Hyundai Ioniq 5, what we like what we don't | Our proof
Hyundai Ioniq 5
Hyundai Ioniq 5 enters our personal ranking of the best electric cars of the moment. In this way we begin our classic test of "what we like and what we don't like" dedicated to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the medium-sized SUV (it is defined as such, even if it is a decidedly large car), therefore without hiding the many strengths of this EV.
What convinces us
Let's start from the aesthetics, Hyundai has undoubtedly hit the mark with a new design that is able to amaze. We have repeatedly seen curious people around the Ioniq 5 when left in a parking lot, in the same way that Tesla, as soon as it came out, attracted a small crowd every time. The front light clusters recessed into a band that underlines the line of the entire bonnet, the rear one with many small squares that make it look like a sort of 80s video game in pixel art and all the geometric lines in general. During our test lasting a couple of weeks, there was no lack of criticism from someone who said "it's too square", of course it is, but in our opinion the design is very successful.We get on board and he welcomes us a very spacious passenger compartment, rear passengers can travel very comfortably, even those who are very tall. This spaciousness is also useful if you want to get comfortable during a half hour of charging, as we are doing right now while writing this test; by folding all the front seats back (and there will still be legroom for a passenger) you can fully stretch your legs without even touching the drive pedals. The seats are comfortable and the calf support insert, which can be tilted at will, is also appreciable, which also comes in handy while driving.
The EV platform (E-GMP) design, with the flat bottom, allowed Hyundai to take full advantage of the central gully, which it left mostly empty. It is a choice that we appreciate, under the armrest there is a single large tub in which you can even place a small backpack or where there is also a large female bag. The compartment under the armrest is huge, the small can holder turret is functional, under which there is a compartment to put the smartphone and recharge it wirelessly. All in all, the space was used very well.
The recharging characteristics are appreciable. The battery, of 58 or 77 kWh depending on the version, can also be used to power external equipment (V2L – Vehicle-to-Load), via the external socket (with adapter) or internal 12 Volt sockets, up to a load maximum of 3.6 kW. The 800/400V architecture enables fast charging up to 350 kWh, which fully recharges in less than twenty minutes. At a more classic 100 kW column, we recharged it from about 10% to 100% in an hour. Up to 80% you can recharge it in just over half an hour.
There are many comforts on board, even for the rear seats, such as heating or the presence of various USB ports. The double front screen is not a unique feature of Ioniq 5, but they are certainly to be put among the advantages. They look good, show all the necessary information and the software is very intuitive. You'll probably end up using only Android Auto or CarPlay, but switching between these entertainment platforms and the in-car software is very smooth. The car's software itself is responsive.
What doesn't convince us
There's very little we don't like, and we could define them as details, but we'll tell you about them. First, it's really a shame that Android Auto and CarPlay aren't wireless, and even worse is the fact that you'll have to connect them via cable to a USB port located at the front of the central gully. There are two more USB ports in the center turret, where there is also space to place your smartphone, but these USB ports only provide charging. An at least bizarre choice, if you want to buy this car we advise you to equip yourself with CarLinkit 4.0, you can find more information at this link.We would have liked to be able to control the courtesy lighting, color and intensity. Unfortunately, the colors of the LEDs (green, blue and red) are not linked to the driving mode (Eco, Normal and Sport). The steering wheel is well made, it is comfortable, cut in the lower part, and on the left in the central crown is the driving mode selector. It's a button, we would have preferred the ability to rotate the selector like a small knob, in such a way as to switch, for example, from ECO to normal mode, or from normal to Sport and vice versa quickly. In this case, however, you can only press it by passing, in succession, from Eco mode to Normal mode and then to Sport mode. If you are in normal mode and want to insert the Eco one, you will have to switch from the Sport one. In short, it's wrong.
The rear electric tailgate is very convenient, but it only opens. If you try to hold down the button on the key to close it, nothing will happen, on the contrary you will hear a continuous "beep" until you press the button on the tailgate itself to close it.
Lastly, a few words to the gear selector on the steering wheel. Instead of using a push-up or down lever, like Tesla or other EVs, you'll have to turn a knob clockwise or counter-clockwise, and press a button for parking mode. It's not bad, but we didn't find it so good. Sometimes it is not always necessary to rewrite all the rules.
How to drive
The Ioniq 5 is not as extreme as other EVs, but it is still able to accelerate strongly, above all in the integral version with 325 equivalent horsepower. We would define it as "balanced", that is, it has enough power to come in handy when it is necessary to overtake or quickly enter a lane, but you will often find yourself appreciating the driving comfort and its smooth delivery. The passenger compartment and its comfort leads you to enjoy the journey, Ioniq is first and foremost a comfortable electric car, both for long journeys and for shorter journeys. The level rear compartment allows you to easily load bags and other objects, the ground clearance and the shock absorbers absorb the roughness of the ground well and it is also well soundproofed.The driving assistants and safety equipment work very well Well . The activation of the adaptive cruise control is very intuitive, even if we have to say that the semi-autonomous driving is quite aggressive, i.e. when you travel on the motorway, the first few times it will be natural for you to pay more attention to the behavior as it will seem a little too "cheerful". ”. However, we have often used it on busy bypasses and it has never shown any problems. The system that reminds us to keep our hands on the wheel is a little too boring, with warnings even when we had our hands on the wheel. The system evaluates the presence of the hands by registering the involuntary micro-movements of the steering wheel, so if your hands are positioned perfectly still, without gripping the steering wheel too much, a warning will still appear.
Convenient advanced HUD, which shows you everything, even lane departure warnings with animated arrows. The steering assistance, even when the autopilot is not active, is never invasive, as happens on other cars which misunderstand the road markings and sometimes move the steering wheel for no reason.
Autonomy is in the average, you will be able to travel about 400 kilometers (with the 77 kWh model), a value that for some will still be too low. Fortunately, as we have already mentioned, fast charging allows you to reach 80% of the battery in a few tens of minutes. One last note, for Hyundai and for EVs in general, remove the ignition key. After all, the car is always on, getting in and out of the car and letting the opening of the door and a seat sensor determine your behavior is the best choice for electric cars. Too often it happened to us to get out of the car and then have to reopen the door and reach for the off button, even positioned in a very awkward area to reach from outside the passenger compartment.
