With much of the UK today being battered by Storm Eunice, sparking the strongest wind on record in the south to massive snowfall in the north, a number of households are already experiencing power cuts, with more predicted for the weekend.
For those suffering this unfortunately consequence, if they have one of the latest Korean electric cars on their driveway they will be able to keep their home appliances running for days.
That’s because the £37,500 Hyundai Ioniq 5 and £41,000 Kia EV6 boast a feature that turns the vehicles into mobile power stations that can charge laptops, power a fridge or even watch TV for hours on end.
Charging at Cherwell (Image: T. Heale)
The electric SUVs both have something called ‘Vehicle-to-load’ (V2L) technology, which consists of a three-pin adapter that plugs into the cars’ charging sockets to take electricity directly from the lithium-ion battery so you can boil a kettle even when your house has no power.
While electric cars are undeniably expensive to buy and certainly not to all tastes, they offer one big benefit to owners if there are power cuts and blackouts for prolonged periods.
The sister Korean brands have developed ‘built-in bi-directional chargers’ that can take electricity away from the lithium-ion batteries as well as send it to them – tech that’s expected to feature on most new electric models.
Bi-directional systems are designed to allow plug-in vehicles to send electricity stored in their batteries back to the grid (vehicle-to-grid, or V2G), which can be financially lucrative for owners who charge at the cheapest off-peak times and sell that electricity back to the network during the most expensive in-demand hours.
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The new rear-wheel-drive Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV saves you £6k on the AWD version
Verdict
This more affordable rear-drive Ioniq 5 has all of the hi-tech strengths of the dual-motor range-topper, but adds extra value for money into the mix. You lose a little performance, but it’s still more than quick enough, has excellent real-world range and blazingly fast charging, while it mixes polarising looks with decent practicality and a roomy cabin. Factor in fantastic infotainment, enough comfort and strong quality inside, and in this spec at this price, it receives top marks.
Hyundai has really stirred things up with its first electric car on a bespoke platform, the Ioniq 5. Indeed, the oversized hatchback made enough of a splash to earn our coveted Car of the Year title. It did so in range-topping Project 45 specification, though – so we’ve been curious to see whether more modest versions have the same appeal. Now’s our chance to find out.
There are seven versions of the Ioniq 5 on offer to UK customers, with a choice of three powertrains. This 73kWh Premium-spec car features a rear-mounted electric motor with 215bhp and 350Nm of torque, which means that it also offers the longest official range of any Ioniq 5, at 300 miles.
This car’s 7.4-second 0-62mph time isn’t as fast as the dual-motor model’s 5.2 seconds, but it does bring a useful saving of just over £6,000 on list price.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Image: hyundai.co.uk)
In a weird way, that drop in price might well shift perception of the Ioniq 5 from “that’s a lot of money for a Hyundai” (unfair though that is) to “that’s a lot of car and battery for that amount of cash”. And the good news is that rear-drive Ioniq 5s – even those with the smaller battery – still have cutting-edge 800v tech.
Find a fast enough public charger and you can replenish the battery at up to 350kW – so you can go from 10 to 80 per cent in less than 18 minutes. Kia’s forthcoming EV6 aside, nothing else at around this price offers that level of tech.
On the road, this Ioniq 5 feels almost as impressive as the full-blown version. Instant electric-motor punch means that it feels quick from rest, and while it’s only brisk at best beyond that point – losing one motor doesn’t save much weight, so it still weighs more than 1,900kg – it’s perfectly acceptable in most situations. The lack of a front motor means that sheer geography places you further away from any electric whine, too, so if anything it’s more refined.
The chassis set-up is fundamentally the same as before – which is to say it feels inherently stiff and heavy, but that it still does a good job of soaking up low-speed bumps and potholes, and there’s a nice tendency to float along once you’re up to speed. There’s a bit of patter from beneath, but in general it’s a comfortable experience.
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The Hyundai Kona Electric quickly became one of our favourite electric cars following its launch in 2018.
Sitting alongside the Kia e-Niro, Hyundai offered the Kona in various guises – with hybrid and combustions versions – a strategy that continues in this most recent version.
What the Kona offers is crossover charms with pure electric power – including a range that’s respectable and prices that are approachable.
Design
The design of the Kona Electric has been simplified slightly over the previous outing. Fundamentally, this is a facelift of the compact crossover, so it’s instantly recognisable as the Kona.
