Hyundai Ioniq 5 Review: First Impressions | Hard To Fault!

Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 will make you wonder if that compact SUV from a fancy brand is really worth spending half a crore rupees for.

There’s a whole lot the Ioniq 5 does right, so it’s natural to see why it has been garnering praise world over. The design makes you pause and ponder, the interior is relaxing, and the drive is effortless. As a statement, it makes so much sense. The fact that it runs on batteries and not dinosaur juice makes the deal sweeter.

Why Call It An SUV?

The proportions are more hatchback than SUV; and you’d not be alone if you saw an evolved Volkswagen Golf Mk2 in the silhouette. Here’s the thing — the Ioniq 5 is deceptively large and one needs to see it in person to really grasp how it sizes up against cars you and I drive. In absolute numbers — save for its height— it’s larger than Hyundai’s own Tucson. Mind blown?

There are two parts as to why we think the Ioniq 5 manages to hide its size well: the razor sharp lines that slice through the bodywork and the large 20-inch alloy wheels. Once you’re done acknowledging the deception at play, there are a lot of intricate details for you to admire. The squared-off daytime running lamps, the flush-fitting door handles, the ‘pixel’ treatment for the rear lamps all lend the Ioniq 5 a likeable retro vibe. The paint options are interesting too: matte gold (our pick!), a deep black and a bright white.

Form Over Function?

Nope. The Ioniq 5 has not compromised on functionality, and that shows in the wide opening doors, flat floor and a plethora of storage spaces around the cabin. You can walk inside this cabin and you don’t sink into the seats either.

Both front seats are powered (driver gets two memory functions too), and the steering can be adjusted for rake and reach. All-round visibility is great, courtesy the low and compact dashboard. With the front seat setup for a six-footer, another can be comfortable at the rear as there’s ample kneeroom and headroom.

Issues? Well, there’s little room under the front seat for your feet, and the middle occupant sits slightly higher than the other two causing a pinch in headroom. Also, given the raised floor and the short seat squab, underthigh support is compromised. The Ioniq’s rear seat is powered as well and you can play around with the recline and move the seat ahead if you need a little more boot space. Thoughtful.

Between the sliding centre console (that’s as spacious as a mini bookshelf), the compartment under the air-con controls and a literal drawer for your glovebox— you have plenty of cubbies that happily swallows knick-knacks.

Boot space is rated at 527 litres which can be expanded to up to 1,587 litres. Do note that the boot is deep, but lacks height. Larger bags will have to be stacked horizontally which isn’t the most efficient use of the space at hand. You also get a small 57-litre frunk that’s good for small items such as a puncture repair kit, tyre inflator and so on.

To The Brim! 

Hyundai is offering the Ioniq 5 in a single, fully loaded trim. Highlights include dual 12.3-inch displays, dual-zone climate control, heated and ventilated front seats, ambient lighting, a Bose sound system and a fixed glass roof.

A unique feature is the ‘relaxation’ function on the front seats. At the touch of a button, the seats move backwards, recline completely and the ottoman is raised. This is perfect for when you want to catch a quick nap in the car while it’s charging.

Another highlight is the vehicle-to-load (V2L) function that includes a regular three-pin socket under the rear seats. Another way to power up appliances (or another EV!) is by using the charging port of the car. The external V2L adapter is offered as standard too!

The safety suite includes the usuals — six airbags, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, as well as ADAS. It has secured a full five-star safety rating in the Euro as well as Australian NCAP tests.

Back To The Future!

In the interest of keeping the asking price competitive, Hyundai India has chosen to offer the Ioniq 5 with a 72.6kWh battery pack and rear-wheel drive only. Globally, you can specify a smaller battery (58kWh), as well as all-wheel drive. Interestingly, AWD is offered in the Ioniq 5’s cousin — the Kia EV6. The ARAI-certified range is 631km which seems far-fetched. In the real world, you could expect the range to be in the whereabouts of 500km.

217PS and 350Nm sounds juicy — it’s the equivalent of what a large diesel SUV puts out. It’s quite a lot quicker to 100kmph than your average SUV though, taking 7.6 seconds. Admittedly, it does not feel like it’s in a super hurry to reach that speed. The acceleration is not ‘violent’ as we’ve experienced in other EVs, it’s progressive rather. You could get up to dizzying speeds quite easily too if you aren’t paying attention to the speedometer. And yes, since there’s power going only to the rear wheels, you can be naughty and slidey with it if you wish.

There’s no real ‘learning curve’ with the Ioniq 5 when you transition from a petrol- or diesel-powered vehicle. Braking usually takes some getting used to in most EVs given regeneration is involved, but Hyundai has done an impressive job of making this process run seamlessly in the background. There are three selectable levels, but none feel intrusive or harsh. You can also switch the vehicle to a single ‘i-Pedal’ mode, that will let you commute using just the accelerator. Letting go of the throttle will have the Ioniq 5 gradually roll to a dead stop.

Ride quality is expectedly firm with 20-inch wheels and relatively low profile tyres. On smooth surfaces, the Ioniq 5 leaves nothing to complain about. Speed breakers and surface level changes are dealt confidently too — the body settles practically immediately. We didn’t get the chance to experience it on some properly bad roads, so we’d reserve that judgement for when we actually sample the Ioniq 5 in our own backyard. But with 163mm of laden ground clearance, there’s not much to be worried about.

To sum up, for a car its size, the Ioniq 5 is quite effortless to drive. The driving position, the visibility, the 360° camera, the intuitive throttle and the light steering all do their bits in making the experience less taxing. You’d also appreciate the sense of quiet the Ioniq 5 has to offer. A silent electric motor means road, tyre and ambient noises seem amplified — that’s not the case with the Ioniq 5.

Charge time for the Ioniq 5 is as follows:

Charging Your Ioniq 5

*As of February 2023, the highest available charging speed in India is 240kW

Most malls and public charging stations offer 50kW DC charging these days. An hour is sufficient to add ~300-350km of range to your drive. For a 50km daily drive, the Ioniq 5 will comfortably last the whole work week with some range to spare. It can be topped up overnight and be ready for the next week.

The Waiting Game!

As it stands, the Ioniq 5 is a thorough all-rounder. While the design baits you, spending time with it will have you growing fond of it quite quickly. The easy-to-drive nature and a realistically usable range sweeten the deal further. If you’re looking at spending around Rs 50 lakh on your next set of wheels and are willing to look beyond the lure of a luxury badge, the Ioniq 5 will not only meet your needs, but also exceed your expectations.