Photography Courtesy Hyundai
Perhaps that’s a good sign: A few minutes in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 left us wanting more time behind the wheel of the brand’s new EV. But the press event’s schedule was compressed, allowing us just a quick ride around town. A formal review will have to wait.
But here’s what we found.
First impressions: It’s just as striking looking in person. That bodyline is crisp and clean. The nose has enough of a snout to look natural.
The flush door handles pop out and work as intended. Despite the look, they’re not tricky to use. The wheels look busy but seem to work with the other body details.
Call the Hyundai’s interior modern and borderline futuristic without trying too hard. The wide, wide display doesn’t look like an afterthought. It fits in there naturally. It’s not like they got to the 11th hour and someone proclaimed, “Quick, add a giant screen so people know this is a high-tech vehicle.”
The HVAC and audio controls can be accessed through the center stack. The shifter is kinda via an electronically actuated column lever. (Trust us, it makes sense once you use it.)
The touch points have a softness to them. It looks and feels like a Hyundai.
The seats are comfortable and supportive. No issues were encountered during our 15 or so minutes behind the wheel.
We never got out of traffic, so we can’t tell you how the Ioniq 5 felt at speed. Or if it’s really that quick. Or if it got noisy.
However, we can tell you that the Ioniq 5 and Ford Mustang Mach-E are about the same size and shape–the Hyundai starts at $39,950 while the Mustang Mach-E starts at $46,895–yet the Hyundai seems to offer a more premium experience. Hopefully soon we’ll get a little more wheel time with this one.
My wife and I agreed that we'd love to buy an Ioniq 5/Kia EV6/electric car for our next family vehicle if it wasn't for two big factors:
I hear you on the charging network but, as I found driving down to South Florida, it wasn't bad. I'm eager to see where we are in just a few more years.
And you'd look good in an Ioniq 5.
I've seen a few of these driving around town and I love the look. I hadn't seen one up close until last week and it was much wider than I thought, in a good way. Looking forward to a more substantial review whenever y'all get your hands on one.
I'm a fan. I see more of the Kia version around, but prefer the Hyundai's looks. If there's anything that I don't like is the nonsense that it starts at 40 large. Good luck getting one for under 60.
Article about US sales of EVs thru July 2022
Tesla = 260,000 units (the undisputed leader)
Ford = 30,000 units and the Lightning truck really isnt any of those sales
Hyundai = 15,000 and Kia = 14,000 sort of a combined 29,000 units
The article calls the Koreans the "quiet leaders in EV sales" I have to agree.
David S. Wallens said:And you'd look good in an Ioniq 5.
Well, that's the only justification I need to buy one.
In reply to thatsnowinnebago :
I've been seeing them multiply in recent weeks on the roads around here (north of Orlando). And I second you on how wide they are. Didn't realize how big they are until I saw one charging at a local gas station.
I saw one near JG's house. It looks striking out in the wild.
I got to sample one from our local press fleet recently along with another writer (We borrowed it to go look at another interesting vehicle: a 90's JDM Land Cruiser Prado. It was about 30 miles away.). Some quick thoughts:
-It looks great. Definitely unique compared to just about everything else out there. And yes, the wheels look like they were cribbed from a mid-90's Chrysler, but I dig them.
-Interior was fantastic. Great fit and finish, seats were comfortable, and the packaging gave the car an airy feeling. Accent lighting at night made the thing feel like something from Star Trek.
-It's like a plus-sized hatchback. Didn't really feel like a CUV in any way.
-It's not slow by any means. It gets up and goes without issue. Range was decent as well.
-It handles great, and it LOVES the highway. Just loafs down the road in comfort. Nice and quiet, too.
-Stopping power was incredibly good. It handled the twisties very well. Has a slight tendency to kick the back end out in spirited driving when you push it to the limit, which made it extra fun.
Overall, it's a decent electric transportation pod that still remains comfortable and engaging to drive, and it is easier on the eyes than a lot of other EV's. I'd consider one as a daily driver if you're in the market for an EV.
Those wheels are just so amazing. And 5x114.3 to boot!
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