There’s a new front bumper, enclosing the area that previously had a covered grille. The grille remains on the hybrid and combustion version, but the Electric model now gets a better front design, looking a little more refined, a little more loved.
From the sides the looks are broadly the same, but there are some bodywork changes resulting in a slightly simpler look. Plastic wheel arches and other detailing has been removed from the Kona Electric, while also providing a point of distinction from the combustion engine models.
The result is a slightly cleaner look, while the regular gas-guzzling Kona looks a little more rugged with those plastic wheel arch protectors. If nothing else, it’s easy to spot the electric on the road now, thanks to the slight shift in styling.
There are some minor exterior differences between the trim levels offered – SE Connect, Premium, Ultimate – but that mostly amounts to how premium the lower section of the front bumper looks. As is often the way with Hyundai, there aren’t a whole world of options, instead different spec is dictated by those different trim levels.
That makes selecting your model easier: we suspect the most popular will be the Premium, which offers a choice of battery sizes, but still comes in at a price that qualifies for the UK’s Plug-in Car Grant, saving you £2500 off the larger 64kWh version. What you’re getting is a well equipped car for under £30K, with decent range too.
Minor interior updates
The interior of the Kona Electric hasn’t seen huge changes over the existing model – the largest noticeable difference being the move to a fully digital driver display.
The Kona is comfortable and roomy enough in the front, but the rear seats are a little more cramped. Put a tall driver in the front and you’ll be left with minimal legroom in the rear, so it’s really only then suitable for smaller children, but there is plenty of headroom, which saves it from feeling too cramped.
Hyundai Kona Electric (Image: Hyundai)
The highest level trim gets the option for leather facings and lighter colours, while the lower trims have a black interior, which, if nothing else, won’t show up so much muck if you’re transporting a young family around – which many Konas will be.
On the Ultimate trim we tested, there are leather touch-points, but fairly wide use of harder plastics of various textures. As we said, this isn’t out of place given the price of the car – and for those who want something superior the Ioniq 5 is worth a look as an alternative. Although it’s easy to point to higher-priced cars with interiors that are obviously higher quality, it’s really hard to complain about the Kona at this price point.
Ultimate trim does bring some luxury, with seat heating and cooling for those front seats, however, with that cooling being rather more unique.
The boot is a little compact, offering 332 litres of space, although the rear seats will fold to increase the capacity if needed. For many, as a daily run-around, that’s plenty of space for the weekly shop, but broadly aligns with the Citroën ë-C4 and others around this price point. There’s a small storage tray under the floor of the boot, but not much space for anything else.
All in, it’s an interior that fits its purpose. So long as you can accept that the Kona is a pretty compact crossover, because it’s in the back seats that you’ll feel that the most.
Interior technology
One of the interior changes that we mentioned is the digital driver display. This replaces a display that had a single central dial and gives a lift to the driving experience, although it does seem to be sunken quite deep within the cowl. No matter, it’s clear enough with a left-hand speedo and right-hand power meter.
We like that Hyundai presents plenty of data on this display, like the average mileage you’re achieving from that battery, which will help you get a better picture of how you’re driving.
The centre section allows you to leaf through information, such as more data, so there’s a small degree of customisation too. Importantly, it’s all clear enough to understand, which can’t be said about all car displays. As you switch through drive modes it will change colour too, with red for Sport, of course, to make it a little more ‘racy’ looking.
The central display is flat, there’s no curving of the cabin towards the driver, with a run of buttons beneath it to take you to where you want to go – including a customisable button. Two dials mean it’s easy to work with, while also supporting touch, although the volume knob seems a stretch, better placed for the passenger than the driver. Fortunately, there are comprehensive controls on the steering wheel too.
Again there’s easy access to information on how efficiently you’re driving and where the nearest public charger is. Some of the graphics look a little dated, but with support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, there’s plenty of flexibility – even if those smartphone-based systems don’t fill the entire screen.
There’s a little crossover into the driver’s display – you can see the audio you’re playing, for example – but otherwise the buttons remain pointing to Hyundai’s systems. That means that if you’re driving with Google Maps through Android Auto, for example, and you press the Maps button, it will revert to the Hyundai system, leaving you to dig through the system to find your way back to Android Auto.
