I don’t think there’s any question. Hyundai’s Ioniq 6 is the strongest competitor yet to Tesla‘s Model 3.

The Ioniq 6 is Hyundai’s first EV sedan. Our top trim Limited edition has 320 horsepower and 446 pound feet of torque.

AutomotiveAddicts.com Publisher Malcolm Hogan says the Ioniq 6 was a head turner during his week with the car. “I think Hyundai really did well. Everywhere people would stare at it and give it a double take.”

Post your Ioniq 6 comments or questions here.

In addition to the Ioniq 6, Automotive Addicts and EV Rider have road tested the Ioniq 6’s platform stablemates; the Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6 GT and the Genesis GV60. 

Malcolm says out of the four, his overall favorite is the Ioniq 6. While he loved the EV6 GT’s performance it couldn’t compete on range. “I could live with the Ioniq 6 every day, having a range of 270 miles. It gives you enough [range] to not be afraid of going out of town, traveling a little bit, stopping at the DC fast chargers and charging 18 minutes, taking from 10% state of charge to 80% state of charge, which is remarkable.”

The EV6 GT can suck down power just as fast but its range is limited to an EPA estimated 206 miles per charge in mixed driving.

The EV6 GT is much quicker, doing 0-60 mph in 3.4 seconds, while our dual-motor Ioniq 6 Limited is rated at going from 0 to 60 mph in 4.3 seconds.

The Ioniq 6 is available in a wide range of configurations, starting with a base SE trim that comes with a 53 kWh battery, 18-inch wheels and RWD drive.

It’s base price was just under $42,000 at the time of this story’s publication. If you opt for the larger 77.4 kWh battery the Ioniq 6’s range jumps to an EPA-estimated 361 miles in combined city/highway driving.

However, if you add AWD and the larger 20-inch wheel and tire package you’ll see the range rating drop to 270 miles. In my mind the range hit is worth it for the extra performance and all-weather grip you’ll see with AWD.

Charging

One of the biggest advantages that the Tesla Model 3 currently has over the Ioniq 6 will begin going away in 2024. Starting in 2024 the Ioniq 6 and all recent Hyundai EVs will be eligible for an adapter that will allow them to charge at Tesla Superchargers, which is America’s highest rated DC Fast charging network, according to J.D. Power. Once Hyundai’s assembly line is updated, new Ioniq 6 models will come standard with a NACS charging outlet, which is the format used at Tesla Superchargers.

Telsa is currently updating its stations to accommodate non-Teslas. On day one there still be some V2 Superchargers that will be incompatible with the Ioniq 6 and other CCS EVs, but over time those older Superchargers are expected to be replaced, putting the Ioniq 6 on equal footing with the Model 3 when it comes to charging availability and reliability.

Hyundai EVs will also still be able to charge at CCS DC fast charge stations.

Style, Features

The Ioniq 6 makes a bold statement with its rear sloping roof design. Despite the design the Ioniq 6 still has a comfortable rear passenger area. However, as you probably have already guessed, that sleek exterior does cut into rear headroom. While there is plenty of legroom, rear passengers 5′ 10″ or taller will find head room in short supply.

Because the Ioniq 6 is a true sedan that also means you have a trunk as opposed to a hatch. It is a nice sized trunk with fold-down 60-40 seats to open up more space. See the specifications at the bottom of this story for the total storage numbers.

A very small frunk up front can accommodate a laptop or portable EV charger, but not much more.

Hyundai’s excellent infotainment system returns in the Ioniq 6. It includes HD Radio and wired-only versions Apple Car Play and Android Auto. There is a wireless charging pad right next to the USB port.

There are a few areas where the Ioniq 6 pulls ahead of the Model 3.

For one, it is available with an opening sunroof, while the Model 3 is only available with fixed glass. The Ioniq 6 also offers more regeneration flexibility with its steering wheel paddles, which allow the driver to select from four different levels of regen. It also offers the option of more driver engagement by letting the driver to constantly increase or decrease regen with the paddles, which feels similar to upshifts and downshifts in a traditional manual transmission car, although there is no clutch. Nor does the driver need to use the paddles. But its nice to have the option when you want a more engaging ride.

I did enjoy the Bose sound system. I thought the speakers were good with plenty of base.

