The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the best EV we’ve driven in 2021

SAN DIEGO—In 2020, Hyundai Motor Group revealed it had developed a brand new platform, purely for battery electrical autos. Its smaller, earlier EVs have gotten impressively near Tesla-levels of powertrain effectivity, and nowadays the Korean automaker is at or close to the pinnacle of the category by way of high quality and reliability.

So the thrill was palpable after we realized that this new “Electrical-World Modular Platform” (or E-GMP) was meant for bigger, extra highly effective EVs with both rear- or all-wheel drive, with an 800 V electrical structure, the flexibility to fast-charge in 18 minutes, and the flexibility to energy AC units simply. That pleasure solely grew after we received our first take a look at the Hyundai Ioniq 5—the primary of these EVs—again in February.

In reality, if I would been paying extra consideration on the 2019 Frankfurt Auto Present, I might have seen the Ioniq 5, barely disguised as an idea known as the 45. The design workforce, led by SangYup Lee, channeled a few of Giorgetto Giugiaro’s angular and boxy power into the Ioniq 5’s proportions. The 45 idea is supposed to pay homage to a 1974 idea that Giugiaro penned for the Korean model, however to my eyes, it is extra paying homage to a Nineteen Eighties Lancia Delta. Besides scaled up by 19 %.

The sharp appears to be like and people spot-on proportions flatter the Ioniq 5. That is no small hatchback—Hyundai really calls it a compact SUV. That is positive to spark some arguments about pigeonholing, however the incontrovertible information are that it is 182.5 inches (4,636 mm) lengthy, and 74.4 inches (1,890 mm) large, 63 inches (1,600 mm) tall. So it is a lot greater than one thing like a Volkswagen Golf however simply smaller than a Tesla Mannequin Y. Curb weight varies from 4,200-4,662 lbs (1,905-2,115 kg) relying on the powertrain and trim.

However the Ioniq 5 has a remarkably lengthy wheelbase: 118.1 inches (3,000 mm). That is longer than the Tesla or a Porsche Taycan. It is a fair longer wheelbase than Hyundai’s a lot greater three-row Palisade SUV. And that interprets to a spacious and ethereal inside for each entrance and rear occupants.

The inside has a totally flat flooring and a wholesome use of recycled supplies—previous plastic bottles have gone into the armrests and seats, bioplastic from sugarcane contributes to the headlining and carpets, recycled Tyvek fibers present up in trim panels, and the dashboard and door-panel paint makes use of polyurethane derived from bean oil.