Despite some of Hyundai’s graphics looking a little dated, there’s actually a lot of information that’s useful. You can drill into what’s using your charge, find your average consumption, plus more. You can also easily find navigation options to take you to an electric car charger, but like so many systems, it doesn’t have all the chargers and lists some that you can’t actually use, like in private car parks.
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The new Hyundai Ioniq 5 has arrived and it’s simply one of the best electric cars on sale right now
Verdict
If the Ioniq 5 is a signal of intent from Hyundai, then rival car brands should be worried. This showcase of the Korean firm’s next generation electric car tech is hugely impressive in almost every area; from the performance to the charging speeds, few rivals can match it for the money. That it also looks unlike anything else on sale, inside and out, has great tech and is relaxing to drive, means there’s very little to fault.
This is the all new Hyundai Ioniq 5. The first car that will showcase the Korean brand’s second generation EV tech – quite an ominous thought for rivals considering that, at the more affordable end of the electric car market, Hyundai and its sister brand Kia already build some of the best offerings in the business.
This time, however, Hyundai is aiming higher. This is a car that has set its sights on premium rivals, with cars like the Audi Q4 e-tron and the upcoming Tesla Model Y seen as competition as much as the likes of the Volkswagen ID.4 and Ford Mustang Mach-e.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Image: hyundai.co.uk)
With premium construction comes a premium design. The Ioniq 5 is a world away from the Kona Electric or indeed anything else on the road; the retro-modern shape is covered in cool details. The multi-slotted glowing front panel, the 8-bit headlights (made from 256 individual LED ‘cubes’) and bold side surfacing are just some of the features that have created a proper head-turner.
Unlike Hyudai’s previous EVs, which used architecture designed to be compatible with combustion-powered offerings, the Ioniq 5 uses the brand’s Electric Global Modular Platform. It’s the first car to ride on the fully electric architecture, with the equally dramatic looking Kia EV6 set to be the next model to hit the roads.
The move upmarket has also resulted in an increase in size. Don’t let those neat proportions fool you – when you realise that the wheels this car rides on measure a whopping 20 inches, you realise that it’s almost like Hyundai has taken the blueprints for a family hatchback and clicked ‘select all’ then ‘resize 110 per cent’. At 4,635mm long and 1,890mm wide, the Ioniq 5 is longer and wider than Hyundai’s Tucson mid-size SUV – though its roofline is slightly lower. Perhaps more significant is the wheelbase; at 3,000mm, the gap between the front and rear axles is a couple of millimeters longer even than that on an Audi A8.
It’s a stat that really makes itself known once you swing open the huge back doors – the Ioniq’s cabin is simply vast. The floor is almost completely flat throughout, and rear occupants get genuinely limo-like levels of legroom. Yet compared to the finest luxury saloons, the Ioniq’s open plan feel and big windows make it so much brighter and more airy. The boot floor is high and the space is fairly shallow, but the area it covers is so huge that there’s still an impressive 527 litres of volume on offer.
Ahead of the driver sit a pair of screens. The central infotainment display uses a similar interface to other Hyundai models, but with cleaner graphics. The digital instrument display is equally clear to read – they’re not quite the sharpest resolution you’ll find in an EV (Tesla still holds that title) but everything is very logical and intuitive. The driver assist systems are particularly well integrated; on versions equipped with blind spot cameras, the images are displayed in real time in the instrument panel when the indicators are turned on.
It’s comfy, too. The seats are squishy yet supportive, while those in the front can recline almost completely – ideal if you fancy a quick nap when the car is charging.
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Hyundai has opened order books for its Ioniq 5 pure-electric car.
The Ioniq 5 is Hyundai’s first bespoke electric car and is the first in a new range of electric cars under its Ioniq pure-electric sub-brand.
It uses a new dedicated electric car platform called E-GMP, as shared with the new Kia EV6, and features a number of clever features including ultra-fast 800-volt charging and Vehicle-to-Load – the latter allowing owners to charge other items by using the car’s battery.
Two battery sizes are available: 58kWh has rear-wheel drive and a range of up to 240 miles, and the 73kWh rear-wheel drive can travel up to 300 miles.
An all-wheel drive version of the 73kWh battery car also be specified and comes with a range of up to 287 miles.
Thanks to the 800-volt charging system, the Ioniq 5 can be zero-to-80-per-cent charged in just 18 minutes from an ultra-fast charger.
