The 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a cutting-edge electric car with a clever sense of style and excellent performance.
The Ioniq 5 five-door electric hatchback has more than 300 miles of battery range in its top model, pitting it against the Tesla Model Y, Volkswagen ID.4, and Ford Mustang Mach-E. It’s striking, swift, spacious, and incredibly efficient with electronics. For 2023, a battery pre-conditioner now is standard, and all but the base long-range model can tow 2,300 lb. Range on the AWD edition is up to 266 miles, and EPA ratings have risen to 113/90/101 MPGe on the three versions.
The Ioniq 5 makes an on-point retro design statement. It’s an exquisite reincarnation of vintage 1980s hatchback style. Inspired by Hyundai’s Pony of that decade, with clear echoes of economy hatchbacks from the 80’s, the Ioniq 5 has the exaggerated style of an anime car- in the best way possible. The bitmap-inspired details in front and back play across a body that looks compact and squat in photos, disguising its clear mid-size shape. The smooth arc of the roofline, the diagonal slashes across the body, and the big wheels mask its proportions while faithfully rekindling the past.
The Ioniq 5 is quick off the line, and has an absorbent ride. Smooth by nature, the Ioniq 5 has docile manners until it’s spun into its Sport drive mode, where it’s responsive and sharp. All are quick, but the quickest versions are of course the most costly and complex. Single-motor cars have rear-wheel drive; dual-motor models are all-wheel drive. The rear-drive version with the smaller 58-kwh battery pack can accelerate to a claimed 60 mph in about seven seconds, in near-silence, with the still-novel feeling of instant torque from a stop. It’s rated at 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. It’s EPA-rated at 220 miles of range.
We’ve spent our time in the AWD versions with the 77.4-kwh battery pack, and an output of 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque. It can deliver up to 266 miles of driving range; the same pack in the rear-drive Long Range model gets up to 303 miles. With AWD, the Ioniq 5 feels very quick, it’s able to reach 60 mph in 5.0 seconds. The electric Hyundai can tow up to 2,300 lb.
The Ioniq 5 excels in blending its driver inputs with that new-age propulsion. Its accelerator has progressive feel, and its regenerative braking blends smoothly with its conventional stoppers. A default Normal drive mode clicks to Eco and cuts back on response, while Sport wires it with driving caffeine; four levels of regenerative braking let the Ioniq 5 slow to a halt with a tap on steering-wheel paddles.
With that verve, the Ioniq 5’s softly tuned suspension is no letdown. The front-strut, rear five-link design doesn’t heave while it soaks up minor bumps: among its peers it rides the best, with a settled and refined feel more akin to a bigger, plusher car. The softly calibrated ride does allow fair amounts of body lean, and that contributes to some vagueness in its steering feel, but that resolves on curvy roads, where the Ioniq 5 can feel lively.
One of the best-looking EVs is also one of the most efficient. Hyundai outfits the Ioniq 5 with a battery pack and motors that make it more efficient than any electric car of its size save for the Tesla Model Y based on the Long Range’s efficiency rating of 3.3 mi/kwh. All versions now get a heat pump, which offsets some of the effects of cold weather.
Base hatchbacks get a 58-kwh battery pack and rear-wheel drive, for an EPA-rated range of 220 miles. A larger 77.4-kwh pack can be fitted with a single motor or with dual motors for all-wheel drive; the former’s EPA-rated at 303 miles, while the latter’s rating goes up this year to 266 miles (when shod with 19-inch wheels; 20-inchers will cut into that, natch).
On CCS DC fast charging, the Ioniq 5 can refill its battery from 10% to 80% in about 18 minutes, hitting a peak of 240 kw. A full charge on a Level 2 (240V) plug takes less than seven hours, thanks to its 10.9-kwh onboard charger. The Ioniq 5 also can provide power to other vehicles or appliances thanks to the Limited’s V2L (Vehicle to Load) feature, which puts out up to 3.6 kw.
The Ioniq 5 gets the top safety nod. The NHTSA gave it a five-star crash rating, overcoming a four-star rating for front vehicle protection. With standard automatic emergency braking and strong headlights, the IIHS gave it a Top Safety Pick+ award. Each of those ratings earn it a point, as does its strong standard driver-assist tech and helpful options. Every model also gets standard automatic high beams, active lane control, adaptive cruise control, a driver attention monitor, and blind-spot monitors. The Ioniq 5 SEL adds automatic lane changes with collision avoidance assistance. Limiteds add on a surround-view camera system and blind-spot cameras.
The Ioniq 5 has a richly detailed cockpit that’s both comfortable and quiet with a simplicity that’s both charming and utterly effective, save for a function buried in the displays here and there. The cabin’s dominated by two 12.3-inch screens, one that displays gauges and the other a touchscreen for inputs to the infotainment and navigation systems. It plays well against the expansive interior, bridging it with a low-slung look that leaves ample room for an available tall center console and a sliding armrest. Hyundai smartly leaves many hard-button controls in place, with just enough functions demoted to touchscreen access to keep the interior design clean and the interfaces clear.
Designed as an electric car, with no going back to gas, the Ioniq 5 combines remarkable interior space with remarkable refinement and very good rear seats. The Ioniq 5 checks in at 182.5 inches long, a compact-car length, but has a full-size 118.1-inch wheelbase. That opens up vast interior space, which we wished were occupied by better front seats. High-mounted buckets in front have good shapes but they push tall drivers close to the headliner. They could use more firm back and thigh supports, while they’re at it, like the seats in the VW ID.4.
The rear seats make up for those up front. They move on a sliding track to make better use of all that space in back, and the cushions have swell shapes for two passengers. Three will fit for cross-town trips. A 0.85-cubic-foot front trunk teams with 27.2 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats to generate SUV-like space inside the car for cargo. Fold down the rear seats and that space swells to 59.3 cubic feet.
Wind and road noise are very well-hushed, with only a slight bit of motor whine when accelerating. The Ioniq 5 sets a mood with its horizontal interior theme, soothing sounds, easy to use touchscreen interfaces, and ambient lighting, not to mention a very high grade of interior materials. No company does interiors to the level of Hyundai/Kia/Genesis in their price niches, and the Ioniq 5 cabin feels as suave as that of the gas-powered Palisade.
The Ioniq 5 has great tech and warranty coverage, if you can buy one where you live. The Ioniq 5 hits so many highlights, it’s a mild shock when it doesn’t nail the features list. It does have excellent infotainment, a great 5-year/60,000-mile warranty and three free years of scheduled service, plus lots of standard features. We think it’s a great value too, but it’s only available in 44 states.=
The base $42,785 Ioniq 5 SE Standard Range offers twin digital displays, navigation, synthetic leather seats, satellite radio, heated front seats, a sliding second-row seat, and Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Those smartphone services don’t come wirelessly, though an oddity in a car that’s otherwise so advanced.
If you want to spend more, the $49,785 Ioniq SEL gets a power tailgate, wireless smartphone charging, synthetic leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, and a more capable driver-assistance system. The Ioniq 5 Limited runs $54,935, and includes remote park assist, a head-up display, cooled front seats, a power front passenger seat, and a Vehicle to Load (V2L) system (more below).
The Hyunidai Ioniq 5 is truly iconic and has quickly become the one to beat winning many awards in the process. With stunning fresh design, commendable driving manners, cutting-edge EV capabilities, and topnotch technology with a great value proposition; it’s easy to see how the Ioniq 5 is top of its class. For those looking to try something new and step out of the current EV mold, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is worth a look.
