Hyundai Ioniq 5 / 10 March, 2021
Hyundai Ioniq 5

Hyundai has revealed the Ioniq 5, their rival to the Tesla Model 3 – an electric crossover that is the first model in the firm’s dedicated electric vehicle sub-brand. The midsize crossover will go on sale initially in Europe and then South Korea this summer, with its U.S. launch slated for autumn this year. The futuristic Ioniq 5 is based on the Hyundai 45 concept initially shown at the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Show. Hyundai designers said that the “45” was inspired by the original Hyundai Pony Coupe concept that helped launch the automaker in 1974. That original Hyundai Pony, though, was a small internal combustion economy car that was too underpowered for American roads and too dirty for U.S. air.

The Ioniq 5 will come in both rear and all-wheel drive formats with up to 312 horsepower, 250 miles or more of range and 5.2-second zero-to-60 mph acceleration. Hyundai said that it is equipping all versions of the Ioniq 5 with its most powerful charging systems to date. They include “ultra-fast” DC quick-charging capacity of up to 350 kilowatts on 400- to 800-volt systems as chargers with that capacity are installed. That’s sufficient to take an Ioniq 5 standard range battery from 10% of capacity to 80% in just under 20 minutes, or to add about 50 miles of range in 5 minutes.

The cockpit has a long dash dominated by a 12-inch digital gauge and driver information screen and centre-mounted 12-inch infotainment touchscreen as well as controls for climate and audio settings. The driver gets Hyundai’s first “Augmented Reality” head-up display which projects information such as speed limits, road signs, navigation directions and even obstacles onto a real-time, eye-level view of the road ahead. The Ioniq 5 will also have the first application of Hyundai’s Highway Assist 2 technology. It keeps the car centred and following vehicles ahead, with full stop and accelerate capability and some automated lane change capabilities. Unlike Tesla’s Autopilot and the revised 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EV’s Super Cruise system, it doesn’t permit hands-free driving.

Hyundai itself is pleased with the feedback on the new electric car. The “exceptionally high level of interest” in the Ioniq 5 underscores Hyundai’s strength in zero-emission mobility, says Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, Vice President Marketing & Product at Hyundai Motor Europe. “With its ultra-fast charging, long-range and customisable interior space, the IONIQ 5 is a game-changer that sets the benchmark in its class – and these outstanding characteristics have immediately proved to be attractive to significant numbers of European customers.”