Like it or not, the electric vehicle (EV) wave is here right in front of our doors, as we’ve lost count of the number of EVs that have been launched in Malaysia over the past few years. Despite the situation, the Malaysian EV market is still in its infancy and the vast majority of Malaysians have yet to experience what it is like to drive an EV. This is who yours truly was until he was given an assignment to review the Hyundai Ioniq 5 for a few days.
This writer lives in a household that has only owned gasoline internal combustion engine (ICE) powered cars. This means the family never had a mild hybrid (MHEV), a plug-in hybrid (PHEV), a full EV, or even a diesel-powered car parked inside their porch before. So, can the Hyundai Ioniq 5 be a perfect first EV for EV newbies?
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 Max at a glance:
| Drivetrain | Dual-motor AWD |
| Battery | 72.6 kWh lithium-ion polymer |
| Range (WLTP) | 430 km |
| Combined power output | 305 hp (metric) |
| Total torque | 605 Nm |
| 0-100 km/h; Top speed | 5.2 seconds; 185 km/h |
| Price | RM270,408 |
Driving Experience: Quiet, comfortable, and confidence-inspiring
Experiencing a full EV like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 for the very first time is refreshing. Driving in peace and silence without engine noise was something I did not expect myself to have enjoyed as much as I did.
Before comprehensively trying out an EV, yours truly has always sworn by engine sounds, which he still loves to this day, as going for a weekend drive without them feels kind of… well, weird, and not as fun. This is sort of similar to how loyal fans of Android or Apple tend to show their hate for each other’s platforms passionately even before trying them out in the first place.
During non-enthusiastic, day-to-day intercity and even highway drives, however, EVs make total sense. This is because EVs are quiet and don’t make additional noise to the already noisy city traffic. Also, due to not having an engine that has pistons creating explosions inside them, vibrations are significantly reduced too, except for the ones coming from the road and tyres.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 we tested is specifically the top-of-the-line Max variant, which costs RM270,408 (OTR, without insurance) and packs a dual-motor setup that pushes out a healthy dose of 305 hp (metric) and 605 Nm. Power is sent to all four wheels via an all-wheel drive (AWD) system.
While the Ioniq 5 Max’s high torque figures may sound overwhelming, it puts down its power pretty well, thanks to its logical throttle mapping and well-tuned chassis. Its ride height also makes it feel more like a big hatchback when sitting inside it, rather than an SUV.
Thanks to Hyundai’s Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) and the nicely-tuned suspension setup, handling is nicely done for a car of this size and weight, which is 2,540 kg, just in case you are wondering. Body roll is reduced to a minimum, which is impressive for an SUV, and both the body and steering response are sharp enough too.
However, the Ioniq 5 is not a sporty car by any means, which wasn’t Hyundai’s intention when designing it anyway. That’s probably why the Korean carmaker decided to make the much sportier Ioniq 5 N as well. All in all, driving the Ioniq 5 around is certainly confidence-inspiring, which is of utmost importance. Well done Hyundai, well done.
Charging Experience: Easy but requires preliminary planning
Since we’re talking about an EV, we can’t avoid the charging topic, can we? You have probably heard people saying how important electricity is to EVs, just like how fuel is to ICE cars. However, unlike fueling up a car, charging technology today still isn’t as fast as we hope it to be.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 Max is packed with a 72.6 kWh battery, which is larger than the 58 kWh unit found in the more affordable variants. On paper, the Ioniq 5 Max is claimed to be capable of carrying you as far as 430 km (WLTP) on a single charge.
However, even with a full charge, the estimated remaining range shown on the Ioniq 5’s digital instrument display is just under 400 km. This makes sense as almost no cars in this world can achieve the suggested range shown on their instrument meters unless you’re driving in a car manufacturer’s testing facility.
Yours truly’s daily routine as an automotive journalist consists of travelling to the office and back, which is around 18 km per trip. But of course, there are the occasional events we need to attend.
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The Hyundai Ioniq 5 can be charged at a maximum rate of 11 kW with AC charging. This helps juice up the Max variant’s 72.6 kWh battery up from flat to full in 6.1 hours. The Korean EV can also handle a maximum DC charging rate of 350 kW, which can top it up from 10 to 80% in 18 minutes.
With a three-phase AC wall box at the AutoBuzz HQ, driving an EV has been made much easier as we can just plug the car in whenever the car is at the office. But the real challenge comes during days when we have event after event to attend on the same day, and with no EV chargers to be found nearby, nor the time to wait for the car to be charged.