Aside from the already sold-out Project 45 special first edition car, the Ioniq 5 comes in SE Connect, Premium and Ultimate trims.
The SE Connect kicks off the range at £36,995. It only comes with the smaller battery and features 19-inch alloys, sliding rear seats, two 12.3-inch displays, wireless phone charging, sat nav-based smart cruise control and host of safety equipment.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Image: hyundai.co.uk)
Premium starts at £39,295 for the 58kWh battery and gets an electric driver’s seat, heated front seats and steering, LED projector headlights and the Vehicle-to-Load pack. The Premium also comes in the 73kWh battery for £41,945.
Ultimate tops the range and gets leather seats, electrically-adjustable and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a Bose sound system, a head-up display with augmented reality, 20-inch wheels and a sliding centre console.
An Eco pack (a battery heating system and heat pump) and Tech Pack (extra safety kit along with aircraft-style relaxation seats) can also be specified.
Along with the 58kWh and 73kWh rear-wheel drive versions at £42,295 and £44,945 respectively, the Ultimate also gets the 73kWh all-wheel drive option at £48,145.
Nine colour options are available and every Ioniq 5 gets a free one-year subscription to the ultra-fast Ionity charging network.
Ashley Andrew, Hyundai UK MD, said: ‘Hyundai is at the forefront of zero emission vehicle technology and is recognised as a leader in producing highly efficient electric vehicles.
With Ioniq 5, we’ve taken this expertise and combined it with the highest level of progressive design to produce what has already become one of the most desirable models in our history.’
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Here’s the dream: an affordable electric vehicle that can go as far on a charged-up battery as your regular car can on a full tank of fuel. Believe it or not, that’s not far off – and the Hyundai Kona Electric proves it.
It’s an electric car that you can buy right now and is claimed to travel up to 300 miles between charges thanks to its 64kWh battery. That sort of distance used to be the preserve of much more expensive EV from Tesla and the like.
The Kona Electric isn’t just concerned with being an automotive Duracell Bunny and lasting forever, though – it’s also pretty nippy. Plus, if you’re more concerned about pricing than pace and stamina, it also offers a cheaper 39kWh battery option with a claimed range of up to 189 miles.
Not only does the Kona Electric have a broad appeal on paper, but it’s also bang on trend with its SUV styling. It’s based on – as you might have gathered – the Hyundai Kona, which is the company’s small SUV. But is it better than its competitors?
If you’re looking at an electric vehicle along the lines of a Kona Electric, you’ll probably also be considering the closely-related Kia e-Niro and Kia Soul EV, as well as the Volkswagen ID.3 and Peugeot e-2008. But rivals in this class also stretch to the likes of the Renault Zoe and Peugeot e-208.
Keep on reading this Hyundai Kona Electric review to find out all its secrets, including how far it will go in real-world driving conditions, how it handles, and what the interior quality is like.
Hyundai Kona Electric (Image: Hyundai)
If you do decide you want to buy one, or indeed any other new car, do be sure to try our free New Car Buying service to see how much we could save you, without any haggling at all. Performance & drive
What it’s like to drive, and how quiet it is
The Hyundai Kona Electric’s 39kWh battery option, with 134bhp, offers lively performance, but our pick is the 64kWh version. That packs enough juice to give it 201bhp, which is quite a lot. Such a lot, in fact, that on a wet road the front wheels really struggle for traction. That requires you to be jolly delicate with your right foot to avoid the traction control light winking endlessly as the system tries to manage all the power.
Once you’re on the move, the Kona Electric builds speed almost as quickly as the Ford Fiesta ST hot hatch, with 0-60mph ticked off in around seven seconds (a couple of seconds quicker than the 39kWh version). As it’s electric, there’s no waiting for the engine revs to rise before maximum thrust is delivered – simply flex your right foot and the car sets off with the immediacy of one of Elon Musk’s space rockets.
The Kona Electric is quicker than an MG ZS EV, Nissan Leaf and Renault Zoe, and just as quick as a Kia e-Niro and Volkswagen ID.3. But it’s not actually Tesla quick; a Model 3 would leave it for dust.
