Seven-day test: Living with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD

Imagine the attention you’d get walking through Sydney’s CBD with a naked Marilyn Monroe on your arm and Elvis behind carrying your bags. That’s what it’s like driving a Hyundai Ioniq 5 right now.

The good people of Australia know this multi-award-winning EV is automotive gold dust, and spin their heads accordingly. Dare park it up somewhere and you’re guaranteed film star-like attention and a barrage of questions and demands on how the hell you got one.

Here’s what seven days are like in the range-topping Ioniq 5 AWD, which costs, if you join the long waiting list, $75,900 before on-roads.

Day 1: Welcome to the jungle

Believe the hype. First impressions last and the Ioniq 5 immediately lives up to expectations.

It may be classified a medium SUV but to me it has the familiar, pleasing shape of a hatchback – albeit a very large one and with a striking blend of retro mixed with sharp, origami-type lines.

There’s no front grille, sci-fi-esque front and rear LED pixel lights and intricate 20-inch dark alloys.

The Ioniq 5’s parked beside a Kia EV6 when I arrive to collect it. Both look spectacular. Design triumphs that proudly revel in being electric cars without looking naff. You want to own and drive one.

Cars that have been designed strictly as EVs offer superb cabin space and the Ioniq 5 feels smartly packaged. Its massive 3000mm wheelbase – more than a Hyundai Palisade’s – means there’s space galore. I immediately know this would work as a family car for our two growing kids – it’s cavernous and comfortable in both front and rear rows.

The cabin feels minimalist, although not as much as a Tesla Model 3’s. Two giant 12.3-inch screens dominate proceedings; ventilation controls are pleasingly normal and seats feel luxurious enough with their ‘eco-processed’ leather (no dead cows, I take it).

The screen shows I have 412km electric range for my 99 percent battery charge. I put the air con on to its lowest fan speed and it drops to 407km. Acceptable.

My first journey is a 130km highway drive home. First impressions are how smooth, normal and quiet the experience is. If it weren’t for every driver on the road doing a double-take at this spaceship of a Hyundai I could have completely forgotten I was in an EV.

Day 2: Sucks to be you, servos

Not only has Russia just invaded Ukraine to drive up petrol and diesel prices, extreme flooding in SE Queensland has closed roads for fuel-delivering trucks.

I drive past the servo sign stating prices are over $2 a litre. It’s hard not to feel smug, if a little sorry for those queuing in the rain to pour a day’s wages into their hungry fuel tanks.

After my highway drive and this morning’s school run I’ve travelled 136.6km across three hours, energy use is 17.1kWh/100km and I’ve 67 percent/266km range remaining. Time to try the provided cable to plug it in at home.

With no solar, no three-phase and no wallbox, it’s the good ol’ 10amp domestic socket doing the work. Plugging in I see we’re scoring just 1.3kW charge and it’ll take 28h and 40mins to reach 100 percent battery from our 67 percent start.

I leave it going overnight and in 14 hours (5.30pm until 7.30am) I’ve added just 91km additional range. I know it’s not much, but right now it’s a family around-town commuter and we’re lucky to use 30km per day – just like most Australians.

Even so, a wallbox to slash that charge time would be a non-negotiable if I owned an Ioniq 5. It’ll handle AC charging up to 10.5kW, so in ideal AC conditions empty to full would take about 7.5 hours.

Day 3: Superb, but not perfect

A proper day of driving with the family and it’s the cabin space we all agree is next-level good.

The floor’s completely flat and with no centre console you can practically walk from the passenger seat to the driver’s seat, almost like a giant American car from the 1970s.

There’s basically no centre console, just two (ample) cup holders between the front of the seats and giant carpeted storage below the dash to house iPads, smarthpones, books and snacks.

You could probably fit a USB-charged mini-fridge down there if you wish, while there’s wireless charging for your phone.

The gear selector’s been moved to a stalk on the right hand side of the steering wheel. You twist it to select gears, but it meets the ire of my dear wife who claims you can bang your knee on it or accidentally use it as an indicator. I just find you can’t switch between gears quickly enough, so rapid three-point turns are out.

The brace of screens look fantastic and are beautifully clear, but are crying out for more customisation opportunities.

