It promises to be a period full of Japanese and Korean news. Nissan has a brand new Qashqai behind the scenes and further west it is Hyundai that finally pulls the curtain on the fully electric Ioniq 5. The brand already shows two interior photos.
Hyundai will present a promising electric model to the world on 23 February: the Ioniq 5. That electric newcomer, which will be marketed as Hyundai Ioniq 5 and not just as Ioniq 5, is the first EV from Hyundai and Kia to be launched on the new E-GMP platform specially intended for electric cars. Previous images already showed that the car will be very similar to the warmly received Hyundai 45 Concept that debuted in Frankfurt in 2019. Good news for those who liked the interior of that study model as well as the exterior: the interior follows the design of that of its conceptual predecessor.
Based on the concept car, we can expect a minimalist interior.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 gets an interior that is almost as minimalist as that of the 45 Concept. There are of course some important differences. For example, the immense display that is behind the wheel seems to have been split up into two screens, whereas with the 45 Concept there was only one. Under the right display, which functions as an infotainment system, Hyundai seems to have installed a small tray. Below it we observe a wide, sleek button island. These buttons were on the 45 Concept directly below the screen.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 (interior)
As mentioned, the E-GMP platform is completely focused on electric cars. This means, among other things, that the base guarantees a completely flat floor in the models that will use it. According to Hyundai, the interior of the Ioniq 5 is not only remarkably spacious, but also quite flexible. For example, the entire center tunnel, which Hyundai calls the Universal Island, is slidable. Getting out on ‘the other side’ in a tight parking space is a piece of cake, according to Hyundai. In addition, the interior is finished with what the Koreans describe as ‘ecologically friendly’ materials. The seats themselves are electrically adjustable. The seats are about thirty percent thinner than conventional ones, which should benefit the space available for rear passengers. In the back it promises to be anything but tight, since the Ioniq 5 gets a relatively long wheelbase.
Hyundai has already announced a special introduction version: the Project 45. This variant, clearly named after the 45 Concept, is the first version of the Ioniq 5 that can be reserved online. Only 3,000 copies will be available. The Netherlands is fortunate, our country, together with France, Germany, the United Kingdom and Norway, is one of the few countries where the Hyundai Ioniq 5 Project 45 is available. The first copies should be in the showroom in the summer of this year.
Specifications
According to previously leaked information, the Ioniq 5 is about 4.65 meters long and will be available in various variants. There will be a 315 hp four-wheel drive variant that is good for a 0-100 km / h sprint in 5.2 seconds. That version would squeeze 450 WLTP kilometers from a 58 kWh battery pack. A 73 kWh version would even reach a driving range of 550 kilometers. Very decent numbers if they are based on truth. The model will be joined by the Ioniq 6 and 7 at a later stage.