Ioniq 5 EV priced from $71,900 + ORC

HYUNDAI Motor Company Australia (HMCA) has priced its first bespoke EV, the Ioniq 5, from $71,900 plus on-road costs and secured an initial allocation of just 400 units that will be offered exclusively through an online direct-to-customer model.

Two versions of the same eponymous trim level kick-start the Ioniq portfolio Down Under, with the only choice being between rear- or all-wheel-drive – the latter commanding a $4000 premium in return for the additional engineering complexity, materials and power.

Under the new sales system, customers who have already placed a deposit through dealerships will be given priority to secure their vehicle from September 27 while those who have previously registered their interest will be given 24 hours to order as of October 12.

At the end of those 24 hours, remaining stock will be opened up to the general public.

HMCA chief executive Jun Heo said the online sales model was designed “to provide a fair allocation of the limited initial supply in response to overwhelming demand”.

Both versions of the Ioniq 5 rely on a 72.6kWh lithium-ion battery to power their axle-mounted electric motors, with the ‘2WD’ developing a total system output of 160kW/350Nm compared to the ‘AWD’s 225kW/605Nm.

The AWD is predictably the more athletic of the two, stopping the clock from 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds and accelerating from 80-120km/h in 3.8s.

While the 2WD may not possess quite the same firepower as its all-paw sibling, it will still go from 0-100km/h in a nippy 7.4 seconds, 80-120km/h in 4.7s and top out at the same 185km/h.

Where it gets the better of the AWD is in its driving range; 451km vs 430km.

It is a similar story with charging. When hooked up to a 50kW fast charger, the AWD takes an extra five minutes (56 vs 61) to go from 10-80 per cent, despite the pair sharing the same 72.6kwh battery capacity.

Connecting the Ioniq 5 to a 350kW fast charger – the maximum charging power – cuts both times down to a little over 17 minutes.

As previously reported by GoAuto, the Ioniq 5 resembles nothing in the current HMCA or wider Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) portfolio with a surprisingly boxy and angular design for an EV, putting many in mind of the old Lancia Delta Integrale.

The same cannot be said about the cabin, which is ruled by the ‘floating’ dashboard and wide-open foot well.

Drivers are greeted by a two-spoke multi-function steering wheel and a Mercedes-style dual-12.3-inch screen arrangement comprising the digital instrument cluster and infotainment system.

The infotainment system itself sports Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and Bluetooth connectivity, includes native satellite navigation and pumps its audio though an eight-speaker Bose sound system.

Other standard equipment highlights include 20-inch alloy wheels, LED head-, tail- and guide lights, leather upholstery, power door handles and boot, 12-way power adjustable front seats with heating and ventilation, a heated two-way power-adjustable second row, position memory function for all seats, dual-zone climate control, heated steering wheel and adjustable ambient lighting.

Matte paint finish costs an extra $1000.

As ever for a modern HMCA product, the full SmartSense safety suite has been included as standard in addition to the usual array of airbags, traction and stability controls and ABS.

“It is our great pleasure to introduce the futuristic Ioniq 5 battery-electric medium SUV, as the first model from our Ioniq EV sub-brand,” Mr Heo said.

“The powerful, long-range, ultra-fast charging Ioniq 5 represents the leading edge in zero-emissions battery-electric vehicles and is certain to delight customers.”

HMCA has offered two fully electric models prior to the Ioniq 5, the Ioniq small car and Kona Electric compact SUV, however neither is built or developed on a bespoke EV platform like the Ioniq 5’s e-GMP architecture.

2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 pricing*

*Excludes on-road costs