While I’m having a little grumble, what’s with the inside of the doors? They’re pleasingly massive but are basically just big slabs of plastic. Well, recycled PET bottles to fit with the eco leanings of the car, plus there’s ‘paperette’ lower down the doors.

Eco they may be, but they seem terribly plain. The giant door handles too… Tesla’s Model 3 has little electric buttons to open doors, which seem suitably hi tech for such a car. Actually, electric door buttons are probably a recipe for frustrating failure. As you were, Hyundai.

Speaking of the Model 3, the kids haven’t been this engaged with a car since the hero Tesla. There’s mighty rear room for them and the chairs recline and slide back and forward on runners. An adult has no problem sitting in the firm middle seat – there’s ample headroom. A large moonroof is also an excellent addition for giving a sense of space.

Rear passengers have a couple of USB ports and rear air vents. Ventilation for the rear seats isn’t a strong point according to the rear riders, but 33C and ludicrous humidity (Queensland summer) were testing conditions.

Up front seats are heated, ventilated and have loads of (electric) adjustability in many directions.

In true First World Problems fashion, the better half says it needs a head-up display, better ambient lighting and a cool puddle light would be good. “I want an electric car to be very over the top on the lighting front,” she declares.

I suggest she’s been spending too long testing Mercedes Benzes.

Day 4: Public charging and sport duties

Psychologically, a range over 400km is plenty for me. I know I could get by with 200km if I was brutally honest, but the Ioniq 5’s range from its 72.6kWh battery has me in the comfort zone.

Even so, home charging proved too tardy so today I sought out a public fast charger. There’s a 50kW SmartCharge one 5km from my home so I plug it in here and hit the beach for a quick swim.

The car tells me it’s receiving 48kW from the charger – way down on the claimed 350kW it’ll take, or as our previous testing showed, closer to 250kW in the real world. Even so, this car needs an ultra fast charger to slash those charge times.

I start with 40 percent battery charge showing and at 48kW it suggests it’ll take 39 minutes to reach 80 percent, or an hour and seven minutes to hit 100 percent.

I tell it to stop charging (done via the SmartCharge app) when it hits 84 percent. Lovely to be able to do that while you enjoy a coffee a kilometre away from the charge point. It costs me $10.66 for the charge and my 84 percent gives me 374km range. All good there.

Interestingly, as the humidity is in the 90s and it’s like an oven in the Ioniq 5’s cabin I crank the air con up to maximum power and lowest temperature. Range with this setting says 274km. That’s 100km slashed off my range if I want the cabin like a fridge. Extreme conditions I know, but even so…

Another challenge for it today, too. I fancy some weekend biking so check the awkwardly-shaped triathlon bike can fit in. I’m astounded how easy it is. No wheels off, no lowering saddle. With the rear seats down it’s a cavernous space, with loading easy thanks to that rear hatchback. It’s wagon-like in its practicality.

Day 5: Okay, I want one

As previously mentioned, parts of Queensland have been suffering terrible flooding, especially some areas of Brisbane. I’m already getting quite the car-crush on the Ioniq 5 when I notice a social media post showing it can be a bloody hero, too.

An Ioniq 5 owner has gone to one of the flooded neighbourhoods and plugged a gurney into his Hyundai EV thanks to its vehicle-to-load function.

A Type 2 adapter plugs into the charging port and there’s a powerpoint on this, meaning you can use the car’s battery to power anything up to 3.3kW. That could be a coffee machine, fridge, electric bicycle, or in this case, that gurney to help people without power hose mud off their household goods in a flood crisis. A good samaritan with four wheels and a Hyundai badge.

I start looking in the classifieds to see if any smart arse is selling their Ioniq 5 knowing some people can’t stand waiting.

There are two up for grabs. Both for $100,000. A $24k premium over list price. In my warped, pro-Ioniq 5 mind I start thinking this is perfectly reasonable.

Knowing it’s unobtanium makes me want one more. As I plug it into the garage socket for an overnight power boost, in the darkness the EV’s rear lights look like an illuminated disco floor from the 1970s. They also cast a red glow over the rear’s ‘IONIQ 5’ white lettering – anther lovely attention to detail. The car you own should make you delighted to do so. It’s easy to see why this brilliant Hyundai is so damn desirable.

