Hyundai unveils Ioniq 5 electric car: Out-of-the-box EV loaded with attractive specs and features

Hyundai has now officially unveiled the Ioniq 5, its first electric car in a series of next-generation EVs under its new Ioniq sub-brand.

The automaker might have hit it out of the park with this out-of-the-box EV and attractive specs.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 design

We already had a pretty good idea of what the Ioniq 5 would look like.

Hyundai confirmed that it would be based on the previously unveiled “Concept 45,” and they had already unveiled some images of the production version.

But the full unveiling of the electric car today gives us the best look at the Ioniq 5 yet and reveals an out-of-the-box design that brings something that feels new to the industry.

It looks like a vehicle somewhere between a small hatchback and a CUV:

The Ioniq 5 features some very simple lines with a hint of cyberpunk look without actually being too unconventional.

For example, the front-fascia doesn’t feature a grill or fake grill, which has become common in electric vehicle design, and yet, the front end feels like it fits the vehicle.

As for the interior, the experience is built around two large screens in front of the driver and what Hyundai calls a comfortable “living space”:

Hyundai Ioniq 5 specs and features

Things get even more interesting here because this is the first look at the specs of the first vehicle using Hyundai’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).

Several more vehicles are expected to follow the Ioniq 5, but the specs of the electric CUV are encouraging.

Hyundai can use the E-GMP to offer a lot of different configurations, and in the case of the Ioniq 5, Hyundai took a similar approach as Tesla and offers either a Standard Range or Long Range battery pack and AWD or RWD option.

Unlike Tesla, Hyundai is offering the different drivetrain options on both battery packs, which are 58 kWh for the Standard Range, and for the Long Range, it will 72.6 kWh except in North America, where Hyundai will make the Ioniq 5’s Long Range battery pack 77.4 kWh.

The automaker didn’t confirm the range for all the different configurations, but it did confirm roughly 470 km 292 miles) of WLTP range on a single charge for the RWD with 72.6 kWh Long Range battery pack.

With 5 more kWh in the North American Long Range battery pack option, the EPA rating could be over 270 miles.

As for the Standard Range options, they could prove very efficient and still get over 200 miles of range.

Here are the other specs for the different configurations:

As for charging, the Ioniq 5 supports both 400-V and 800-V charging infrastructure, and it can DC fast-charge at up to 350 kW.

Hyundai says that it means that it can charge from 10% to 80% in just 18 minutes.

The automaker had previously confirmed that the vehicle would also be equipped with a bidirectional charger enabling “vehicle-to-load” features. This looks like it has a plug that can handle 3.6kW at 240V. That’s enough to power some houses in a blackout.

It explained at the unveiling:

The V2L function can supply up to 3.6 kW of power. The V2L port is located under the second-row seats, and it can be activated when a vehicle is on. Another V2L port is located at the charging port on the vehicle exterior. Using a converter, customers can charge high-power electric equipment. The outside port provides power even when the vehicle is turned off.

Hyundai also announced that the Ioniq 5 will have a “solar roof” option, but it didn’t release too many details. It sounds like it would be enough to counter any vampire drain and it could add some driving range.

The Ioniq 5 also can be equipped with the latest heads-up display with augmented reality capabilities.

It is also equipped with Hyundai’s SmartSense suite of driver assist features:

IONIQ 5 is also equipped with the next level of Hyundai SmartSense, advanced driver assistance system, ensuring the highest levels of safety and convenience on the road. IONIQ 5 is the first Hyundai model to offer Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2). Other driving assistance systems include Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), High Beam Assist (HBA), and more.

The Korean automaker is pulling all the stops for its first next-generation all-electric vehicle.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 price and availability

Unfortunately, Hyundai hasn’t confirmed the pricing yet, but it is expected to start at around $30,000, and it could go up a little over $40,000 for a fully equipped version.

As for availability, Hyundai only confirmed that the Ioniq 5 will be “available in selected regions starting in the first half of 2021.”

Those “selected regions” are expected to be Korea and likely some European markets.