VW might be positioning itself as the primary challenger to Tesla in vehicle electrification, but Hyundai is quietly building an impressive portfolio of battery vehicles, too.
The Korean automotive giant has now revealed its latest interpretation of what customers want, in a battery vehicle, with the Ioniq 5 crossover.
Billed as a crossover, the Ioniq 5 has a very angular surface design and incredibly intricate alloy wheels, which measure 20-inches in diameter and are the most aero wheels ever fitted to a Hyundai.
The Ioniq 5 rides on Hyundai’s E-GMP platform and has a proportionally long wheelbase, in relation to its overall length. This will become a feature of all future battery vehicles, as designers and engineers attempt to leverage the lack of a traditional front-mounted engine, to increase cabin space.
Measured bumper-to-bumper the Ioniq 5 is 4.63 m, and of that, 3 m is the wheelbase. To place that in perspective, the Ioniq 5, which is configured as a mid-sized crossover, has a 100 mm longer wheelbase than Hyundai’s enormous Palisade SUV. The result is a very spacious cabin, with all seats benefitting from electrical adjustment and a centre console that features 140 mm of slide adjustability, too.
Luggage space is excellent, with 571-litre of rear storage capacity, supplemented by a 57-litre frunk (front storage space under the bonnet).
Customers will have two battery options, either a 58 kWh or 72.6 kWh long-range version. Hyundai claims that a 350 kW rapid-charging station will replenish 70% of either battery capacity, in only 18 minutes. Like Porsche’s Taycan, the Ioniq 5 can accept an 800v charging input.
The standard Ioniq 5 is powered by 125 kW electric motor, which also produced 350 Nm of torque. It can run the 0-100 kph benchmark in 8.5 seconds. Opting for the long-range battery pack boosts power to 225 kW, with torque increasing to 605 Nm. This more potent Ioniq 5 is capable of 0-100 kph in a very quick 5.2 seconds and had a theoretical range of 480 km. Both battery options can be optioned with all-wheel-drive versions but are standard with rear-driven electric motors.
Hyundai expects to bring the Ioniq 5 to market, towards the end of this year.
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