When it comes to electric cars, though, performance isn’t just about how quickly you can speed up. It’s also about how far you can travel. In our Real Range tests, a Kona Electric with the smaller 39kWh battery managed a real-world distance of 158 miles. That’s competitive, but the 64kWh version managed a mega 259 miles – more than any other car we’ve tested to date. It’s better by a few miles than the Kia e-Niro, which shares the same battery and motor as the Kona, and a lot better than the ZS EV, Leaf, Peugeot e-2008 and Zoe can manage. It even outperforms the more expensive Model 3.
When you lift off the accelerator, you feel the car slowing down quite quickly thanks to the regenerative braking – a system that allows the car to harvest otherwise wasted energy to replenish the battery. You can increase this braking effect if you wish via the paddles on the steering wheel, and you can even make it so strong that it will bring the car to a complete stop without touching the brake pedal.
In corners, the Kona Electric leans less markedly than the ZS EV or Leaf. In most other respects, though, it’s not great to drive spiritedly; the ID.3 and even the smaller e-208 are better handling cars that offer more accurate steering and have more grip to exploit if the mood takes you. The e-Niro is also sharper to drive than the Kona Electric.
Those rivals are also more comfortable. Whatever speed you’re doing, the Kona Electric jostles around over smaller road imperfections, although never to the point that it becomes truly annoying.
Naturally, being an electric car, the Hyundai Kona Electric is as peaceful as a cathedral at town speeds. Once you pick up the pace, road and wind noise start to increase, and by the time you’re cruising at 70mph there’s more of both than there is in the ID.3 or Peugeot e-208.
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Both share a platform but they look radically different.
The Hyundai Motor Group is getting serious about battery-electric vehicles. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 are the South Korean automaker’s first-ever dedicated BEVs with both utilizing the new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). Consider the pair corporate cousins but, as we can clearly see, they look nothing alike.
Gone are the days of badge engineering shamelessly exploited by American carmakers. This practice has been replaced with an entirely new platform sharing method used by the entire auto industry. Hyundai and Kia have completely separate design studios and, to a certain extent, slightly different customers. Kias are aimed at younger buyers while Hyundais offer a slightly more mature look.
Regardless of one’s tastes, both the Ioniq 5 and EV6 are stunning EVs with distinctive personalities. What are their key differences? Read on.
Exterior Design
It’s hard to believe both EVs ride on the same platform because they look so radically different. The Ioniq 5 is based on 2019’s 45 Concept car, which itself took cues from the 1974 Hyundai Pony Coupe. Call the styling retro-futuristic. The edgy styling may not be for everyone but it’s great to see Hyundai making bold choices here.
The EV6, especially the supercar-fast GT variant, shares the Ioniq 5’s crossover-like body style, but that’s about it. It looks like it’s going fast even at a standstill thanks to a more sculpted hood and dual rear spoilers. Even the wheel designs scream performance. The Kia also sports the brand’s new signature front-end styling, but the Ioniq 5 lacks the jewel-like front grille found on other new Hyundais, such as the Tucson. Also noteworthy is the EV6’s wheelbase measures in at 114.2 inches while the Ioniq 5’s is 118.1 inches. Again, same platform but designers were clearly given the freedom to do as they pleased.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Image: hyundai.co.uk)
Interior Layout And Look
Both vehicles have very different interior layouts and designs than combustion-engined vehicles. That’s because the E-GMP platform has no center hump but rather a skateboard-like flat surface with a floor-mounted battery pack. Maximizing space was a core requirement.
The Ioniq 5 has a lounge-like attitude with electronically adjustable seats that nearly recline flat. It also boasts a movable center console that can slide 5.5 inches rearward for easier entry and exit. There’s a total of 56.5 cu. ft. of space with the second-row folded flat, whereas the EV6 has 45 cu. ft. with the same setup. Both vehicle interiors make use of recycled plastics and other eco-friendly materials.
The dual 12-inch screens, one the infotainment system display, the other a digital gauge cluster are found in each vehicle, though the Kia’s has a more Audi-like appearance. The Hyundai’s – dare we say – resembles Apple design. Again, these differences go to the heart of these EVs ‘ personalities: sporty vs. modern.
Batteries And Performance
The two have much in common here. Shared platforms means shared guts (mostly). Both come with a standard 58-kWh battery pack and a single motor layout with rear-wheel-drive. They also can accommodate 400- and 800-volt charging and 350 kW DC fast charging.
