With a charging time of just 18 minutes from ten to 80 percent, and a face you’ll instantly recognize, this is the all-new Hyundai Ioniq 5. Keep reading to find out how Hyundai plans to revolutionize the EV segment with cool looks and blazing fast charging.

The first I want to mention is the Ioniq 5 looks small, but it’s actually about the same size as a Tesla Model 3. Hyundai calls it a CUV, which presumably means Crossover Utility Vehicle, and its three-meter wheelbase is longer than that of the Tesla Model Y. All of this means it would make a great daily driver car, with an interior that looks cool and has lots of space.

The floor is completely flat, the front seats are 30% thinner than other Hyundai seats, it has a center console that can slide back 14 centimeters, and the rear seats can slide forwards and backwards. The trunk measures in at 531 liters, and the front trunk offers 24 liters for the North-American model.

Moreover, there’s a 12-inch digital instrument cluster AND another 12-inch touchscreen for the infotainment system. But more importantly, there seems to be a dedicated layout with proper buttons for things like volume control and climate control. Another cool feature is the augmented reality head-up display, which essentially turns the windshield into a display. Hyundai’s words, not mine.

Battery, Range, and Charging

The Ioniq 5 is available with either a 58 kilowatts-hour battery or a 72.6 kilowatts-hour battery. For some reason, the bigger battery has a capacity of 77.4 kilowatts-hour on the North American market. There’s also a selection of electric motors, depending on the battery type. Go for the standard range model and you can choose from a rear-wheel drive, 125 kilowatts motor, or an all-wheel drive, dual-motor layout that makes a total of 173 kilowatts.

The long-range battery gets you a single, 160 kilowatts rear motor, or a dual-motor layout that outputs 225 kilowatts. According to the WLTP standard, the maximum range is about 480 kilometers or 300 miles on a single charge, which is possible only with the big battery and rear-wheel drive only.

The fastest Ioniq 5 gets from zero to 62 miles per hour in 5.2 seconds - that’s the all-wheel drive, long range version, while the slowest of them all is the standard-range, two-wheel drive variant, with 8.5 seconds to 62 miles per hour. Ultra-fast charging is the biggest talking point, with an estimated time of just five minutes for 100 kilometers of range, and 18 minutes to get from 10% to 80%. All this can be achieved with a 350 kilowatts charger.

Hyundai doesn’t offer too many details on this, but they say that the Ioniq 5 is capable of charging at 400 and 800 volts, without additional adapters, as standard. In fact, they say that the car boosts 400 volts to 800 volts when needed, for charging compatibility. Also, it has an optional solar roof that can harvest the Sun’s energy and store it in the battery pack.

Another cool trick is the Vehicle to load function, which can transform the car into a huge external battery pack on wheels. There are two external power ports that can supply up to 3.6 kilowatts of power - one is located under the second-row seats and can be activated when the car is on, and the other one is at the charging port on the exterior. Using a converter, owners can use this port to charge high-power electric equipment even when the car is turned off. In other words, you could use your Hyundai to charge your Tesla, or even provide power to your house.

Other niceties included are a remote smart parking assistant which lets you park the car when you’re outside it, automatic high beam assist, and Highway Driving Assist 2, which works to control the vehicle speed and following distance, while keeping the car centered in its lane. And something I particularly like is the use of eco-friendly materials inside the car, such as recycled plastic bottles.

Prices haven’t been announced yet, but the Ioniq 5 will be available in selected regions in the first half of 2021, which is great news! In fact, you can check out this video to check out the longest-range EVs you can buy this year.

And that’s it! Let me know in the comments what you think of the brand new Ioniq 5 - is it a good alternative to the Tesla Model 3 or Model Y?