Hyundai Ioniq 5 Review (2021-present)
Hyundai IONIQ 5 cars for sale
5.0
Expert review
Pros
Very spacious and practical cabin
Packed with safety kit, tech, and connectivity
Ultra-rapid charging speeds
Cons
Driving experience could be more polished
Relatively cheap-looking cabin materials
Shorter range with the smaller battery
The CarGurus verdict
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is an exceptional piece of design and, following its recent update, it remains one of the best family EVs you can buy. Not only for the convenience of its ultra-rapid charging, but also for its roomy and practical interior, decent dynamics and tech focus. It’s a really brilliant package as a family car.
While the Ioniq 5 N has to be considered as a totally different entity, it’s just as recommendable. It’s easily the best enthusiast’s electric car on sale, short of the vastly more expensive Porsche Taycan. We love the Ioniq 5, whether it’s the base Advance with a small battery, or the N, which has redefined what we can expect of performance EVs. Whatever the version, the Ioniq 5 is a great car.
What is the Hyundai Ioniq 5?
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a deceptive car. Look at its sharply creased, modern-retro styling in photos, and it looks like a normal hatchback of VW Golf proportions. Stand next to it, however, and the 4.7m length becomes very noticeable, and you’ll be very aware that it’s actually the size and bulk of a family SUV, just lower-set and hatchback-like. That size, and the pure-electric Ioniq 5’s pricing of around £40,000 to £48,000, all makes it a more direct rival for family electric SUVs like the Skoda Enyaq, VW ID.4, Peugeot E-3008, Tesla Model Y and Kia EV6 (which shares a platform and tech with the Ioniq 5) rather than for smaller hatchback alternatives like the VW ID.3.
The Ioniq 5 was facelifted in 2024, bringing better efficiency and tweaked trim levels, so you can now pick between a 63- or 84kWh battery delivering a WLTP range of 273- or 320 miles, respectively, if you stick with the 225bhp rear-wheel drive models that are available in all three trim levels. Go for top-spec N Line with the 84kWh battery, and you can choose an all-wheel-drive powertrain with 320bhp, although the WLTP range drops to 307 miles. It’s only available as an electric vehicle; there are no petrol, diesel or hybrid variants, although you can look to the excellent Hyundai Tucson for similar family practicality with traditional powertrain options.
If it’s more power and all-wheel drive that you’re after in the Ioniq 5, there’s always the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. This is not ‘just’ a fast version of the Ioniq 5. The N has completely different suspension hardware, steering setup, wider tracks, fully variable four-wheel drive, and it’ll even mimic an eight-speed gearbox and the sound of a high-performance petrol engine (or a jet plane), if you want it to. Given that it’s also got 641bhp and will do 0-62mph in 3.4 seconds, it’s not overstating the case to say that the 5 N is a contender for cars like the BMW M3 and Mercedes C63. And it’s more than good enough to steal sales from those cars, too.
How practical is it?
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has a remarkably spacious, airy cabin with a very minimalist dashboard that has few details to distract from the bold horizontal lines of the dash design. The upright, twin 12.0-inch screens (one central touchscreen and one digital driver’s readout) are the focal points, and the portal to all useful and interesting things in the Ioniq 5. This sort of smooth, architectural-looking interior is now very trendy in a post-Tesla world, but it still feels quite shockingly modernist when you slide into the Ioniq 5’s driver’s seat.
Some of the materials do feel a little cheap, mind; it would be an overstatement to say that the Ioniq 5 is up there with Polestar et al for perceived quality. But, it is a lovely thing to look at and sit in. If you add the ‘premium relaxation seats’, the front seats can fully recline and you also have a leg rest so that you can nap in first-class comfort while you charge up. There’s enough headroom for passengers in the front and back to bring their top hats, and the rear seats genuinely have limo-like legroom; they also slide forwards and backwards, and have reclining backs for extra comfort. The flat floor in the back also means that a third passenger will be fairly comfy in the middle.
The boot is also fairly huge. At 527 litres it is, again, more like what you’d expect from a large family SUV than a hatchback, although the boot space itself is a touch shallower than you might expect of such a big load capacity. Underfloor storage offers further convenience, but most will choose to keep the cables in the cubby that’s hidden beneath the bonnet of the car. All in all, a cracking family EV. And that goes for the Ioniq 5 N, too, which obviously gets sports seats and various performance-oriented style tweaks and upgrades, but is still a hugely spacious and practical family car, albeit one with supercar-like performance.
What's it like to drive?
When it comes to the standard Ioniq 5, you’re getting a very serene, if rather heavy-feeling family car. The steering is light and consistent in the way it weights up through corners, but it’s rather numb and never encourages you to enjoy a good road, so much as it does to just sit back and relax. Which is absolutely fine, and ride comfort is decent; very settled on the motorway, if a little lumpy over scruffy urban roads. There’s quite a bit of body float over high speed undulations on country roads, too, but Hyundai Ioniq 5 is still calm and confident, whether you’re in town, on a twisty road, or covering big miles on the motorway.
We haven’t driven the four-wheel-drive Hyundai Ioniq 5, but performance isn’t an issue even on the rear-wheel-drive car. With a 0-62mph time of between 7.5- and 8.5 seconds depending on whether you go for the bigger- or smaller battery (you get a bit more power with the bigger battery model), it’s more than quick enough and picks up heartily even if you’re asking for a mid-range sprint into motorway traffic, and is nippier than you’d expect off the line.
