The latest SUV to hit our shores will turn heads with its looks and performance and it delivers a serious hit of hi-tech motoring, for a surprising price.
Hyundai has taken a bold approach with its new electric.
The boldly styled Hyundai Ioniq 5 goes on sale this month in Australia priced from $71,500 (before on-road costs).
That makes it dearer than be best-selling electric car in Australia, Tesla’s Model 3.
The price also means it misses out on incentives from states such as NSW and Victoria.
NSW offers a $3000 cash incentive and waiving of stamp duty for electric cars under $68,750. Victoria has a similar cut off for its $3000 cashback program.
Buyers keen on the Ioniq 5 won’t be able to place an order in a dealership, instead the whole order process is done online only.
Hyundai is selling the Ioniq 5 directly to customers with 10 dealerships taking care of delivering the vehicles.
The brand is following a similar model to makers such as Mercedes-Benz, which cut out dealerships and sold the EQC directly to customers.
Honda has moved its entire range to an agency model, where the head office owns all the vehicles and dealerships simply deliver and service vehicles.
Hyundai said this type of arrangement will only apply to the Ioniq 5 at this point. All other vehicles including the Ioniq and Kona electric vehicles, remain on sale in traditional showrooms.
Hyundai Australia will have only 400 Ioniq 5s at first.
Buyers need to secure their vehicle with a $2000 deposit.
Customers who have already placed a deposit in the past eight months will have priority, then it will be first come, first serve.
The Ioniq 5 represents an exciting new phase of Hyundai’s electric portfolio.
It is built on an all-new electric vehicle platform, unlike previous EVs that shoehorn an electric powertrain into a vehicle meant to use a conventional engine.
A dedicated electric car platform has significant benefits including providing a spacious cabin, quicker charging times, bigger battery capacity and the ability to scale up or down to produce a number of different vehicles.
Handsome and futuristic styling help the Ioniq stand out from the crowd.
A sustainable focused interior uses recycled plastic bottles and plant-based and natural fibres for the seats, headliner, carpets and other surfaces.
A big 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster and a central infotainment screen of the same size let you know you’re driving the vehicle of the future.
The Ioniq 5 shows that being green doesn’t mean being boring to drive.
Initially the Ioniq 5 is available in one single grade with buyers simply choosing between two-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.
The basic single motor two-wheel drive version combines a 160kW/350Nm electric motor with a large 72.6kWh lithium-ion battery.
All-wheel drive versions get two electric motors combining for 225kW and 605Nm and the same sized battery.
The all-wheel drive version can sprint from 0-100km.h in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 185km/h. The single motor variant is no slouch either hitting the same mark in 7.4 seconds.
Both versions have decent range with the single motor version capable of travelling 451km on a single charge and the dual motor variant able to go 430km.
Hyundai’s new EV is fitted with the latest 800-volt on-board charging infrastructure that allows for ultra fast charging.
When hooked up to a 350kW charger it can go from 10 to 80 per cent in about 17 minutes, which is equal to about 300km of range. Electric cars automatically slow the last 20 per cent of charging to stop the battery overheating.
The same recharge will take more than six hours via a home AC charger or about an hour in a more basic 50kW charger such as the ones installed by the NRMA.
Prices start at $71,900 for the single motor variant and $75,900 for the dual motor version.
Both vehicles come with a comprehensive list of safety features including auto braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection, blind spot detection, lane keep assist and rear cross traffic alert.
New safe exit assist will prevent passengers from opening doors when the car detects a vehicle passing by and rear occupant alert will make sure you know if you’ve forgotten someone.
Hyundai will offer an expanded range at a later date.
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