Indeed, that day eventually came, when the Ioniq 5 was left with just slightly over 50% state of charge (SoC) and an estimated remaining range of 201 km by the end of the work day. This shouldn’t be an issue for a 20 km drive back home…
Range Anxiety: An unavoidable issue with all EVs
…unless, you’re an idiot like myself who for whatever reason thought it was a good idea to bring the car up Genting the same night. Why not right? The infamous mountain is among the best ways to experience a car’s performance. This is despite with just slightly over 50% SoC and 200 km of estimated range left. For context, a trip to Genting Highlands and back to my residence would be an approximate 150-km trip.
Upon passing by the Genting Premium Outlet entrance, the Ioniq 5’s battery percentage was already at 25%. This is because EVs are usually more efficient when in city traffic, but drink battery juice like nobody’s business when the electric motor is needed to power the wheels constantly, or when climbing up a hill.
This is when range anxiety started to kick in for real, causing me to quickly rethink my decision to go up Genting for a quick breather. I then took a quick turn down the mountain at the Chin Swee Temple, hoping and praying that the regenerative braking feature could help squeeze out a couple of battery percentages.
Guess what, my prayers were answered. By the time the car reached the bottom of the hill, it gained back a total of 10% and managed to reach home safely, with approximately 23% left. This leaves more than enough juice to travel to the office the next morning, and for the car to finally feast on the electricity it craved since the night before.
So, if you want to own an EV in Malaysia, and have a reasonably peaceful life while doing it, you will need an EV charging facility at your residence. When making long-distance trips, be sure to look for EV chargers that are located along the way, and plan on charging them from time to time to avoid range anxiety. Alternatively, you may reserve yourself a traditional ICE car solely for that purpose.
Exterior: Back to the future in style
Take a look at the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and you won’t disagree that it is an interesting-looking car. It not only looks futuristic but certainly has character too.
It does look quirky, but Hyundai tastefully executed this assignment. The same can’t be necessarily said for its elder sibling, the Ioniq 6 though. Still, I won’t judge you if you think otherwise, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Because, guess what, I find the first-gen Hyundai Veloster Turbo good-looking.
Interior: Modern yet familiar, with some quirks
Inside, the Ioniq 5’s interior looks minimalistic like many other EVs. However, thanks to a proper 12.3-inch digital instrument display, along with proper signal and wiper stalks, it feels more like a traditional car, compared to the super-minimalistic Tesla.
Speaking of the digital instrument display, there is also a central touchscreen of the same size located just beside it. The infotainment user interface (UI) works fine but when using wired Android Auto, a couple of issues surfaced.
The infotainment forces the user to check these two functions (shown in the image below), just for wired Android Auto to function. It is not clear whether this is an issue with the Ioniq 5’s infotainment system, or yours truly’s phone, but it is certainly annoying, to say the least.
Another annoying thing about the Ioniq 5 is its ADAS feature that resets itself whenever the car is restarted every single time. For instance, if you decide to turn off the lane keep assist (LKA) feature for whatever reason, but when you start up the car the next day, the feature is on again.
The touch-based aircon control unit isn’t the easiest to get used to at the start, as I often find myself staring at it, trying to find the right button to press.
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Though not a con at all, the twist knob-style gear selector that is located behind the steering wheel also has a bit of a learning curve. Instead of moving it up and down as you might naturally do at first glance, you’re supposed to twist the tip to select a gear.
Also unlike the gear selectors found in traditional automatic transmission cars, twisting the gear selector backwards slots the gear into D, while forward slots it into R, which is the opposite of what it is like in conventional ICE or hybrid cars.
Space-wise, the Ioniq 5 does fare like an SUV. The rear seats are not just comfortable, but you do get a decent amount of legroom and headroom too. Like all EVs, there is no central tunnel at the back, all four of your family members or friends will be able to fit inside your car comfortably.
Features that surprised me include the aircon vents on the B-pillar and the adjustable rear seats which can not only recline freely but also slide forwards and backwards, just like an MPV. This will certainly leave a smile on your in-laws’ faces.
Speaking of in-laws, you don’t need to worry when bringing them on a trip either, as the Ioniq 5 does have an ample amount of boot space. Even camping can be made possible thanks to its vehicle-to-load (V2L) feature.
Verdict
All in all, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a jack-of-all-trades EV, but does cost a bit more, at least in Malaysia. But if you like its looks, and don’t mind paying the price, you certainly won’t go wrong with an EV like this.
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GALLERY
