatt-hour battery and 160-kilowatt (218 horsepower and 258 pounds of torque) engine, delivering a 0-60 MPH time of about 8.5 seconds. The Standard Range AWD adds a second electric motor, increasing production to 235 horsepower and 446 pounds of torque.
For the long-range options, a 77.4 kWh battery is offered in the US, with a smaller 72.6 kWh package elsewhere around the world. It is available with the above 160 kilowatt motor, which will deliver about 100 kilometers per charge in the European WLTP cycle with the smaller battery (probably less in the US based on EPA standards, even with the larger battery). At the top is the Ioniq 5 Long Range AWD with 306 horsepower and 446 pounds of torque, driving power from 0 to 60 MPH in 5.2 seconds – at a slightly lesser reach.
Hyundai
You can charge the Ioniq 5 with DC charging up to 350 kW, which will theoretically increase the charge from 10 to 80 percent within 18 minutes, and add the distance of 62 km in just 5 minutes. It also supports bidirectional and ‘vehicle-charge’ charging, allowing you to charge phones, computers and even e-bikes via the car’s battery up to 3.6 kW. This will of course drain the car’s battery, but it can recharge via the solar charge.
Because the size of a Toyota RAV 4 is so large, the Ioniq 5 is larger than it would initially look. In addition to the unusual bodywork, Hyundai has transferred the square and taillight treatments of the concept, albeit in a more practical form. It has the same 20-inch wheels as the 45, though it does not fit quite as tightly in the wheel pits. It has a few extra body covers around the edges – something Hyundai got rid of on the Kona Electric. Some markets (not the US) will get OLED screens and rear speakers in place of mirrors.
Hyundai
The 45 concept was based on the idea that you will be able to sit and relax while the car drives you around. The Ioniq 5 may not do the latter, but it does come with Hyundai’s Highway Driving Assist 2, with features such as lane-centering assistance, lane-change assistance and hub-based customizable cruise control. It is also guided with the Remote Smart Parking Assist, with which you can jump out of the car and park it yourself via a smartphone.
The interior has of course been completely changed from the concept, as the modernist style of the 45 would not cut it in a real world with safety rules. Still, there are some interesting touches. The front seats actually hide and even have a footrest, while the center console can slide 5.5 inches. It can open up more floor space while the rear seat provides access to it as a kind of table.
Hyundai
Up front, the dashboard has a flat, 12-inch digital instrument cluster, and a 12-inch touchscreen infotaintment screen powered by Hyundai’s BlueLink connection surfaces. It’s also the first model with Hyundai’s head-on screen, which can turn your windscreen into a screen.
Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 will arrive in some regions in the first half of 2021, but it will only hit North America in the fall. Prices have yet to be announced, but we need to get the information as launch time approaches.