Retro to the future in Hyundai’s IONIQ 5!

So, you have decided you want an electric car, but none of the current EVs out there grab your attention or are simply priced out of your budget. If that’s the case, then you may want to look at the Hyundai IONIQ 5, as it’s a very different kind of car.

The IONIQ 5 is an EV crossover that is anything but mainstream. Its quirky retro-themed styling makes it look like nothing else on the road. And with its versatile interior and plenty of practicality, its starting price of $43,000 is hard to beat.

Out since 2022, the IONIQ 5 is small in size but big in technology. And it looks so cool with its blocky sculpting, stubby proportions, and squared-off complexion. And while the overall look is retro, there are certain futuristic styling cues like the motion lines around the wheel arches and the use of pixel shapes all over. In a sea of RAV4s and CR-Vs, the IONIC 5 is a breath of fresh air.

Enter the IONIQ 5 and you are greeted with an interior that feels much larger than it actually is. The dashboard is pushed far forward, leaving tons of legroom available for the front passengers, and the lack of a full-length center console provides an open feeling across the front row. The controls, most of which are touch controls, all feel very natural to the driver. There are a few physical buttons, though they mainly serve as shortcuts to specific views in the infotainment system. The infotainment system is surprisingly well organized and is simple to use, although I still miss the feeling of physical buttons.

The IONIQ 5 is available with rear or all-wheel drive and makes between 168 and 320 horsepower. Range varies between 220 miles and 303 miles depending on the trim level. The base IONIQ 5 is the SE Standard Range which comes in rear-wheel drive only and uses a single motor to make 168 horses and a range of 220 miles. The SE, SEL and Limited are available in rear or all-wheel drive. When equipped with rear-wheel drive, they make 225 horses and can travel 303 miles on a full charge. The all-wheel drive version adds a second motor to the front wheels for a combined power output of 320 horsepower, but range is reduced to 260 miles.

When it comes to storage, the IONIQ 5 has about 27 cubic feet of space in the hatch area, which isn’t much. Thankfully, the rear seats fold flat, which increases cargo space and helps for loading longer items. There is also a small frunk (front trunk), but it is small. But the cabin is full of cubbies and places to stow bottles, phones and other stuff and a movable center console is pretty cool.

While the look and the style of the IONQ 5 is vastly different from anything else on the road, its driving manners are similar to that of any other EV – it’s smooth, and quiet with a very linear powerband. And like most EVs out there, it’s fast. The tester, a Limited with all-wheel drive (so with dual motors) is able to hit 60 mph in just over 4 seconds. That’s amazing quick for a car that looks like it could have been plucked out of the 1980s.

Being that the tester was the top-of the-line model, it carried a price tag of $58,005 (it is a 2023 model). So far in my time with it, I’ve found it to be fun and easy to drive. My only gripe is with the column-mounted gear selector – which is easy to use, but depending on the position of the steering wheel, can be difficult to see what gear your changing to as the steering wheel spoke is often in the way. And of course, the typical charging woes apply if you don’t have a home charger. Plugging into a 120V household outlet (Level 1 charging) is painfully slow, gaining only about 10 miles of charge overnight – making a Level 2 home charger a must have for IONIQ 5 owners. But on the bright side, DC fast-charging, which typically is used in high-end EVs, is standard on all IONIC 5s, to provide super-quick charging speeds when connected to a Level 3 Charger.

Since its debut a few years ago, the IONIC 5 has won all kinds of awards, including EV of the Year. Looking at it and driving it, it’s easy to see why.
— Christopher A. Randazzo

By The Numbers:

Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD

Base Price: $56,500.00 (2023 pricing)
Price as Tested: $58,005.00 (2023 pricing)
Layout: rear-engine / all-wheel drive
Engine: permanent-magnet AC electric motor
Transmission: direct drive
Horsepower: 320 hp
Torque: N/A
EPA Fuel Economy: 101 MPGe (113 city / 90 highway mpg)

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