Malcolm says he found the handling to be more spirited in the Ioniq 6 as compared to its sister EV, the Ioniq 5 SUV. He’s also a fan of the Ioniq 6’s dot matrix design, which extends throughout the car with what Malcom calls “a repeating theme of utilizing square matrix dots throughout many design elements of the vehicle from the exterior LED lighting to countless interior features. Together, the unique design makes for a bold statement.”

The Ioniq 6 offers an excellent implementation of its side view cameras. A camera is activated in the main gauge cluster each time a turn signal is used, helping to minimize potential blind spots.

For much more on the Ioniq 6 watch the video road test at the top of this post and if you enjoy it, please give the video a like and subscribe to my YouTube channel so I can bring you more adventures in EV motoring.

Ioniq 6 Features, Specifications

The post Review: Hyundai Ioniq 6 Is Strong Tesla Model 3 Competitor appeared first on EV Rider.

When it comes to comparisons, it’s hard to top the experience of real-life owners.

While we automotive journalists love to compare vehicles, it’s just not the same as living full-time with them. But in this week’s video we’ve found an owner that has both the Tesla Model S and Hyundai Ioniq 5 in his garage.

Howard Schoenberger has an AWD Ioniq 5 and RWD Model 3. In the video at the top of this post he goes through a wide range of comparisons.

You’ll learn how he thinks such things as handling, infotainment, charging, sunroofs, build quality, and much more compares.

If you’ve got any questions or comments about the video, post them here and if you enjoy this episode, please give it a like and subscribe to the EV Rider YouTube channel.

Related

• Road Test: 2022 Ioniq 5
• More Tesla Coverage

Selected Video Transcript Highlights

Editor’s Note: The transcript has been condensed from what you’ll see and hear in the video and lightly edited. Watch the video to hear Howard’s additional comments.

EV Rider 

This week we’ve got a direct comparison between Tesla’s Model 3 and Hyundai’s Ioniq 5. What makes this comparison unique is Howard Schoenberger owns both, so we’ve got real world experience. Howard, let’s go ahead and start by having you tell me what made you pick these particular two EVs? 

Howard 

I had seen the Ioniq probably about a year-and-a-half ago and said, wow, that’s an interesting looking car. I’ve never seen lines like this. I got online, researched a little, and tried to buy one and waited. It took me ten months to get one. 

I decided with the tax credits and all that’s changing now and Tesla dropping the price of the Model 3, we decided to pick one of them up, which we did about three weeks ago. I’m very pleased with it. It’s a very different car than the Ioniq. My wife drives it mostly and it’s something that’s more in tune to the way she drives than the way I drive. 

EV Rider 

So if you would, give me the strengths and weaknesses between the two. 

Howard 

I think one of the nice things about Ioniq is the ride. The Tesla is a much firmer ride. It’s fun, but if you’re doing a trip, it’s (Model 3) not as comfortable for passengers. Also, the Ioniq is an all-wheel drive, whereas this is a rear wheel drive Tesla.

I also love the Ioniq’s paddle shifters rather than using one pedal driving all the time so that that’s a difference. The economy, though, I think is better on the Tesla, the aerodynamics and the way it operates. You use less electricity than you do with the Ioniq, so as I said, they are pluses and minuses to each one of them. They’re very different.

In the Tesla you have what looks like basically an iPad. That, and I think for someone that isn’t into computers in a big way, it can be a little intimidating.

The Ioniq has two longer – but narrower – screens, one that’s more traditional like a dashboard and the other is the infotainment.

EV Rider 

Do you find yourself at all missing the gauge cluster in the Tesla?

Howard 

You you get used to not having the gauge cluster to some degree. But I do miss some of the stuff. It’s somewhat cumbersome to have to go to the menu, whereas it’s easier to get to in the Ioniq. It’s more like a normal car,

EV Rider 

You’ve said the software is a little better in the the Tesla. You said the app is better in the Tesla. When you put it all together, when you consider the physical buttons versus the software and all the rest, pick a winner between the two. 

Howard 

That’s a tough question. If you ask me, you get one answer. If you ask my wife, you get a different answer. 

The reason I say that is I like playing with things, adjusting things, and I find it easier in the Ioniq to be driving and doing those things, where with the Tesla I have to go through screens. She likes to just get in the car and drive and for that I think the Tesla is better. 

EV Rider 

Both these cars are among the fastest charging available, especially in the case of the Ioniq on the CCS side. Talk to me about the overall charging experiences between both. 

