Over the past year or two, a number of high-profile electric cars have come out to take on the likes of Tesla. We’ve already reviewed a number of them, like the Kia EV6, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and BMW iX. But there’s one we haven’t had a chance to test out just yet — and it’s perhaps one of the most important. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is Hyundai’s top-tier EV, offering a stunning modern design, the same platform as the excellent Kia EV6, and more.
The Ioniq 5 may be very similar to the Kia EV6, but there are a number of key differences — many of which make it my preferred option. But the EV market is seriously heating up. Is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 worth buying? I’ve been driving it for a few days to find out.
Pros
- Stunning design
- Comfortable interior
- Solid range
- Quick and good handling
- Super-fast charging
Cons
- Can be pricey
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 exterior design
Perhaps the biggest difference between the Ioniq 5 and the EV6 is the exterior design — and the design is one of my favorite things about this car. Don’t get me wrong — I like the EV6 too, but something about the Ioniq 5 really speaks to my preferences.
One of my favorite things about the Ioniq 5’s design is how Hyundai has designed the lights. The rear lights are built with a retro-looking pixel design, and I absolutely love it. The front lights look awesome too, with two squares in each light that really set the car apart from much of the competition.
The Ioniq 5 is a crossover, and it looks smaller on the outside than it feels on the inside. That’s not a bad thing — just don’t look at it and expect it to be limited in terms of space. It has a shorter front, similar to the EV6, and a small top spoiler, which gets serious style points.
There is a small frunk in the car, but it’s pretty minimal and won’t allow for much storage. That’s especially true given its two-step design. You might be able to put a few bits and pieces in there, but I can only imagine myself actually using it on long road trips, or other situations in which I’ve exhausted the space in the trunk.
Our model is the Limited AWD model, which means that it has slightly different exterior styling. I like the look of the exterior styling on this model, but it’s hardly necessary. There are other reasons to upgrade to this trim, however, which we’ll get into later.
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 interior design
While the exterior design of the Ioniq 5 is pretty different to the EV6, the interior is a little closer. That said, there are still some key differences that set the Ioniq 5 driving experience apart. The interior is still tech-forward, and quite premium and comfortable — which is helpful.
Like many other EVs, you’ll get a completely flat floor, along with a ton of room in both the front and rear seats. The front seats even have a footrest that lets you sit back while the car is charging. That’s handy.
The front of the car is especially roomy without much separating the driver and passenger seats. All of the controls are at the front, and while there are cupholders and a wireless charger in the arm rest, there’s no traditional center console. I have to admit, it feels a little weird at first — but you’ll get used to it. The only issue I can see is that my wife commonly has a purse or bag with her, and if something were to fall out and roll to the driver’s side, it could dangerously interfere with driving.
One thing I don’t really like about the interior of this car is the fact that it largely relies on capacitive touch controls for things like climate. You’ll get used to the placement, but these controls make it hard to know that you’ve actually controlled something.
At the front, you’ll get a large infotainment display, and a large digital instrument cluster. The instrument cluster is modern and helpful, allowing you to easily see your energy usage, and get a camera-based view of your blind spots when you turn on your indicator. It’s a feature I loved in the EV6, and I love it here too.
One of the most unique things about the interior of the Ioniq 5 is the fact that the rear seats can slide forward and recline — making for a more comfortable ride for the rear passengers on longer road trips.
There are USB ports throughout, but weirdly they’re all USB-A ports — there are no USB-C ports at all. I wish Hyundai went the other way and included only USB-C — slowly we’re making the switch, but cars are something that people hold on to for years and years, and keeping USB-A means that users will need to keep USB-C cables in their lives for the foreseeable future.
Generally, however, the Ioniq 5 is comfortable and premium. The seats feel great, and Hyundai has gone out of its way to ensure that passengers are comfortable too.
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 infotainment
The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 comes with an infotainment system that’s extremely similar to what Kia is currently offering. It’s designed with a home screen, and then a selection of “apps” that control different functions of the car. From here, you can jump into features like controlling the radio, climate controls, navigation, and more.
The infotainment system offers a number of EV-specific features too. For example, it allows you to navigate to nearby charging stations, and get a rundown of how much energy you’ve used on your most recent trip.
Of course, you don’t have to use the built-in infotainment system at all if you don’t want to. The car supports both CarPlay and Android Auto, however unfortunately you’ll have to use it through a wired connection or with a wireless adapter. It’s strange that you can’t use CarPlay wirelessly here, but the same is true on the Kia EV6.
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 performance
Ultimately, perhaps the most important thing to consider is how the Ioniq 5 performs — and thankfully, it performs like a champion. The car benefits from that immediate EV response to deliver an extremely quick car that can seriously outpace almost all of the ICE competition.
The Ioniq 5 is available in a few different configurations. There’s a shorter range standard model, which is only available in a rear-wheel-drive configuration. Then there’s the SE, SEL, and Limited models, all of which have a range of up to 303 miles, and can be configured in either a rear-wheel drive, or an all-wheel-drive configuration. Our model is the Limited AWD model, and that enables a hefty 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque.
Generally, the Ioniq 5 felt sporty and very capable. It accelerated quickly, handled very well around corners, and was a ton of fun to drive. Some argue that the steering could offer a little feedback, and while that’s true I never found the car to be unresponsive by any means. You’ll get used to any lack of feedback after the first drive.
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 battery and charging
As mentioned, there are three main powertrain options here — a standard range RWD model, which offers 220 miles of range, a longer-range RWD model, which offers up to 303 miles of range, and a longer-range AWD model, with which you’ll get up to 256 miles of range. You definitely get significantly less range with the dual-motor AWD models, but for some, that may be worth it.
Thankfully, the car can charge faster than most of the competition. The Ioniq 5 supports DC fast charging at up to 350kW, which means that it’ll get from 10% to 80% in less than 20 minutes, under the right conditions. Keep in mind that you’ll need to be using a charging station that can charge that fast — and unfortunately, not all that many can just yet. Still, the fast speed means that the car is somewhat future-proof, and as fast-charging stations roll out, the Ioniq 5 will be able to take advantage of them.
2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 driver assist
The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 offers a number of driver-assist features that can help drivers. You’ll get a Level 2 driver-assistant which basically means that the car can drive on the highway with little to no driver intervention. You’ll also get things like forward-collision warnings, and blind-spot monitoring, as mentioned in the camera view that pops up on the display when you turn on your indicator. And, you’ll get a backup camera and 360-degree camera view, which can definitely come in handy when parking.
One unique feature that this car offers is the ability to use the battery to power external devices. The car comes with an adapter that you can plug into the charging port, and then plug in other devices. It can come in handy for things like parking, and it lets you use the Ioniq 5 to charge another car, albiet relatively slowly.
Conclusions
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is easily one of the most competitive EVs out there right now. The car is beautifully-designed, fun to drive, and very comfortable. It’s not perfect — and I would have liked to see things like better climate controls and USB-C ports — but those are minor complaints in the long run. Ultimately, I find the Ioniq 5 to be more attractive than the EV6, but that really comes down to personal preference.
The competition
The biggest competition comes from the EV6, which offers similar features, but a different design. The car you buy will come down to personal preference. The other major competition comes from the Model Y and the Mustang Mach-E. You can’t really go wrong with any of these, however Tesla definitely has the edge when it comes to software, and the Mach-E is a pretty stunning car. Again, you can’t go wrong.
Should I buy the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5?
Yes. It’s an excellent EV.