Day 5: Show me what you can do

While I am a convert to EVs for 90 percent of journeys – highways, traffic queues and commutes – I’ve yet to drive one that gets me emotionally involved the same way a petrol sportscar does.

I take the Ioniq 5 on my favourite local test route today and it’s as expected. Bloody good, bloody fast but not an assault on the senses. But for an EV, involving enough to merit seeking out some fun twisties on a Sunday arvo.

It weighs 2100kg so isn’t what you’d call nimble, but the grip is excellent from the sporting Michelin Pilot Sport tyres and it sits impressively flat in corners.

I reckon Hyundai’s got the AWD Ioniq 5’s acceleration spot on. While a Tesla Model 3 Performance or Porsche Taycan Turbo/Turbo S are mind-bending, they’re not really relevant to road use.

In Sport mode with regen turned off the Ioniq 5’s acceleration is beastly without ripping your face off. It’s not uncomfortably fast like the aforementioneds. You only need tap the throttle and it pulls like a train with impressive zip, and the wheels rarely spin up to distract you.

Day 6: Everyday duties

Today’s the day to remove my rose-coloured glasses and remind this car isn’t perfect.

The ride can be crashy over poor surfaces due to those performance tyres, and as with most Hyundais, the lane keep assist is so nannying I immediately turn it off. Its radar cruise control with semi-autonomous ‘lane follow’ is very welcome for lazy piloting in traffic though.

In traffic and town the regen works best. You can choose between 0,1,2, and 3 levels (via steering wheel paddles), plus an ‘i-pedal’ mode which brings you to a complete stop when lifting off the throttle. Brake free driving. You have to get used to this though as it’s pretty aggressive.

It’s a more normal, relaxed drive with all regen off, so I pick ‘0’ when out of town.

Thanks to localised flooding and a meeting being delayed I end up having to work on my laptop for an hour in the back of the Ioniq 5.

I tilt the seat back and pull up the sunshade. It’s an impressively roomy and relaxed environment – why don’t I work in EVs more often? Leaving the air con on when it’s 35C outside doesn’t help my economy. We’re now at an average of 19.7kWh/100km.

Day 7: Farewell and I’ll miss you

The Porsche Taycan aside, this is the best EV I’ve tested so far. When I consider the Ioniq 5 AWD is about a third of the price of your typical Taycan 4S, the Hyundai is an incredible achievement. At about $80k on the road it’s still a lot of money, but feels every inch worth it.

There’s genuine unhappiness from wife and two offspring when I explain it’s time to give the Ioniq 5 back. The kids still say they’d prefer a Tesla Model 3, but we work out that’s basically because it has fart sounds for indicators. If Hyundai could approve such an option please…

It’s beautiful, clever, spacious and impressive to drive in every condition bar pock-marked road surfaces. Its range is ample to quash anxiety and if you have a 350kW ultra fast charger nearby that you can regularly utilise you’re quids in. Even so, for most, a wallbox and regular top ups at home make it very easy to live with.

I return the Ioniq 5 after a leisurely cruise on the highway, and give a final return of 19kWh/100km – exactly what Hyundai quotes in official figures.

Lots of cars win lots of industry / media awards and they sometimes leave me confused. Not so here. The Ioniq 5 has been collecting silverware at a staggering rate. Having lived with this brilliant Hyundai for a week I’d suggest all its awards are richly deserved.

If supply could meet demand the Tesla Model 3 would have a serious sales fight on its hands.

EV 7-day logbook: Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD

The car: Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD

Price: $75,900 plus on-road costs

Price as tested: About $81,000 drive-away

Options fitted: None

Claimed EV consumption: 19.0kWh/100km

Actual EV consumption: 19.0kWh/100km

Kilometres travelled: 549km

Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD

Basics: EV, 5 seats, 5 doors, crossover SUV, AWD

Range: 430km (WLTP)

Battery capacity: 72.6kWh

Battery warranty: 8 years/160,000km

Energy consumption: 19.0kWh/100km

Motors: 1 front 70kW/255Nm and 1 rear 155kW/350Nm, total output 225kW/605Nm

AC charging: 10.5kW, Type 2 plug

DC charging: 230kW, CCS combo plug

0-100km/h: 5.2 seconds