Hyundai Officially Launches the IONIQ 5 Electric Crossover With Up to 300 Miles of Range

author: Eric Walz   

The IONIQ 5 electric crossover.

It's getting more crowded in the electric SUV and crossover segment as automakers electrify their model lineups to compete with Tesla. Not surprising, the new crop of electric vehicles from mainstream automakers are either SUVs or crossovers, two of the hottest vehicle categories with consumers in the U.S.

Hyundai Motor North America today introduced its all-new IONIQ 5, an electric crossover with a targeted driving range of 300 miles, which will make it a serious alternative to Tesla's Model Y. In addition to the 300-mile range, the IONIQ 5 will offer ultra-fast charging reaching 80% charging in about 18 minutes.

IONIQ is Hyundai's new dedicated EV sub-brand announced in Aug 2020. 

The IONIQ 5 goes on sale this fall with a pre-reservation program for early purchasers that offers special benefits, Hyundai said. 

"IONIQ 5 introduces the Hyundai brand to a whole new set of buyers," said José Muñoz, president and CEO, Hyundai Motor America. "Once behind the steering wheel, they are going to be shocked by the range, power, comfort, interior space and advanced technology. Owning one is going to be a new experience and lifestyle that only the IONIQ brand can provide."

The IONIQ 5 and other new EVs that will follow will be built on Hyundai's new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) that allows for more interior space and high performance. The modular dedicated EV platform will allow Hyundai to reimagine the vehicle interior as "smart living space", the company said. 

With a flat floor and steer-by-wire and shift-by-wire systems, the IONIQ 5 offers a larger interior space in the footprint of a compact crossover. Hyundai says the IONIQ 5 offers more passenger volume than two of its competitors, the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Volkswagen ID.4.

The IONIQ 5 provides 27.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row, which increases up to 59.3 cubic feet when the second-row seats are folded flat. For added versatility, the second-row seats can slide forward up to 5.3 inches, recline, and also fold in a 60:40 ratio.

Perhaps the interior's most notable features is a moveable center console that can slide forwards or backwards 5.5 inches. It allows the driver to freely enter and exit the cabin from the passenger side if parked in a narrow spot, or if there is traffic speeding by the driver's side of the vehicle when parked.

The IONIQ 5 will come with a 77.4 kWh battery pack and two electric motor setups in either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD). 

The single-motor layout with RWD offers 225 horsepower and 258 ft.-lbs. of torque. While the top-of-the-line dual motor setup offers all-wheel drive (AWD) with a combined power output of 320 horsepower and 446 ft.-lbs. of torque. The high performance IONIQ 5 can reach 0 to 60 mph in under 5 seconds. 

When equipped with a single motor the IONIQ 5's targeted range on a single charge is 300 miles. The targeted range of the dual motor all-wheel drive SE & SEL models is 269, respectively. The top-of-the-line Limited AWD model has a targeted range of 244 miles, but with its more powerful electric drivetrain, Hyundai needs to compromise a bit on range. 

All configurations have an electronically limited top speed of 115 MPH and can tow up to 1,500 pounds.

Fast Charging

Like other EVs today, the IONIQ 5 can support both 400-V and 800-V charging rates. The platform offers 800-V charging capability as standard, and can accommodate 400-V charging without the need for additional components or adapters, according to Hyundai. Hyundai claims the multi-charging system is a world's first patented technology that operates the motor and inverter to boost 400 V to 800 V for stable charging compatibility.

With a 350-kW charger, IONIQ 5 can charge up to 80 percent in just 18 minutes. But the IONIQ 5 can recoup about 68 miles of range using a 350-kW fast charger in about five minutes.

The standard 10.9 kW on-board charger completes a full charge in 6 hours and 43 minutes using Level 2 charging.

Hyundai also announced on Monday that the IONIQ 5 will come with two years of free charging from EV charging operator Electrify America, which plans to have about 800 charging stations with more than 3,500 ultra-fast chargers either open or in development by the end of this year. 

Hyundai also collaborated with Electrify America to support owners of the 2021 Kona Electric and IONIQ plug-in sedans with 250 kWh of included DC Fast charging.

Hyundai will continue to partner with Electrify America by offering unlimited 30-minute charging sessions for two years from the date of purchase on their coast-to-coast network of ultra-fast chargers in the U.S. 

The IONIQ 5 will also offer an innovative vehicle-to-load (V2L) function, which allows customers to charge any electric devices, such as electric bicycles, scooters or camping gear. This V2L function can also be used to charge another EV. 

The V2L function is enabled using an available accessory adaptor and goes into the outside charging port. There is also a second electrical outlet underneath the back row seat for charging laptops, phones and other devices on the Limited trim IONIQ 5. This second outlet is similar to those found on a commercial airliner, Hyundai says. 

The IONIQ 5 is Packed With Safety Technology

The IONIQ 5 features a Head-Up Display (HUD) with Augmented Reality (AR) mode for the first time in a Hyundai vehicle, essentially turning the windshield into a massive display screen. Drivers can choose to use AR technology to project turn-by-turn navigation in their line of sight on the road ahead, which helps reduce distractions. 

The IONIQ 5 is also the first Hyundai model to offer the automaker's new automated driving feature called Highway Driving Assist 2 (HDA 2). HDA 2 is similar to Tesla's Autopilot and GM's Super Cruise. It maintains a set distance and speed from the vehicle ahead when traveling on highways. It can also steer the vehicle and helps keep it in the center of a lane, even around curves. The system will automatically perform lane changes in certain conditions when the driver activates the turn signal. 

Other safety feature include Smart Cruise Control with Machine Learning, Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA), Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA), Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW) and High Beam Assist (HBA).

The IONIQ 5 is the first Hyundai vehicle to offer over-the-air wireless updates for maps and multimedia software. These updates are available for free twice a year in April and October.

With its new IONIQ sub brand, Hyundai is aiming to be one of the world's biggest producers of electric vehicles and aims to sell 1 million EVs a year by 2025. The IONIQ 5 is the beginning of the automaker's plan to introduce 23 new electric models by 2025. Many of these vehicles will be built in the U.S.

Hyundai/Kia plans to invest $7.4 billion in the U.S. over the next five years to build electric vehicles. The massive investment will help grow the automaker's EV manufacturing footprint to meet market demands. The South Korean automaker aims to have a lineup of American-made electric vehicles on sale by next year.

The IONIQ 5 will initially be sold in Hyundai stores in the 10 zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) states (Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, NJ, NY, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Vermont). Additional markets include Texas, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Arizona. A broader rollout will follow in 2022.

Pricing for the IONIQ 5 will be shared at a later date.

Eric Walz

Originally hailing from New Jersey, Eric is a automotive & technology reporter covering the high-tech industry here in Silicon Valley. He has over 15 years of automotive experience and a bachelors degree in computer science. These skills, combined with technical writing and news reporting, allows him to fully understand and identify new and innovative technologies in the auto industry and beyond. He has worked at Uber on self-driving cars and as a technical writer, helping people to understand and work with technology.