2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV is quick like lightning, but more fun

2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD: A wolf in EV clothing?

Price: $55,920 as tested. Floor mats added $195; otherwise the vehicle was supremely optioned at the Limited trim.

Conventional wisdom: Edmunds.com calls it “shockingly fun to drive,” “better than performance models from Ford and Tesla.”

Marketer’s pitch: “Motor Trend SUV of the year.”

Reality: Gone with the whoosh.

Competition: Mustang Mach-E, Kia EV6, Volkswagen ID.4.

Back in charge: I promised I’d get back to the EV circuit before year’s end, and here we are. Next week we’re riding in the 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD, and then the Kia EV6 kicks off the new year.

The Ioniq 5 exudes practicality with its angular exterior and 1981 Plymouth Champ appearance. But get to know this SUV a little better.

An easy first test: We hopped in the Ioniq 5 for a quick errand when the EV first arrived, and I found it super easy to adjust to. EV designers usually come from the pioneer set, and they look for clever and innovative ways to confuse mere mortals like Mr. Driver’s Seat. (I’m glaring at you, VW ID.4 designers.)

But I was able to just go without having to dig through too many creative adjustments.

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What’s new: The whole thing (or at least it was for 2022). This is Hyundai’s answer to an electric crossover/SUV.

Up to speed: This will get you where you’re going in a hurry. The dual electric motors run by a 77.4-kWh battery pack create a combined 320 horsepower. It has 225 horses over the back wheels, which is what’s mostly engaged in regular driving.

But that doesn’t come close to describing the sensation of motion when you floor it. It’s just — whoosh — and gone, right up there with a Dodge Challenger. Honestly, the only other time I recall getting butterflies from accelerating a vehicle was drag racing the Demon version of the Challenger a few years back.

The Ioniq 5 gets to 60 mph in just 4.4 seconds, according to Motor Trend, which is far ahead of most of the gas-powered vehicles. It’s not really Demon territory, but it’s pretty close.

Shiftless: Even without gears, you still have to get it into drive or reverse, and Hyundai offers a great new way of doing it: A twist dial on the steering column just under the wiper controls. Twist backward for reverse and forward for drive; park is a button on the end of the stalk. Of all the clever new ways to get in gear, I think this is my favorite.

On the road: Handling on country roads is smooth and easy, and taking curves at great speeds can be done. The steering gets a little heavy in sport mode, but it still handles superbly.

Driver’s Seat: It’s just right — soft but not too squishy, not too firm at all but still supportive.

And it reclines — with a footrest and everything. Not convenient for driving, of course, but when you’re stopped, stretch on out.

Friends and stuff: The rear seat offers nice comfort. Space is great for legs, but feet and head have tight quarters for an SUV. The seat moves forward and back, but the center seat loses even its snug legroom when the seat is moved all the way forward. The seat also reclines.

One big bonus of the shifter stalk — plenty of room between the seats and under the dashboard for bags and things, so Mr. Driver’s Seat’s leather backpack finally has its own spot. The bag also never flopped into the footwells during sharp curves or sudden starts and stops.

Cargo space is 27.2 cubic feet behind the second row; 59.3 cubic feet behind the first — about the same size as a Kia Soul. Not as big as it looks because the batteries are under there.

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Play some tunes: The wide touchscreen display is worthy of a Genesis, Hyundai’s luxury brand. A knob controls volume, silver buttons control source, and then the touchscreen handles everything else.

Sound from the system is better than most Hyundais I’ve tried, A- almost moving into A territory.

Keeping warm and cool: A smooth ebony touch pad bar that sits underneath the infotainment center operates the HVAC. A light touch is all it takes to slide the temperature up or down, adjust the fan speed, or change source. The system toggles to seat heating or cooling as well, and then the complicated changes are handled through the touchscreen.

Range: The all-wheel-drive version offers 266 miles of range, a little on the short side (the front-drive model is beyond 300 miles). A rapid charger will move the needle from 10% charge to 80% in 18 minutes.

Powered up: The Ioniq 5 features a V2L (vehicle-to-load) function, which allows owners to charge electronics or even power appliances during an outage. It also allows for charging a stranded EV. Try that with your gasoline-powered vehicle.

Where it’s built: Ulsan, South Korea

How it’s built: Consumer Reports predicts the Ioniq 5′s reliability to be a 3 out of 5.

Next week: 2023 Genesis Electrified G80 AWD