However, the Ioniq 5 has an optional 72.6-kWh unit that can be linked to a single or dual-motor setup. All-wheel drive is optional as well. The most powerful combination with AWD offers 301 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque with a 0-62 mph time of 5.2 seconds and a 115 mph top speed.
The top-of-the-line Kia EV6 GT, on the other hand, has a 77.4-kWh battery and standard AWD. It’s literally a supercar rival with 576 hp and 538 lb-ft of twist. Zero to 60 mph takes 3.5 seconds and top speed is 161 mph. This is clearly the enthusiast’s choice. The base and GT-Line can be had in RWD and AWD with as little as 167 hp and up to 320 hp.
The EV6 RWD with the long-range pack will go roughly 316 miles on the WLTP testing cycle, and the Ioniq 5, in the same configuration, will achieve just under 300 miles. Official figures for both vehicles are still pending.
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Hyundai is kicking off its new electric sub-brand with an absolute beauty. The Ioniq 5 is a mid-size crossover with hot hatch proportions. Or perhaps it’s just a very big hatchback – the jury is still out. Whatever you want to call it, it’s oozing style. While the design is sharp and modern, including the Z-shaped crease that’s part of Hyundai’s new design language, Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 was inspired by its first production car. We’ve squinted at it from all angles and don’t see it though. What we do see is a good-looking car with an innovative interior and a promising drivetrain. So let’s dig into its coolest features.
1. Thoughtful Aesthetic Design
Hyundai has come a long, long, long way when it comes to aesthetics, but there’s more to the Ionic 5 than next-generation European hot hatch looks. The Parametric Pixel lights, with their pixel-like clusters, are an artful acknowledgment of the Ioniq 5’s digital origins. Simultaneously, the clamshell hood and flush door handles are old-school tricks to maximize aerodynamic efficiency. The aero-optimized wheels will be available in sizes up to 20 inches and carry on the Parametric Pixel design theme. There’s a lot to love about the Ioniq 5’s styling, but the light clusters are arguably the coolest individual aspect.
2. Room For Activities
The Ioniq 5 has a 118-inch wheelbase, which is nearly four inches longer than Hyundai’s three-row Palisade SUV. Furthermore, the interior is unencumbered by a transmission tunnel and features a flat floor. That gives Hyundai room to apply what it calls a ‘Living Space’ theme to the interior. This means plenty of room to stretch out and relax, as well as lots of headroom and large amounts of useable storage space, including storage for a purse. The seats recline, complete with a (likely optional) first-class-cabin-style lower leg support on the front seats. Hyundai is even touting a single-pane glass ceiling so you can lay back and look at the stars. Lastly, and importantly, you can store all your stuff in 18.7 cubic feet of cargo space.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Image: hyundai.co.uk)
3. Solid Performance Meets Balanced Range
Power comes from either a 58-kWh or 72.6-kWh battery pack hooked up to a single rear electric motor or a dual-motor layout. With the two-wheel-drive configuration and a 72.6-kWh battery, the Ioniq 5 will jog up to 62 mph in 7.4 seconds while getting a range of almost 300 miles. The all-wheel-drive variant with the 72.6-kWh battery generates a healthy 301 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque and will sprint from 0-62 mph in 5.2 seconds and top out at 100 mph. These aren’t earth-shattering figures, but they’re more than adequate for the trendy family on the move.
From a range perspective, the WLTP test cycles suggest between 292 and 298 miles is capable on 2WD models with the larger battery. This will likely drop to around 220 miles when the EPA gets its mitts on the Ioniq 5.
4. Convenient Charging Technology
For electric vehicles to become widely adopted, charging the batteries needs to be quick and convenient. Hyundai claims that the Ioniq 5 can be charged from ten percent to 90 percent in 18 minutes using a 350-kW charger, which is a great start. The South Korean automaker also says that up to 62 miles of range can be recharged in just five minutes. For convenience, owners can start and stop charging with the touch of a button on their smartphone app, and Remote Climate Control gives the option of scheduling the vehicle’s pre-heating while connected to a power source. Hyundai’s E-GMP charging system can support both 400-V and 800-V charging infrastructures by using the motor and an inverter to boost 400 V to 800 V for stable charging.
