Frequently Asked Questions about the Hyundai IONIQ 5

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 has taken the industry by storm, winning awards and converting former electric car skeptics. It is currently the 2nd best-selling battery electric vehicle in the U.S. not named “Tesla,” and most of its purchasers are first-time electric car buyers. Purchasing any new car poses several questions, and considering a move to an all-electric vehicle can present even more. Hyundai of Mankato had heard several of these questions and has gathered some of them here to help you in your consideration.

Is the IONIQ 5 an SUV?

Even when Motor Trend awarded the 2023 IONIQ 5 its SUV of the year award, they started the award presentation article with the question “What is an SUV?” and acknowledged that if you “Ask a dozen people and you’ll get a dozen answers.” The pro SUV argument is that the IONIQ is a somewhat tall vehicle with a hatch for cargo access that is available with all-wheel drive (AWD). The counter-argument brings its 4-door hatchback to shape (a modern take on the original Giorgetto Giugiaro-designed Excel hatch), moderate ground clearance, and you don’t see the usual lower body cladding and other off-road visual elements of SUVs. Hyundai calls it a “Crossover” and groups it with its other SUVs on its website. What is more important is if the IONIQ 5 can do what you want a car to do.

How Big Is the IONIQ 5?

The IONIQ 5 is about the size of a compact crossover. Its width and overall length are very close to the Tucson, though it has a 10-inch longer wheelbase. It is about 2.5 inches lower, mostly due to about two fewer inches of ground clearance. Front headroom, legroom, and shoulder room all vary from the Tucson’s by an inch or less. Tucson has about 2 more inches for rear legroom, though IONIQ 5 is largely competitive for the class as a whole. At 27.2 / 59.3 cubic feet, IONIQ 5’s seats-up / down cargo space is about 10 cubic feet shy of the Tucson’s.

What Is the IONIQ 5’s Range?

The IONIQ 5 is available with a 56 kWh (kilowatt hour) battery with one-motor RWD and a larger 72.6 kWh battery with a choice of RWD or two-motor AWD. Each of these has its own EPA estimated range. The base model with the smaller battery and RWD is rated at 220 miles. Stay with RWD but opt for the larger battery, and the estimated range leaps to 303 miles. Add AWD, which is only available with the larger battery, and the estimated range is 256 miles.

Of course, to paraphrase, your range may vary. Stop-and-go driving in the city and congested traffic will produce a longer range than steady highway cruising, and the amount of climate control can have an impact. Here in Minnesota, the winter cold will reduce range but not so much to make the car unusable. One Minnesota owner reported a cruising range in -10 F weather of about 160 on their AWD model and about 200 miles for the same trim when the temperature rose to 25 F.

How Long Does Charging Take?

Like any battery electric vehicle, If you install a Level 2 charger at your home (Level 1 is conventional household current), the IONIQ 5 will fully charge overnight. To be more specific, charging from 10% to 100% will take about six hours.

Charging time is more of an issue when it involves a stop on a road trip. Here, the IONIQ 5 shines. Because it has the first 800-volt architecture in a mainstream brand model, (previously only available in the Porsche Taycan), DC-direct fast charging at the maximum power of 175 kW, takes approximately 18 to 23 minutes to charge from 10 to 80%. Due to the nature of charging, going to 100% will double the overall charge time, so charging to 80% is the recommendation for road trips.

Does the IONIQ 5 Require Any Special Maintenance?

When was the last time you performed regular maintenance on an electric fan? Likewise, the IONIQ 5 drivetrain requires essentially no maintenance at all. Oil changes, maintaining coolant or transmission fluid levels, belts or spark plug replacements, and other conventional engine and transmission maintenance issues will all be a thing of the past. That said, non-drivetrain maintenance is pretty much the same. Thus you will still have to rotate and change tires and replace wipers and the cabin filter. With LED lighting throughout, any needed bulb replacement is also unlikely.

What Awards Has the IONIQ 5 Won?

OK, maybe people don’t often ask that, but we wish they would because the IONIQ 5 is presently one of the most awarded models on the planet. Accolades include:

• 2023 Motor Trend SUV of the Year
• World Car of the Year Awards:
• World Car of the Year
• World Electric Vehicle
• World Car Design of the Year
• Best Electric Crossover for Good Housekeeping’s 2023 Best New Family Cars
• 2023 Top Pick Family EV by Cars.com
• 2023 Best Electric Vehicle by Cars.com
• Edmunds Top Rated Electric SUV of 2023
• Car and Driver 10Best Trucks and SUVs Award
• The Car Connection Best Electric Car To Buy 2023 Award
• 2023 Kelley Blue Book Best Buy Award
• 10 Best Cars Selection at Japan Car of the Year

If you are interested in possibly switching to an electric vehicle, want to see what all those awards are about, or just want to know more about the IONIQ 5, first go here, and then pay a visit to Hyundai of Mankato for a closer look and test drive.