The launch of every new car is important for a carmaker, but some more so than others. For Korean carmaker Hyundai, the launch of the IONIQ5 in India is all important.
They spared no expense in promoting this new vehicle. It was unveiled in Mumbai in December last year. Three of the cars were used to power a light show at the Gateway of India. At the Auto Expo in Greater Noida in January, Hyundai’s long-standing brand ambassador, Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan was roped in to launch the car.
But, the car isn’t all that new, the IONIQ5 has been available in global markets for over a year, and in that time it has won accolades from automotive publications across the world.
A combination of practicality, good looks and performance have made it a customer favourite. The car has been one of the top-selling electric vehicles in North America and Western Europe. But is the India-spec model any good? To answer that question, Hyundai India flew journalists down to Goa where we got to experience Hyundai’s future.
It was not a long drive — we drove down the twisty lanes of South Goa to an abandoned helipad where we could give the car the beans. An hour with the car gave an indication of what owners can expect.
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Hyundai vs Kia
The IONIQ5 is based on Hyundai Motor Groups’ electric Global Modular Platform (eGMP) and is the second car on this platform to be introduced in India after the Kia EV6. It is however slightly different from its Kia sibling; it has a smaller battery at 72.6 kilowatt-hours that Hyundai claims is good enough for a range of 631 kilometres. But crucially, the IONIQ5 has a single motor mounted on the rear axle as compared to Kia’s dual motor. And unlike the Kia, which is imported as a completely built unit, the Hyundai is assembled from a kit at Hyundai’s Chennai factory.
That last point also means that the Hyundai is cheaper than the Kia and significantly so. The Kia EV6 GT-Line costs Rs 65 lakh ex-showroom while the Hyundai IONIQ5 has an introductory price of Rs 45 lakh. Therein lies the friction, two cars on the same platform with the same energy management systems but with a significant price difference. Some might argue that in terms of space and performance, the Kia is better, but is it Rs 20 lakhs better?
Chances are that both will sell well even in India. Hyundai India’s managing director, Unsoo Kim announced at the drive that the carmaker has already received 650 bookings for the IONIQ5 and the introductory pricing has been revised upwards by a lakh. He also expects the carmaker to cross 1,000 bookings as the first cars come onto the road and “wow” others.
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A good-looking car
So how is the IONIQ5? Well, it is a very smart-looking car in my opinion, the ‘parametric pixel’ headlights and taillights stand out and the wedge shape on the side profile feels very modern. The twenty-inch wheels are massive and needed for the regenerative braking system, but they are attractive.
From the inside, there is no single-piece display unit, but two distinct screens. There is also a level of minimalism in the interiors, which is unusual because Hyundais are usually very busy inside. There is ample rear legroom. And even though the IONIQ5 is an SUV, climbing in and out of the car is easy enough.
The limited luggage space is the car’s biggest drawback. But it can be improved by taking out the spare tyre which is part of the ‘Tyre Mobility Kit’ (a puncture repair kit).
While the driving time was limited I do have a few salient points. First, the very solid regeneration — soft-pedal the car and adjust the regeneration from the paddles and you can really eke out fantastic range. Maybe not 600 kilometres, but 450-500 kilometres ought to be doable. Second, the car sits quite high which means that it dealt with the mini-mountains that Goans call speed-breakers without a care in the world. The IONIQ5 can accelerate very fast, it has a claimed 0-100 kmph time of 7.2 seconds and the speed is matched by excellent handling.
To be fair, this was just a teaser but Hyundai’s first ‘born electric’ (built as an electric from the ground up) is a very solid machine and lays the groundwork for their future electric models. That said, I will be spending a week or so with this car in the coming months and will give you a better idea of living with the electric in a future column.
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)