5. Augmented Reality HUD
In its press release, Hyundai glosses over its Augmented Reality Head-Up Display (AR HUD). It shouldn’t, because the ability to turn the windshield into a display screen is crazy cool, especially when AR is involved. Plans for creating one for the brand started in 2020 when Hyundai Mobis, Hyundai’s parts and service arm, invested in Envisics, a UK-based AR HUD company. Hyundai hasn’t given any real details about the system yet, but we assume it’s similar to Mercedes-Benz’s AR-HUD technology. That said, with so much hype around it, we certainly expect some unique features to be debuted when the car arrives.
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And it’s the first Hyundai you might actually *desire*. Still want that Tesla Model 3?
Hyundais are cars we admire but don’t necessarily desire. Well that’s about to change. The Ioniq 5 is the first to use the brand’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform, so it’s hugely significant. It also references the Seventies Pony, the hatch (designed by il maestro Giorgetto Giugiaro) that first gave the brand serious traction outside South Korea. Not sure how many of us really remember it, but somehow that little nostalgia kick really works. The result is a sharply surfaced example of the perfect post-modern BEV.
Trailed by 2019’s lovely ‘45’ EV concept, the real thing remains impressively faithful to the motor show tease. “It’s an opportunity to showcase a part of history that not that many people know about. There’s a lot of history to tell,” Hyundai’s head of design for Europe, Thomas Buerkle tells TG.com. “We had the chance to pull the A-pillar forward, and extended it into the clamshell bonnet. So there are fewer shutlines, and it looks cleaner and wider. We wanted there to be some real excitement to the EV driving experience. There are lines on this car that are only possible with special tooling and stamping, and of course it helps that Hyundai is the only brand in the world that produces its own steel. So we can get the precision we need. The less busy the design, the more you focus on the details.”
Details like the body side slash, the pronounced V shape in the nose and the minimal ‘pixellated’ head- and tail-lights. There are flush door handles and cladding on the sills and at the front and rear which actually helps define the shape rather than looking tacked on, and also contains hidden illuminated elements.
It’s all part of what Hyundai calls ‘parametric design’, which means ‘something expressed in terms of a parameter’. Erm, isn’t everything? Never mind, because the car is a sensation: taut, well-proportioned and beautifully surfaced. It also rides on 20in wheels, the biggest ever fitted to a production Hyundai, and also surely the most imaginatively designed, kind of like fractals. Note also the Ioniq 5’s wheelbase: exactly 3000mm. This is a BEV purpose-designed and built as such, that takes the possibilities of the rapidly evolving electric car form, including the skateboard chassis, and runs with them.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (Image: hyundai.co.uk)
Hyundai has thrown everything and then a bit more at this new car. You can choose between a single motor rear-drive version or an all-wheel drive dual motor one, with a 58kWh or 72.6kWh battery. The dual motor version makes just over 350bhp and 446 torques so it’s good for 62mph in 5.2 seconds (top speed on all versions is limited to 115mph). There’s a multi-link rear suspension too, promising genuine handling smarts.
Crucially, the Ioniq 5 uses 800-volt battery tech so it can rapid charge on a 350kW charger from 10 to 80 per cent in 18 minutes, or replenish 62 miles of range in just five. The higher voltage also improves charging efficiency and reduces heat loss. Hyundai is claiming a range of 295 miles on the most efficient version. It’s also fitted with something called Vehicle to Load (V2L) which turns the car into a giant portable powerpack – yep, this is an EV you can use to charge another EV (with the correct adapter), amongst other appliances. It supplies up to 3.6kW of power, and has a 220-volt port located under the back seats with another one beside the car’s exterior charging port. And there’s a solar panel roof which offers an additional boost to the battery pack – it can produce up to 205 watts, though this is probably a more significant USP in California than Clacton.
The Ioniq 5’s 3m-long wheelbase makes good on Hyundai’s ‘Smart Living Space’ claims for the interior, which also uses sustainable materials and slimline seats. The seats, headliner, door trim, floor and arm rest use recycled plastic bottles, plant-based yarns and eco-processed leather. A moveable centre console – dubbed the ‘universal island’ – can slide back by up to 140mm. The seats also fold almost totally flat, and together with an unimpeded floor suggests that the Ioniq 5 could double as a rather commodious mobile home. The boot can hold up to 540 litres with the seats up, 1,600 litres with them folded flat. There’s a bit more room in the ‘frunk’.