Howard 

With the Ioniq you have the CCS network, which is not the greatest. Fortunately for me, I get two years of free charging at Electrify America with it. So if I am on the road, I tend to use that.

My experience has been better than some people. I went from Connecticut to Florida and had no problems whatsoever, and I’ve been down in South Florida. Not a problem either.

Tesla, that was nice. I mean, we went with my wife’s a couple of times and you just go there, plug in and you don’t do anything and it comes with an adapter. So I can charge it at home based on the Juice Box that I already have.

I am concerned going down the road with Tesla going to more of the Magic Docks (CCS Supercharger adapters) that you’ll have more CCS cars charging there. And in fact, I picked up very cheaply an adapter to use the CCS on the Tesla, which is nice to have because I don’t know where things are heading. The Ioniq, though, is amazing, that you can go from 10 to 80% in 18 minutes. You you can’t beat that. 

EV Rider 

What’s 18 minutes get you on your Model 3? 

Howard 

I know that it charges at a lower rate than what the Ioniq does. I’ve seen as high as 245 kW on the Ioniq and I think this rear wheel drive Model 3 is limited at 170. Same thing charging at home. The Model 3 that I have is limited to 32 amps. Where you can do 48 amps on the Ioniq.

Howard goes on to discuss the autonomous features of both cars along with the build quality. He compares the sunroofs, design aspects and more. Watch the video to hear his additional comments and see both EVs up close.

The post Owner Review: Tesla Model 3 Vs. Hyundai Ioniq 5 appeared first on EV Rider.

How many times have you seen a concept car, and wished – nay, lusted – that it had become a production car? But, all too often, the concept gets watered down.

In mid-2019, Hyundai teased us with its 45 Concept EV, – a wedgy and aerodynamic fastback silhouette with diamond-shaped design lines, long wheelbase and short overhangs, and beautifully big wheels. Hyundai called it an “orchestration of concave and convex forms.”

Guess what – here it is as the most concept car-like vehicle in Hyundai’s lineup.

Thanks Hyundai.

So, in a world where Teslas, Nissan LEAFs, Chevy Bolts and Audi Q4 e-trons are becoming commonplace amongst petrol-powered buggies, where does the angular IONIQ 5 fit? By sheer luck, we got to park amongst those EVs and more as our Caffeine and Octane Jacksonville cruise-in hosted the inaugural Drive Electric North Florida Electric Avenue gathering. And despite wet weather, there were lots of EVs on hand. But none looked as radical as the IONIQ 5, and it garnered so much attention.

Related: 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Road Test Video And Review

At 182.5 inches in overall length, 74.4 inches wide and 63.0-inches tall, its wheelbase is almost 4 inches longer than a Hyundai Palisade midsize SUV, yet almost 14 inches shorter than that vehicle. It sits on Hyundai/Kia’s E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform), a specific EV platform. So it can look cooler than some other EVs that live on modified gas platforms. And there’s so much 45 Concept there.

The rounded nose gets gentle geometric design lines flowing down corners as a gloss black panel ends with LED lighting – staggered quad headlights framed in rectangular DRLs that double as amber turn signals. Under the slim panel, a gentle V-shaped trim that glows at night. It’s got a central slit that doubles as the charging light. The silver lower fascia gets twin intakes for battery/motor cooling – we caught them opening and closing at Electric Avenue.

The intake’s silver continues around gently-flared front fenders, accents radiating out as they frame amazing flat-faced 15-spoke silver and black areo-optimized wheels wearing P255/45R20-inch Michelin rubber, behind a very short front overhang. Lots of folks loved the look of the wheels, which delightfully fills the openings.

The second most aerodynamic vehicle ever from Hyundai Motor Co, it has a .29 coefficient of drag. Helping that are flush door handles that automatically pop upon approach. Doors are bisected with more geometric lines and unique silver lower sill accents, while the squat roofline gets angular C-pillars topped by a deep spoiler over an angled hatchback. The rear lower fascia echoes the front with unique square dot-matrix taillights in their own black strip. And of course, no exhaust pipes, with a short overhang.

The IONIQ5 looks great in Atlas White — like we have a shuttlecraft in our garage, made by Starfleet. And cruising our local high-end mall the next day under sunny skies, heads swiveled as the IONIQ5 quietly toodled by — gaining gazes that not even the prismatic paint-clad Tesla in front of me was getting.