The regenerative braking has various different levels ranging from barely noticeable to Hyundai’s ‘i-Pedal’ one-pedal driving mode, which is very heavy and also uses adaptive tech to react when it senses a car up ahead. You can also choose any of the other lighter brake regeneration modes, and either have them set to deliver a constant braking strength when you ease off the accelerator, or you can activate the automatic mode so that you benefit from your chosen regen’ strength and the car will also brake for traffic or junctions up ahead. You toggle through these modes via the steering wheel paddles, which makes it easy to control the regenerative braking as you see fit, and we’d say this is one of the most flexible and intuitive ‘regen systems to live with.
As for the how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N drives? Well, it’s another world to the standard car. The suspension is taut yet comfortable enough to live with, and it feels playful yet manageable. Sure, it doesn’t steer and handle with the sweet purity of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, but the Ioniq’s aggressive performance, engaging manners and array of genuinely brilliant soundtracks make it just as much fun. It’s a truly spectacular performance car; one of the best out there, regardless of whether you’re comparing it to petrol- or electric contemporaries.
Technology, equipment & infotainment
Even the entry-level Ioniq 5 Advance model gets adaptive cruise control with a semi-autonomous driving mode that helps to steer and brake the car, as well as autonomous emergency braking that will apply the brakes for you if the car senses an imminent collision with a pedestrian, bicycle or car.
You also get a big touchscreen infotainment system with over-the-air software updates, Bluetooth, Android Auto and wireless Apple CarPlay on every model. There’s even wireless phone charging across the range, too. The screen isn’t as graphically sharp as the screens in Audi and BMW products, but it’s still one of the easier systems to use and there’s no qualms with the features it offers.
The digital driver’s display also has some very funky graphics that appear to have been copied from a ‘90s desktop screensaver. Keyless entry, heated seats, rear parking camera and driver’s electric lumbar adjustment is standard across the range, too.
Step up to the Ioniq 5 Premium and you get adaptive LED headlights, part-leatherette upholstery, a powered tailgate and blinds in the rear windows, among other extras. Top-spec N Line gets style upgrades and the option of four-wheel drive, but it’s only offered with the bigger 84kWh battery.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 running costs
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 will be much cheaper to run than any equivalent petrol or diesel car, and it’s competitively priced with most electric rivals including the Skoda Enyaq iV and Tesla Model Y. PCP monthly costs could be better, and you’ll likely find slightly cheaper monthly payments with some of those key rivals, but the monthly payments aren’t unreasonable given the equipment, range and practicality that the Ioniq 5 offers.
Charging the Hyundai Ioniq 5 at home will cost around £13 for the 63kWh car, or £17 for the 84kWh car, although that’ll vary depending on your home tariff. Use a cheap off-peak tariff and you can expect those costs to halve, which would mean that you can expect mileage costs of as little as 3p per mile assuming efficiency of 3.3 miles/kWh (or real-world range of 200 to 270 miles, for the small- and big-battery models, respectively).
The Ioniq 5 N is hardly cheap, at around £64,000, but that’s actually incredible value next to cars that offer comparable performance and space. Running costs will be far lower than on any petrol car with equivalent performance, too. Having said that, the 5 N is still a hugely powerful car so it’ll be expensive to insure and you’ll want to factor in high running costs including regular new tyres and more frequent servicing.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 reliability
Hyundai generally has a good reputation for reliability, and the standard five-year, unlimited-mileage warranty backs that up. The Ioniq 5 was rated sixth out of nine electric SUVs included in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey, which is reasonable yet not terrible as it was still more reliable than most piston-engined equivalents. As an overall brand, Hyundai was ranked a very decent tenth out of 31 manufacturers included in the survey.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is one of the fastest charging cars on sale. It has an 800V electrical system, so if you plug into a powerful enough ultra-rapid charger, it can charge at up to 220kW for a 100-mile top-up in under 10 minutes. Most drivers will charge at home, and a 7kW home wallbox will do the job in around 13 hours for the big battery car, or more like ten for the smaller battery. Charging is by Type 2 and CCS socket (the European standard and the same across almost every new EV). You can also control charging times and pre-set the cabin temperature ready for your departure via a phone app. Go for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 Premium or N Line models, and you get vehicle-to-load (V2L) charging as standard. This means that you can charge an electrical device – or even another electric car – from the Hyundai’s high voltage, lithium-ion battery. It’s slow charging, but it’s a great feature to have. Want to run a fridge while you’re camping, or charge your laptop while you’re doing some work and charging the car? Now, you can. A heat pump is standard on every Ioniq 5, which brings more efficient running in cold weather, so your driving range won’t drop so much when you turn your cabin heating on. The Ioniq 5 also has a phone app that lets you pre-condition the cabin.
- If you’re a company car driver: Benefit in Kind tax is very low on pure electric cars right now, and promises to stay that way for the next couple of years at least, so even going for a high-spec Ioniq 5 doesn’t impact your company car tax costs that much. Which is why we’d say go for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 Ultimate AWD if your company will allow. If you need to pick a version with a more moderate P11D valuation, go for Premium trim with rear-wheel drive, and whichever battery best suits your needs, and you’re getting a good value, practical, high-spec EV at a good price.
- If you want a family electric car: The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a great family car as it’s huge inside, very safe and quiet and comfy on the road. Go for the Premium RWD with whichever battery suits your needs; don’t simply go for the big one as it has the longer range, because smaller one has a decent range in between charges, and charges very quickly, so if you only do a handful of long journeys each year it’s worth opting for the cheaper car. It’s also the more environmentally conscious move, as having a lot of lithium-ion battery sat on the driveway and not in use is wasteful, but the bigger battery car is a great option for high mileage drivers.
- If you want the sporty one: It’s got to be the N, with its completely different suspension hardware, its, reworked steering, its fully variable four-wheel drive and its 641bhp. It's great fun, and fast enough to embarrass many performance cars with more prestigious badges.
