An Overview of the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5

By Gael Cazares

After much anticipation, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has arrived. The Korean company unveiled the all-electric crossover earlier this week, to much acclaim. The first car that the company has planned for its Ioniq EV sub-brand, the 5 was first previewed by the 45 Concept at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show. And looking at the production car it’s safe to say many of the 45’s retro-futuristic design elements were carried over.

How so? Well a year and a half later, the production version of the model is virtually the same – through only adding door handles, a simplified interior and a proper bumper on the front end of the car, the 5 remains very loyal to the 45 Concept that previewed it. 

A compact crossover thinking big

The Ioniq 5 is fundamentally a C SUV, despite its hatchback shape and style. Measuring 182.48 inches long, 74.40 on width, 62.99 inches tall and 118.11 inches between axles, it’s similar in size to a Toyota RAV4. It has a generous 540 liters of boot space, which increases up to 1600 when the seats folded. There’s also a ‘frunk’ (front trunk) for smaller items.

The Ioniq 5 shows astonishing design elements, from very futuristic pixelated headlights/taillights, a turbine like wheels design, very angular and minimalistic lines that marks what the future of electric cars of Hyundai will look like in the next few years. Chief Designer, Luke Donckerwolke, says the 5 takes a lot of inspiration from the Hyundai Pony from 1974, which was the model that put Hyundai on the spotlight outside Korea.  

Like a number of its competitors, the Ioniq 5 comes with retractable door handles and an abundance of hidden sensors for driver assistance features.  20” alloys are standard too, giving a significant amount of stance and on-road appeal.

Future on the outside, future on the inside

The materials used for the interior are all fully recyclable (PET bottles, vegetable oils, etc.). The front seats are electric, and the back of the seats is hollow, so the back passengers can sit more comfortably.

But perhaps the most striking feature from the interior is the sliding center console dubbed the “Universal Island”. This can move backwards and forwards together with the passenger seat, thus making exiting and entering the car much easier when parked in a tight spot. 

Behind the wheel, the dashboard is split into two screens (12.25 inches each) that are mounted on a singular display that shows all the information relevant to the driver from navigation, speed and battery level to media content. Speaking of media, the Ioniq 5 comes equipped with a Bose Premium Sound System and is compatible with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

The 5 also features an abundance of driver assistance tech. The Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai model which offers “Highway Driving Assist 2” (HAD 2), Frontal Collision Assistance (FCA), Blind Spot Collision (BCA), Intelligent Speed Limit (ISA) and general Driver Assistance Warning (DAW) tech. 

The Ioniq 5 will be available with a choice of two battery packs, 58kWh and 72.6kWh. Figures were not given for the 58kWh pack, but we do know the 72kWh will manage between 292 and 298 miles per charge on the WLTP cycle. The Ioniq 5 comes standard in RWD guise, with AWD being optional. When configured with the larger battery pack, the AWD Ioniq 5 will be capable of 0-60 mph in a brisk 5 seconds. Top speed is 115 mph, not that the majority of customers will ever reach that figure. First deliveries in North America, Europe and Asia are all due for the second half of this year. Pricing in the US was not revealed, but we speculate the Ioniq 5 will start at around $36-38k stateside, before any incentives have been applied. Are you a fan of the Ioniq 5? Would you consider one over the likes of the Ford Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4 or Nissan Ariya? Let us know your thoughts in the replies section below!