With wheels pushed out to four corners, that made for a big interior — the IONIQ5 is also wide, 74.4 inches vs. the VW ID.4’s 72.9 inches, and 2 inches lower. And it’s an inch wider than a Hyundai Tucson. So a family of four will find lots of room inside this spare, but elegant Dark Pebble Gray/Dove Gray “Large Car Space,” as Hyundai calls it.

There’s an almost flat floor– no driveline hump. Front seats are perforated white leatherette with power adjustment and dual memory presets for the driver. Its comfy and fairly supportive, with a relaxation feature when parked – the driver’s seat reclines as the bottom cushion rises, as does a calf support for comfort. Both front seats have heat and cooling.

The flat-bottom steering wheel has controls in front for cruise control, phone, lane-keep system, audio and more. There’s also a drive mode button, as well as what look like paddle shifters. They control the intensity of the regenerative braking, all the way to full regen i-PEDAL to a stop – so easy to get used to, I used it all the time.

Then, like so many new cars, there’s a sweeping display in front of the driver — more like two iPads with a white bar in between — with a speaker-like cloth square on the left.

“Is that a speaker?,” a friend asked. Nope — just a cloth square with a steel plate underneath, perfect to plant a fridge magnet with family photo or notes. The 12-inch gauge display in front is easy to read — digital speedometer on the left, miles-to-empty on the right, with unique speed and charge/power use displays in between. In the middle, configurable displays including all-wheel-drive split, navigation, audio, charge and more. The speed and charge/power use displays change when Eco, Normal or Sport drive modes are picked. And a favorite Hyundai feature is here too – the left and right ends of the screen show blind spot camera views when you activate that turn signal.

The center 12-inch touchscreen offers widescreen navigation with the ability to add audio or other info on the right. Or there’s a full EV range screen with interactive button telling you how close the nearest EV charger is – tap the icon and you get routed there. It can show range with, or without climate control activated.

A stubby twist-to-select gear shifter is easy to use, the start/stop button nearby, as is a silver strip of main screen menu buttons over a backlit touchscreen climate control — and a volume knob. Light green ambient lighting glows from door armrests and speaker surrounds.

The flat floor below has a storage nook with 12-volt and USB plug in front, and a center console between the front seats with cup holders, inductive phone charger, more USB ports and a flat storage tray big enough to hold a takeout meal box. It can slide back and forth 5.5 inches. More storage inside the flip-up center armrest.

The back doors are long, offering easy access to a genuine 3-across bench seat with decent legroom. There’s two more USB ports and a storage nook, while rear seatbacks do recline. Overhead, a large glass roof.

The 27.2-cu.ft. rear cargo area hash decent room between the wheel wells, plus storage underneath for charging cable and tire inflation kit. Rear seats split 60/40 and fold flat. The power rear hatch opens hands-free –stand there and after taillights blink and beep, it opens taller than my forehead. Like many EVs, there’s a frunk under the hood, but it is tiny, crowded in with fluid reservoirs and ancillary stuff.

Other tech: a unique animated head-up display that projects turn-by-turn navigation, safety systems and even the cars in front and in either lane on each side. Change lanes, and the wide HUD shows the IONIQ5 doing the same. There’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while Bluetooth pairs two devices at once. Finally – seats, headliner, door trim, floor and armrest, use eco-friendly materials like recycled PET bottles, plant-based and natural wool yarns and bio paint with plant extracts.

The IONIQ5 has two flavors of battery — 58 kWh and our car’s 77.4 kWh. There’s rear motor only, or top-of-the-line dual motor with all-wheel drive and a combined 320 hp (74 kW front + 165 kW rear), and 446 ft.-lbs. of torque. The single motor (rear-wheel-drive) gives an estimated 303 miles of range on a charge; our dual motor all-wheel drive model showed a 256-mile range on a full charge.

We got our IONIQ5 with almost a full charge, and only used a bit more miles of range to get home, where we had only Level 1 (115-volt) to top off those batteries. If we drained the Hyundai dry of drive, it would take about 68 hours to charge from 10 to 100 percent on 115 volts. On Level 2, it’s a seven hours to 100 percent. Find a Level 3 fast charger, and it’s only 18 minutes from 10 to 80 percent charge.

