Introduction
Hyundai IONIQ 5 is a particularly spacious and fine hatchback. After my previous review of the Alfa Romeo Tonale, we now dive into a fully electric car.
Davo Group gave me a Hyundai IONIQ 5 (demo model) for no less than 2 weeks. And these were weeks where I was able to drive many long and short distances. How I like this car, you can read here!
Specifications
First of all, let’s kick off with the specifications that the Hyundai IONIQ 5 offers.
In order not to show a whole list of options – because there is a lot to put on and in it – a clear video of Hyundai NL has been made.
Do you need more information about the IONIQ 5? Check the website of Davo Group for all the information!
Exterior
Let’s start with the exterior of the IONIQ first, and that’s an interesting one. The IONIQ 5 looks quite retro. And such a design choice doesn’t come along very often, and that is quite a shame.
Apart from the mood photos from above … Let’s walk around the car, to get a complete picture of the car. After all, this retro/funky design is quite interesting.
As mentioned earlier, the car was borrowed from Davo Group for two weeks, and fortunately, you can’t tell from the looks of it! 😉
The front also looks very cool in my opinion. The light gray/chrome accents look cool. The lights look futuristic, especially in the evening!
The rear of the IONIQ also looks cool.
I took the Hyundai Ioniq 5 to Westkapelle (Zeeland) to take some pictures. Rest assured, I’ll also get to the driving characteristics and safety. But it is of course also nice to see what the car looks like in the wild.
The car can be connected to a 230V charger, but also a CCS Combo 2.
Hyundai has placed 5 reasonable slippers under the IONIQ, namely 20”
Hyundai also supplies a cable to simply plug the car into an outlet – in addition to the fast chargers.
Interior
The demo model that I received was the lounge version, with ‘better’ seats. They can heat, cool, and can be almost flat so that the driver / co-driver can rest for a while.
Just as a side note: this is also a demo model that has been used for a while. And of course, people are not as careful on a demo model as on their car. And that can be seen in the scratches and signs of use. Of course, the car can also be cleaned, but I couldn’t give Davo the time for that because I wanted to take the car with me shortly afterward.
This lounge version also has a Bose set in it, and I must admit that it sounds pretty good. As a reviewer of audio products (see my other reviews) I find Bose quite deep and more focused on the lower notes than the higher notes. And for a car, that’s probably not a bad thing at all.
Profiles can also be selected via the door.
I do want to take a moment to mention the space under the armrest. Because this IONIQ 5 is rear-wheel drive, the car also has a lot of space there. And that is very nice. This way you can store a handbag or even a laptop bag under the armrest. In addition, there are also 1 USB-A port (and a 12V charger) in the front. By connecting a telephone (Android or iOS), Apple Carplay or Android Auto can be used via the infotainment.
A big disadvantage of a touchscreen is the stains it leaves behind. Nevertheless, there’s quite a bit of screen space in the IONIQ 5.
Speaking of the infotainment system, I must confess that I like this nice system.
When connecting a telephone (iOS/Android telephone, Carplay, and Android Auto are also displayed).
In the evening, the IONIQ 5 also looks… iconic.
The interior of the car is also well-lit by LED lighting.
The ambient lighting of the car is not very exciting, and that makes sense – for an electric car. Yet there are strips at the armrests (in the doors) and around the speaker at the bottom of the door. That’s it.
You don’t see this when the car is off, but the steering wheel has a lot of options and buttons. From mute buttons to lane assist.
Back to the screens and infotainment system. In any case, this also neatly shows when maintenance is due again.
As a driver, the steering wheel also allows you to switch between the different screens/options.
What’s handy about this system is that it is possible to switch between multiple users. As a result, the car and the system do exactly what you have defined in advance.
And those options also translate into how the car reacts.
Information during charging is neatly displayed on the driver information screen. Here you can see how long it takes to charge at a pole. In this case, things didn’t go that fast. Zeeland hey….
Driving characteristics and safety
It is quite noticeable that an electric car is heavy. However, it drives slightly differently than a smaller (non-electric) hatchback. It does feel relaxed. This is because the weight – due to the cells – is low and therefore the car still has special driving dynamics. When I was in Zeeland, there was a reasonable storm with a wind force of 7/8. I didn’t notice much of that while driving. And that’s quite special, so you didn’t feel the wind gusts on the side – not even when driving over the Zeeland Bridge.
The car attracted a lot of attention. And not only because of the lettering on the side but also because of the model. After all, it is a beautiful but also special model.
The IONIQ 5 sits nice and high, giving the driver the feeling of having a good overview. Gives a bit of a Hyundai Tucson feeling in terms of height. This also gives a very relaxed driving style. Because it gives a high(er) SUV feeling, you automatically also have a relaxing driving style. There is no feeling that you are in a sports coupe and therefore want or even have to drive fast. Even though it is a fast car.
The ride to Zeeland – and back – was very relaxing. My daughter who never sleeps in the car even fell asleep. Perhaps it has to do with my ‘normal’ driving style.. but I’m not going to admit to that.
The alpha was already pretty quiet, in my opinion. However, the IONIQ 5 is even quieter. It is quiet outside, you hardly hear the road surface and because there is no engine in it, you do not hear it either. And that makes a ride quite relaxing – don’t forget .. there are also features such as lane assist and adaptive cruise control.
Also in combination with the lounge chairs you arrive rested at the location where you want to be.
These chairs can not only heat but also cool. So if you drive around in the summer, the back is kept nice and cool.
The LED headlights work well – they are really bright. Carplay (because I have an iPhone) works fine too.
