Hyundai Ioniq 5: 1st driving impression

TopGear has just got out of the new Hyundai Ioniq 5. In the upcoming edition of the magazine you will find the complete test report, here are the highlights.

Test object: Hyundai Ioniq 5
Performance: 73 kWh AWD
Location: Valencia, Spain
Weather conditions: Sunny, 30 degrees

That is a bit different than we are used to from Hyundai..!

Do say so! This isn’t just a new model, it’s more like a complete style break. The many concave and convex shapes that you know from Hyundai: the Ioniq 5 is almost literally the opposite. It’s just that wheels do a lot better if they don’t have right angles, otherwise they would have squared them too. We think it’s Hyundai’s most successful design to date – completely different from other Hyundais and different from other brands. The super-tight nose, with the striking rectangular LEDs, makes it recognizable from afar. The sharp diagonal fold across the flank does the same to the silhouette. The C-pillar almost looks like a love baby of an Audi quattro and an old Lancia Delta.

It is basically such a sleek design that it is almost a shame that some small decorations had to be added. The blue lines where you normally see fog lights, we didn’t have to. Ditto for that gray area with lines above the sill. But the worst we may find are those silly ‘saw blade’ notches in the wheel arches. Well, it’s also a matter of taste, of course.

What does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 look like inside?

Just as tight, if not tighter. The late Jan des Bouvrie would have been proud of it. Light colors dominate the image, the two continuous screens dominate the dashboard. And it is spacious, very spacious. Because you wouldn’t say it at first glance, but it’s quite big: 13 centimeters longer than a Tucson. Even more important for that interior space is that its wheelbase is 32 centimeters longer than that Tucson. So you are spacious in the front, even more spacious in the back. And luggage space is also plenty with 527 liters. Under the ‘bonnet’ you can store another 57 liters of junk. That also offers Hyundai the opportunity to do some nice tricks. For example, the front seats ‘à la business class’ can be folded back almost completely, and there is then a support for your lower legs. Can you take a nap while loading. Although that will be a power nap, because thanks to the 800-volt charging system, it is 80 percent full within 18 minutes with a fast charger that can handle that.

How does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 drive?

Excellent! Our version was 305 hp strong thanks to electric motors on the front and rear axles. And yes, that makes it seriously fast despite its two-ton weight. A 0-100’je is history in 5.2 seconds, the top is 185 km/h. There are three driving modes; Eco, for when you’re tight in your range, and also just for then. Then there’s Normal, which you’ll usually drive, and Sport, where the Ioniq 5 gets really fun. He then reacts fiercely to the right pedal and is also festive through corners to chase. The excellent control then becomes slightly heavier, but continues to lack some communication. The chassis changes nothing with the driving modes, but that is not really necessary. It has a pleasant and comfortable suspension; at most on short ridges you will notice that there are no fewer than 20″ wheels under the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

What else to grumble?

Well, those screens look beautiful, but the operation required quite a bit of getting used to for us. Not everything is equally easy to find. As always, the assistance systems are a bit on the hysterically-cautious side. And we would have preferred to sit a little lower; you are now a bit on the buck. But yes, it is not the hatchback that it seems, but it really is a crossover.

What does it cost and do I want it?

Prices range from € 43,500 (58 kWh battery, 170 hp, range of 384 km) to € 59,700 for our top version (range of 430 km – can go up to 481 km if you omit the AWD – is 4 grand cheaper too ). And if we were you (if you were in the market for an EV), we’d definitely want it. Top notch!



source https://pledgetimes.com/hyundai-ioniq-5-1st-driving-impression/