With two electric motors, no transmission and all that torque, our 13,000-mile-old IONIQ5 is fast in Eco mode, and very fast in Sport mode, which really tightens up steering and applies all power NOW! In Eco, it launches moderately, then gains speed with a delightful turbine-like whirrrr to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds. A full power launch in Sport mode snaps your head back as the IONIQ5 raises its nose and bursts out of the gate, full traction on all four tires and no wheelspin as we hit 60 mph in quick 4.5 seconds. It’s so quick, the speedo digits almost blur, yet there’s no torque steer or drama – like it has been launched on a rail. There’s a top speed of 115 mph, and it can tow up to 2,000 pounds.

FYI – after each day’s average 35-mile round trip commute, I’d see range go from that 100 percent charged/256 miles range to 86 percent charged/208 miles range, driving mainly in power-saving Eco mode. That’s 48 miles of range lost for only 35 miles of driving, with a very tall bridge and some highway passing done. One morning, the car claimed 100 percent charged but only 244 miles of range in Eco mode; but 247 miles if you turn off the climate control. Switch to Sport mode, which noticeably juiced the motors, and predicted range dropped to 231 miles with climate control off, and 226 miles range with it on.

Driving in i-Pedal for full regen every time I slowed down, I’d see a mile or two of range reappear. The bad news – plugging in our IONIQ5 with that daily average 85 percent range left saw an estimated 12 hours for a full charge displayed on the gauge screen.

FYI — you can use or charge any electric devices off a 120-volt outlet adapter on the car’s outside charging port.

It handles just fine, McPherson strut up front, and 5-link rear with sports damping, if a bit softer than I’d like in suspension tuning. That said, it just zipped around corners with no drama and a bit of body roll, quite composed as the all-wheel-drive display showed front motor/axle activation, then power flow back to battery when I backed off in i-Pedal mode.

There’s no gearbox, so no downshifting. But i-Pedal’s regen braking acts like a smooth downshift, so back off into a turn; the car takes a set, then power out with no understeer. Our IONIQ5 with dual motors is rear-wheel-drive biased, and we could briefly juice out the back end in spirited driving until traction control grabbed it. This is no sports car, but it sure was fun to play with thanks to dual motor all-wheel-drive. And a little birdie told me an N-Line version is in the works – a tauter suspension and even more serious road-holding, with a bit more power.

The rack and pinion-type steering was precise, with decent feel in Eco mode; firming up noticeably in Sport mode with no slop, yet felt a bit artificially boosted. The 12.8-inch disc brakes front and rear offered a nice initial bite high on the pedal when In used them, since i-Pedal’s regenerative braking was so easy to use. But they had a precise control and good stopping power with no fade after repeated hard stops from 60 mph.

Lots of safety in here. There’s Smart Cruise Control that starts, stops and resumes with a button or pedal tap. Speed Limit Assist adjusts speed to match the speed limit, and there lane-keep assist to nudge you back in line. And there’s SmartPark, which moves the car slowly in or out of tight parking spots via key fob.

A base 2023 Hyundai IONIQ5 SE Standard Range is $47,330; our 2022 Limited AWD started at $54,500 with almost all here standard bar white paint and carpet mats standard – final price $56,320. A Tesla Model Y AWD may be faster, with a bit more range, but it’s also closer to $65,000. And experts said our IONIQ 5 charges faster.

Bottom line: Looks cooler than most EVs; fits any parking space and still carries 5; very quick when it needs to be and very sure-footed. And the price surprised most folks who already have other EVs, meaning it must be a bit cheaper.

2023 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Limited AWD
Specifications – compact 5-passenger EV crossover

Base price – $54,500 ($56,320 as tested)
Motor type –Dual Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Motor with 77.4 kWh Lithium-ion Polymer battery
Combined horsepower (net) – 320
Combined torque (lb-ft) – 446
Wheelbase – 118.1 inches
Overall length – 182.5 inches
Overall width – 74.4 inches
Height – 63 inches
Front headroom – 39.1 inches
Front legroom – 41.7 inches
Rear headroom – 37.5 inches
Rear legroom – 39.4 inches
Cargo capacity – 27.2 cu. ft./59.3 w/rear seat folded
Frunk capacity – .85 cu. ft.
Curb weight – 4,663 lbs.
Range – 256 miles on full charge/113 combined MPGe

The post 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Stays True To 45 Concept; It’s Quick, Cool appeared first on EV Rider.

