Screens abound in the new Ioniq 5, as does space.
This teaser is the first glimpse we have of what it will be like to drive the Hyundai’s all-electric Ioniq 5 crossover. Several automakers are taking the battery-electric vehicle leap as an opportunity to reinvent the interior, and designers focused on space here.
The Korean automaker’s E-GMP platform is one dedicated to new EVs, and as such can take some liberties older models couldn’t. The flat floor allows for a “customizable” interior, Hyundai says. For example, you can enter or exit the car on either side, and you can slide over thanks to some free space ahead of the center console. Speaking of which, that console slides as well to make things a bit more roomy where you need it. Not particularly earth-shattering, but feeling like you have some room to stretch can make these sorts of cars more useful for longer trips. To that end, the Ioniq 5 also sports leg rests in the front. The rear seats, for their part, can also move about to take advantage of the long wheelbase and the extra space it offers.
One area Hyundai was mum on the Ioniq 5, as you’d expect, is on its powertrain. Apart from its eco-friendly materials including plant-based materials throughout the car, we don’t have any specifics on the performance or the range just yet.
Facing stiffer competition
Hyundai posits the Ioniq 5 as a “midsize crossover”, which puts it right at the heart of the latest EV competition. Think Tesla Model Y (or even X), Volkswagen ID.4, Ford Mustang Mach-E and so on. To hack it against its rivals, Hyundai will have to put forth a strong argument for the Ioniq sub-brand’s first model on price and range, if not performance.
Fortunately, Hyundai’s handled the value proposition fairly well with its gasoline models. We won’t have to wait too much longer to find out more about the Ioniq 5, either, as Hyundai will reveal much more on February 23.
