Hyundai Ioniq 5 review: an excellent electric family car

​The Hyundai Ioniq 5 family hatchback represents a real shift forward in the brand’s ability to chase down premium electric rivals, helping to persuade EV buyers who are motivated by stylish design, great on-board tech and practical range and charging speeds.

Bold concept car styling might not cater to everyone’s tastes, but there's no denying that the Ioniq 5 brings a sense of cool that sets it apart from the pack, while the manufacturer has added to its strong visual appeal with competitive pricing, generous standard kit and advanced active safety systems. We named it our Car of the Year when it first arrived in 2021, so if you’re thinking of a new purchase and you have the means, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is one of the best cars you can buy. 

About the Hyundai Ioniq 5

Over recent years, Hyundai and its subsidiary brand Kia have been at the forefront of producing well-built, practical, electrified family cars. Mild, plug-in hybrid and all-electric tech is offered on many of its models. The all-electric Ioniq-badged range of cars, consisting of the Ioniq 5, Ioniq 5 N and Ioniq 6, will soon be joined by the seven-seat Ioniq 7, and we assume plenty more besides.

Hyundai went back to basics for the Ioniq 5, developing a new Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and, as a foundation for the company’s next-level EV tech, it’s mighty impressive.

One of the benefits of this E-GMP platform is a wide range of options when it comes to powering the Ioniq 5. The entry-level version features a 58kWh battery and a rear-mounted electric motor producing 167bhp. This battery has a claimed maximum range of 238 miles.

Moving up the Ioniq 5 range introduces a larger 77.4kWh battery. This pack replaced the 73kWh unit found in older Ioniq 5s, and it can return up to 315 miles on the WLTP combined cycle. This battery is fitted to both rear- and four-wheel-drive versions of the Ioniq 5. The rear-wheel drive version features the same motor setup as the 58kWh car, but ups the power to 226bhp. The four-wheel drive variant adds a front-mounted motor, and works together with the rear motor to produce 321bhp in total. All non-N Ioniq 5s produce 350Nm of torque.

Naturally, the twin-motor four-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 is the quickest accelerating member of the regular line-up, with a 0-62mph time of 5.1 seconds. However, if you have a real need for speed, the hot Ioniq 5 N is the variant for you. This electric hot hatch features a larger 84kWh battery, and its two motors provide a combined 641bhp and 740Nm of torque. This results in a supercar-like 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds and a top speed of 161mph.

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The Ioniq 5 is a highly appealing electric car, but the competition is forever increasing. There are now quite a few other similarly-sized family EVs to choose from, such as the Skoda Enyaq, Volkswagen ID.4, Peugeot E-3008 and Nissan Ariya. The closely related Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60 are also available to those who like the Hyundai, but desire something a little bit sportier or more luxurious.

The current Ioniq 5 line-up consists of three levels: Premium, Ultimate and Namsan Edition. There’s a decent level of standard kit on the entry-level model, with 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights, front and rear parking sensors, climate control and smart cruise control all included. Inside the cabin, there’s a wireless smartphone charging pad and two 12.3-inch displays – one covering the infotainment and the other a digital instrument cluster providing key info for the driver.

A battery heater and conditioning function was introduced as an option in 2023. This practical feature manages battery temperature while on the move and helps improve real-world charging performance. Other additions included digital rear and side mirrors and Hyundai's vehicle-to-load (V2L) system, which allows you to charge portable devices, camping kit, or even another electric vehicle.

The standard Ioniq 5 range starts from around £43,500 and rises to more than £57,000 for the Namsan Edition. The Ioniq 5 N performance model commands an even steeper starting price at around £65,000