This week EV Rider is teaming up with our friends at AutomotiveAddicts.com to bring you a road test of Hyundai’s top trim Ioniq 5 Limited AWD.

Written review & photos by Malcolm Hogan, AutomotiveAddicts.com

Electric Vehicles (EVs) are gaining a lot of attention as of late for many reasons, including the high price of gas now. However, when it comes to captivating onlookers and proving to have an EV that follows a different path than the rest, Hyundai seems to have the jump on everyone else just by looking at vehicles like the all-new Hyundai Ioniq 5.

Post your comments or questions about the IONIQ 5 here

The new 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is something fresh that takes on a new retro styling approach but has the necessary substance underneath to be a welcomed EV with surprising performance and build quality that rises above some of its long-standing competition.

Utilizing a platform that’s shared with other EVs in the Kia and Genesis landscape, the Ioniq 5 is unique in its own right in that it has a boxy Tetris-like look with straight-lined angles, squared-off LED lighting elements, and pixelated LED lights out back giving it somewhat of a retro look that garners plenty of attention.

The rather long wheelbase gives it a smooth ride quality while the interior proportions are spacious and put such a vehicle in a space where it can legitimately compete with hatchbacks, sedans, and crossover utility vehicles. You’ll certainly be noticed in the new Ioniq 5, especially the Digital Teal-painted test vehicle of mine that appears to change colors depending on which direction you look at it.

Performance and Driving Character

Powering the new Hyundai Ioniq 5 are a variety of choices from the base standard range model’s rear axle motor producing 168 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque to power the rear wheels with a range of 225 miles out of its 58-kWh battery pack. Moving from the base standard range rear-wheel-drive (RWD) model there’s an extended range RWD model with 225 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque that has a range of 303 miles from a larger 77.4-kWh battery, which is the highest range option for the Ioniq 5. For my top-trim test vehicle, you have an all-wheel-drive (AWD) setup that only comes in “extended range” form with the 77.4-kWh battery but two motors work to power both axles for a total of 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque and get an estimated range of 256 miles on a full charge.

Having the AWD Ioniq 5 and the two motors, one on each axle, there’s a substantial amount of grunt in having the instant torque from a stop yielding a shocking 4.5-second run to 60 mph. There are a total of three drive modes, Eco, Normal, and Sport, in addition to a Snow mode that can be enabled if you hold down the drive mode button that’s mounted on the flat bottom steering wheel. In the Eco mode, the vehicle is more reserved and full power output is never achieved even when you floor the throttle. In Normal mode most of the power is accessible, but in Sport mode, it feels like full throttle is the real deal. The steering feel is mostly numb and on the light side even in Sport mode.

There’s a myriad of regenerative settings cleverly accessed by steering wheel paddles with 3 levels of regeneration, in addition to an OFF setting, an automatic setting, and an i-Pedal setting for one-pedal driving. Using Level 1 of the regen seems more natural while Level 2, Level 3, and the i-Pedal (1-pedal driving) modes enact the brake lights upon letting off the throttle with a substantial amount of deceleration. The i-Pedal setting is a true use of just the throttle and will bring you to a complete stop upon letting off as if you were moderately applying the brakes. The overall feel of the braking from the motor’s regeneration to the friction brakes feels seamless most times. There is a bit of a learning curve when you do utilize the regen levels outside of Level 1 and the Automatic mode, which smarly adds regen braking automatically at varying levels when it detects you approaching a vehicle in front via the front radar. In the automatic mode, when a vehicle starts to speed up the regen braking automatically lets off. More smart thinking, here!

Out on the open road, the Ioniq 5 feels well planted with a smooth suspension setup from its fixed dampers that often has a little reverberation when going over road dips and rises. Otherwise, the Ioniq 5 handles surprisingly well, which is in part due to its surprisingly large wheels and tires, uniquely styled 20-inch wheels wrapped in 255-width Michelin Primacy tires. The Ioniq 5 feels a bit heavy, which may be part of the deception from its looks as it appears to be a smaller vehicle until you see it up close or jump inside. There’s a shocking large mass in the Ioniq 5, one that weighs 4,662 pounds in my test vehicle’s configuration.

