2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5

Inspired by Hyundai’s Pony of that decade, with clear echoes of the Plymouth Horizon and Dodge Omni, the Ioniq 5 has the exaggerated style of a cartoon 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 interior pays homage to the past, too, 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.

Single-motor cars have rear-wheel drive; dual-motor models are all-wheel drive. 

How fast is the Hyundai Ioniq 5?

All are quick, but the quickest versions are of course the most costly and complex. 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. That’s Mustang territory, Mach-E included.

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. 

The electric Hyundai can tow up to 2,300 lb.

The rear seats score the point missed by 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.

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 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. 

How much is a fully loaded Hyundai Ioniq 5?

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).

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). 

All versions now get a heat pump, which offsets some of the effects of cold weather. 

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.