The only downside to this; it is not wireless. This means you have to use a cable. But on the other side; there are again 3 USB ports on the front to charge all sorts of things. And there are also 12V connectors in the car. So it’s not that you’re short of USB connections.
Speaking of connections, there is also a plug connection under the back seat.
Hyundai has also launched a very smart car with the IONIQ 5. When driving into a tunnel, a notification is given that the air supply has been switched off, for your comfort.
The steering is also quite adaptive. Steering below 20 km/h ensures that the steering is very light. Above 20 km/h, it gets a bit heavier again.
I used to have flippers in my Alfa Romeo Giulia and that is just a lot of fun for a gasoline engine. The IONIQ 5 also has flippers, but they work slightly differently.
Pressing and holding the left paddle brakes the car without having to use the brake. This recharges the car a bit.
In addition, holding down the right flipper activates the i-pedal. Level 0, 1, 2, or 3. At 0, this car rolls on for 800 kilometers (figuratively) – due to its heavy weight, this car has an enormous range in terms of coasting… At level 3, it brakes hard, which makes it a great option for traffic jams.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 also has a snow mode, in which it accelerates very quietly (or smooth acceleration) so that the wheels do not just spin. Braking is also done quietly so that the car does not just slip.
The IONIQ has different modes: Eco, normal, and sport.
In sports, the car takes everything to the maximum and the screen for the driver turns red.
When the direction indicator is used, the driver’s screen also shows a camera image of the curb on the right.
At the end of the ride, the ride info is also neatly displayed. It states how many km have been driven, how long this journey took, and how much kWh this cost.
Adaptive cruise control also works very well. In this, it is possible to neatly follow the predecessors. All you have to do is steer. And even in that the Hyundai helps; there is a lane assist so that it stays neatly within the lines. This can also be switched on/off via the steering wheel.
The system does it itself. This is very nice when you are tired. The only downside I ran into is that this system sometimes swings a bit. Here I am referring to the fact that it first slowly steers a little to the left, then to the right again, then to the left again, and so on. This could be a software thing, no idea. They are also very light movements, don’t expect to shake back and forth like you’re driving between cones.
When releasing, a message is displayed; ‘keep your hands on the steering wheel’. A tone will be played to alert you. After a while, a notification is shown with the lane following assist canceled with a threatening audio tone. Cruise control, however, remains on again.
Conclusion
I have been able to use the IONIQ 5 for just under two weeks and I must admit that they were two very nice weeks. For example, I drove from Rotterdam to Leidschendam and then Zoutelande on one charge, and I still had about half the charge left. And that was quite a relief in my opinion.
One of the biggest annoyances with an electric car can be continuous charging. And that is certainly not the case with a range of almost 500 km. In my opinion, Hyundai has made great strides in this. And that helps tremendously, so you need fewer charging sessions. If you do have to charge, the 800V battery makes charging extremely fast. The fact that (with a charger of 350 kW) can be charged to 80% in 18 minutes, I think that is real progress in driving an EV.
The IONIQ 5 comes in 4 different versions. The IONIQ 5 comes standard with rear-wheel drive, and that was also the one I received from the Davo Group.
Because I went to Zeeland with my little daughter for two weeks, I was able to pack the car full. And for an electric hatchback, a lot goes into it. With about 531 liters that is quite doable (I had to walk back and forth seven times to get the car filled). If you also flatten the rear seats, you end up with a small 1591 liters. The funny thing is, the trunk at the front can hold about 57 liters. That is at least enough for a shopping bag (and a little more). This will be less if a four-wheel drive system is used. Nevertheless, it feels strange to open the hood to put something in there. In terms of storage, the IONIQ 5 is ahead of the pack in my opinion. So much can be laid out inside the car as well. There are pockets and space for bags, etc. everywhere.
Even between the driver and co-driver, there is a lot of space under the armrest. Nice to put down a laptop bag, or just a handbag.
The IONIQ 5 is roadworthy from €46,795, which is not bad for an electric car with such a range. And that brings me to my conclusion. This car can be driven for a small € 47,000. And I must admit that that is not very cheap, but given the price of petrol compared to electric charging (that also with the speed at which this car can be charged) it is quite a no-brainer. And of course especially if solar panels are used.
The infotainment system of the IONIQ 5 is a very nice one, it works smoothly and feels nice. Still, I’m always in favor of a dial/touch panel at the armrest, as it’s much easier to turn/or move with a knob than having to lift an arm while driving and reach for a touch screen. In addition, there is just another bump on the road and you just go at the screen you didn’t want. And yet Hyundai has managed to ensure that the buttons are not all too close together to the system.
For me, there are two things I’m a little less happy about. One; The turning radius makes it feel like you’re in a school bus, even though it’s a hatchback. And two; there is no windshield wiper on the back. In case it rains, there is little to see after half an hour.
Speaking of bumps in the road, you really don’t bother much with this IONIQ 5. With a weight between 1805 and 2000 kilos, it also feels heavy on the road. In addition, the suspension is also very nice. And that is often a different story for a hatchback.
Hyundai has launched a head-turning car. People are amazed by the appearance, especially the interior. The lounge version, which I received, also has a very nice set of seats, to relax at a charging point in those short minutes.
I was asked whether I would opt for the Alfa Romeo Tonale or the IONIQ 5. I, with an Alfa heart, prefer the IONIQ 5. It is a very safe, spacious and nice car.
The IONIQ 5 positively surprised me and therefore gets 4 out of 5 stars in my opinion.
Once again I would like to thank Davo Group for the opportunity to test the IONIQ 5. Are you curious about the IONIQ 5? Then be sure to make an appointment at Davo Group!