There’s full Android auto and Apple carplay connectivity, Bluelink connected car services for live routing and over-the-air updates, two 12.25in screens, augmented head-up display, wireless phone charging, voice recognition software, and a Bose audio system. And the full suite of advanced driver assistance tech – Hyundai calls it SmartSense – is also integrated.
Early adopters can go for a fully loaded ‘Project 45’ edition that’ll cost you £45k (prices for the rest of the range haven’t been confirmed yet). Hyundai’s Tesla Model 3 killer? This could be the closest yet.
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As it turns out, not all electric cars are created equal
Electric cars are not absolute newcomers to the car industry anymore. Over the past five years or so, most carmakers have churned out at least one electric car with plans to release a handful of others over the coming decade or so. The charging infrastructure has grown, too.
While this is obviously good news, it also leaves us (and the customer) with quite a big pond of EVs to choose from. To add more to the confusion and indecision, electric cars come in all shapes and sizes, set in motion by just one electric motor, two, or even three, and, obviously, very different price tags. Long story short, picking your next electric car might leave you scratching the top of your head. We get it.
Fret not, though. We’ve been kindly invited by Romania’s leading car outlet, Automarket, to an eight-day, eight-car real-life experiment that set out to discover just how good (or bad) the latest electric cars are in actual traffic both in and outside the city. What followed was to be known as Electric Romania 2020, basically a workshop on wheels powered by Vitesco Technologies, joined by other partners such as Michelin. The experience helped us better digest and understand both the strengths and shortcomings of today’s electric car: range-wise but also in terms of comfort, dynamics, user friendliness, tech-savviness, and overall liveability.
Porsche Taycan Turbo S (Image: Porsche)
This is where I started feeling like doing my dissertation paper all over again. Firstly, Electric Romania was thought out and designed as a tour of Romania done with EVs.
In case you’re asking why eight days, well, the backbone of the tour consisted of eight cars – all launched in 2020 on the Romanian market – and 14 journalists and content creators that would sample the said cars.
Basically, you got to drive another car each day, and the end of which you had to fill in a form with various bits of information: distance travelled, total time of travel, charging times, how much battery you had left at the destination, how much electricity went into the battery during charging, average speed, and so on.
So, each electric car was put through its paces over eight days, but every time by a different driver with a completely different set of driving habits than the one before him and on a different route. This included highways, winding A- and B-roads through the mountainside and hillside, as well as flat, plain-splitting roads where the elevation didn’t change much.
As for the car lineup itself, this is it, in the exact order we drove them:
Porsche Taycan
Renault Zoe
Volkswagen ID.3
Audi e-tron Sportback
Hyundai Kona Electric
Kia e-Niro
Mini Cooper SE
Peugeot e-2008
From here on, each car’s battery pack, electric motor (or motors), range, other specs as well as driving impressions will be presented as it follows.
Porsche had to get its first electric car right. And good God, it did. The Taycan Turbo is not just a flurry of performance, but a smile magnet. Sitting behind the wheel in the handful of traffic jams that slowed us down is the best way to enjoy the most honest smiles I’ve been treated with in a luxury car. Some people see you in Mercedes-AMG S63 or in a Panamera Turbo and you can just read either envy or loathing on their faces. With the Taycan, it’s the complete opposite: candid, genuine smiles from folks of all ages, walking on the street or driving in the next lane.
When you’re not sitting in a traffic jam, the Taycan Turbo’s personality can flip from tame to psycho as quick as it can go from naught to 60 mph: three seconds flat with Launch Control, on its way to a top speed of 260 kph (162 mph). The acceleration is brutal. You can easily squeeze a lot of squeal out of the wider-than-life rear tires from a standstill and with a drop of bad luck, you can even fracture a vertebra before the electronic nannies kick in or you decide to lift off. Even at highway speeds, smashing the accelerator will make the Taycan squat then shoot straight up ahead. The back of your head never leaves the headrest. Even if it wants, it can’t. At this point, I’m scared just thinking of what the Turbo S can do.
For a car this wide and long, city cruising is surprisingly swift and easy, but it’s the outer roads that make your spine tingle inside the Taycan. When on, the Launch Control feature triggers the Overboost function that unlocks the Turbo’s 500 kilowatts (670 hp, 680 PS) and 850 Newton-meters (627 pound-feet) coming from two electric motors fed by the 83.7-kWh battery pack (that’s the net, usable capacity – gross capacity according to Porsche literature is 93.4 kWh).
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