MODEL TESTED: Hyundai Ioniq 5 Premium Long Range PRICE: £46,945 POWERTRAIN: 1x e-motor, 225bhp/77kWh battery
THE Hyundai Ioniq 5 caused quite a stir when it arrived, and we crowned it our 2021 Car of the Year. Three years on, it’s still a distinctive family car, but prices are higher than they are for the Renault, with the Premium model – the entry point to the range – costing £46,495 with the 77kWh long-range battery. That’s £1,450 more than the highest-spec Scenic.
Tech highlights
THE Ioniq name was originally used by a forgettable hatchback that rivalled the Toyota Prius, but taking that badge and adding the 5 suffix was just the start of Hyundai’s path to electrification. The Ioniq 5 is based on the company’s dedicated E-GMP electric car platform, which is also used by the Ioniq 6, Genesis GV60 and Kia’s EV6, EV9 and EV5.
All of these cars have their own unique look, and the Ioniq 5’s hatchback-style shape has plenty of interesting details, courtesy of the dot-matrix-style LED lights and sharp creases in the bodywork. However, while the Ioniq 5 looks like a hatch, it’s longer, taller and wider than the SUV-style Scenic here, and the three-metre wheelbase helps to create lots of space inside.
Under the skin is a typical EV skateboard-style chassis, with the batteries located in the floor between the front and rear axles. E-GMP can accommodate front, rear or four-wheel drive, and the Ioniq 5 is available with the latter two layouts.
SAFETY: The Ioniq 5 earned a five-star Euro NCAP rating in 2021, and all models feature autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection. There are plenty of warning beeps – when the speed limit changes, for example, or if you creep over the detected maximum, or change lanes without indicating. If you can live without them, they must be deactivated every time you drive.
On road
THE Ioniq 5 is a more refined cruiser than the Renault, and it’s more engaging in corners, too.
AROUND TOWN: Keep to city streets and the Ioniq 5 is a quiet and relaxing place to be, as long as the warning bongs keep quiet. The ride is softer than the Renault’s, absorbing bumps far more easily, while the light steering helps to position this large machine. The rear-wheel-drive layout means that the Hyundai doesn’t suffer from wheelspin if you’re heavy with the accelerator away from the lights.
A & B-ROADS: That rear-drive layout doesn’t translate into a sporty drive, mainly because of the weight that
