What is it?

IT might look like something out of Mad Max but it is, in fact, the first of a new family of all-electric cars from Hyundai, and, like sister company Kia’s EV6, you can expect a full range to follow in number order.

The South Korean companies have become rather good at these electric cars. We have been seriously impressed past the Hyundai Kona and Kia Niro EVs, fully electrified versions of existing models, now Ioniq 5 is a full EV in its own right.

Not only that, in an ever-expanding field of electric vehicles from all manufacturers, the Ioniq 5 takes the biscuit when it comes to looks. It turns heads and it attracts comment.

Step inside and the head turning cricks the neck.

In terms of size, it sits somewhere between medium-size SUV and a family hatchback and the Ioniq 5 sits on a bespoke Hyundai platform, with a slightly longer wheelbase to Kia’s EV6, which will underpin a range of new EVs.

The entry-level model costs £36,995 which comes with a 168hp rear motor powered by a 58kWh battery with a range of 238 miles. Going up to the middle trim adds a 73kWh battery with a range of up to 298 miles and a power output of 217hp.

If you’re feeling really flush, there’s the top-of-the-range £50,000 Ultimate on which you can specify a second motor for the front wheels and the ability to use your car to power other electrical devices!

What do we think?

We think it will have other manufacturers looking over their shoulder. As well as its dynamic looks, the Ioniq 5 is a  delight to drive. It’s size is deceptive, there’s a lot more room inside than you might think and you sit up high, SUV-like, so get a commanding view of the road.

As you might expect, there are some differences to the controls. The drive selector, for example, is down low and to the right of the steering wheel and twists in various directions according to whether you wish to go forwards or backwards.

There is a selection of drive modes, normal, eco or sport – although not so sure why you would need a sport mode in an EV. All it basically seems to do is reduce your range while eco does the opposite – at the expense of some heating or air conditioning.

It took a while to work out that the paddle shifters actually control the amount of regenerative braking as initially the car slowed quickly to an almost halt as soon as you lifted off the accelerator.

I mentioned sport just now and the Ioniq can certainly see off most at the traffic light grand prix, should you wish to do so, thanks the electric motor’s instant torque. It will also accelerate rapidly up to around the 80mph mark at which point the power starts to slip away. But it is quiet and the car generally feels pretty agile.

All trim levels get two 12.3-inch screens in a panel on top of the dashboard while there is a host of buttons which take a lot more time than we had with the car to master.

The centrally-mounted touchscreen is simple to operate although the furthest controls are a bit of a stretch from the driver’s seat.

With no transmission tunnel, the centre console becomes a moveable island so you can move the armrest around depending on who wants to use the USB ports – back or front. It’s also possible to slide easily across from the driver’s side to exit the passenger door should the need, or indeed urge, take you.

So, plenty enough room for five people while the cargo area is pretty impressive as well, 530-odd litres of space and stowage beneath the floor for the charging cable. There is also a small space under the bonnet in which those cables can also be stored.

As for range, the 73kw Ioniq 5 we tried can cover around 300 miles on a full charge although there are variables at this time of year – lights, heating windscreen wipers, audio, sat nav etc, not to mention the steep Dorset hills. There’s no reason to disbelieve that this car could achieve its claimed range on a long motorway run, however.

As for charging, Hyundai has introduced some clever touches. It will support 800-volt charging, if you can find such a thing, which can load an almost flat battery to 80% in 18 minutes and can give you 60-miles in just five minutes. You will need to find a 350kW charger to achieve this which might involve something of a safari to find such a rare beast.

Our 7kW Project EV home wallbox charger happily put in a full charge during the off-peak night time hours – around eight hours although the battery was never particularly low.

As for running costs – fewer moving parts so less maintenance, there’s the tax benefits  and the Approved Electricity Rate for business use has just been raised.

What’s not to like?

Hyundai IONIQ 5 Ultimate 73kWh RWD

P11D value: £44,890

Battery type: 73kW

Transmission Single motor RWD Max Power (PS/kW): 217/160

Max Torque (Nm/lbs ft): 350/238

CO2: 0

VED: 0

BiK band: 1%