Electric Consumption and Efficiency

The new Hyundai Ioniq 5 falls in line with its competition when it comes to efficiency. However, where the Ioniq 5 excels is its ability to charge faster than most taking advantage of its 800-volt architecture legitimately taking only 18 minutes to charge from 10% state of charge up to 80% using a 350 kW DC fast charger. I was able to test out the charging ability of the Ioniq 5 at a local Electrify America charging station where I saw a peek of 236 kW and sustained such a peek for just over 10 minutes.

After nearly reaching an 80% state of charge the kW rating started to decline to about 128 kW and then taper off around an 88% state of charge. I did notice that during my charging session, which took place in 88-degree (F) weather, there was a welcomed sustained wattage to keep on pace for a full 100% charge from 80% in under 25 minutes. Usually, you see the 80% to 100% charge cycle to take an hour or more in many new EVs currently on the market.

Hyundai has changed the outlook and perception of EVs in having a vehicle that can charge so fast under ideal conditions while using a 350 kW DC fast charger, which is often hard to come by in the current state of our poor EV charging infrastructure. However, Electrify America and many other companies hope to change that very soon – which is greatly needed if we plan on having EVs fit into the traditional American lifestyle.

Hyundai provides a wall charger for those times you may need to “slowly” top-off your charge or add a few miles when you don’t have access to a Level 2 charger. Charge times using the included charger plugged into a standard 110-volt household outlet at the max 12-amp setting you’ll add about 3 to 5 miles of range for each hour of charging. If you do plan to use the maximum 12-amp setting you must manually change it from the default 6-amp setting on the box of the plug-in wall charger unit.

As far as MPG-equivalents, my AWD Ioniq 5 gets an EPA-estimated 110 MPGe city, 87 MPGe highway, and 98 MPGe combined. Those figures improve slightly with the RWD lower trims (city/hwy/comb. – 127/94/110 standard range RWD – 132/98/114 extended range RWD). I often saw an average of 2.8 kW per mile around town and as much as 3.1 kW per mile on the highway.

Interior and Tech

As a mainstream EV, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 embarks on a journey to help pivot the thinking surrounding EVs. I can say with certainty that the needle has been moved by vehicles like the Ioniq 5 in having the proper tech, interior accommodations, and welcomed driving character. To top it off, the interior of the Ioniq 5 is inviting and mostly premium in its accommodations and equipment. There’s a vast amount of seating space up front and rear seats that slide forward and back and recline a good amount. The flat floor aids to make the cabin feel airy and accommodating.

Using the matching-sized 12.3-inch screens for the digital gauge cluster and infotainment touchscreen and user-friendly interface found in most modern Hyundai vehicles add to the appeal of the Ioniq 5 with no unwanted surprises. There’s Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration but only through a USB connection.

There are several core function physical buttons but below are touch capacitive buttons for the automatic dual-zone climate controls, including access to the climate menu and ventilated and heated seats setting. The touch capacitive buttons are easy to reach but do require an extra second of focus to ensure you are pressing the correct area, which may take a bit of focus off the road for the driver.

There’s a neat option of using a relaxation seating position on the driver’s seat that can recline far back with a power leg rest that folds out, which is thought to offer a comfy position for when you are charging up the vehicle. Otherwise, the seating positions are good and comfy for five inside the Ioniq 5.

Cargo space is somewhat on the smaller side out back without much extra under-floor storage. Also, under the hood there’s no large frunk (front trunk) storage that many EVs include, only a small plastic opening bin with limited space.

I did enjoy the proximity key function for automatically unlocking the doors upon walking up to a locked vehicle. Doing so automatically popped out the door handles as they are normally flush with the body to prevent additional drag or wind resistance when driving. You can manually push and grab the handles as there is no need to worry about failing of the mechanism. Again, more smart thinking on Hyundai’s part.

Safety

In terms of safety, there’s a full array of the traditional and expected active safety features (blind-spot monitor and view monitor, lane-keeping assist, color heads-up display, 360-degree surround camera, forward collision alert/emergency braking, etc), in addition to having Hyundai’s latest Highway Driving Assist feature that uses smart cruise control with the lane-centering system and a lane changing feature. The system still requires that you keep your hands on the steering wheel.

Price

The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 fits nicely alongside gas-powered and EV competition with a starting price of $39,950 for the SE standard range RWD model. From there, things ramp up slightly and you can look at paying as much as $55,920 for the top-shelf Ioniq 5 Limited AWD trim of my test vehicle, which includes an inland freight and handling charge of $1,225.

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