Here\u2019s a Glimpse of the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV

01/13/2021

The Hyundai 45 concept, unveiled at the Frankfurt motor show in 2019, is not only headed into production as an EV but it also appears to not have lost much in the translation from concept to production car. Styled as a nod to the Giugiaro-penned 1974 Hyundai Pony hatchback, the 45 concept was really previewing the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 headed into production, seen in photos Hyundai revealed this week.

If you liked the design of the 45 concept, the good news is the near-production version seen in these photos suggests it will land close to the concept’s styling, and also have little in common with the design of Hyundai models on sale today, creating separate space for itself. The concept featured plenty of 1980s design elements, like square pixel-shaped headlights and taillights, boxy sides and a rakish greenhouse, as a nod to the original Pony hatch. The concept also featured clamshell body panels cut in straight lines, as a further nod to cars of the past and something not often seen today.

“Ioniq 5’s signature design elements include Parametric Pixels, the smallest unit of digital imaging, as well as its eco-friendly Color Material Finish (CMF) direction that connects the analogue with digital emotions, showcasing the IONIQ brand’s timeless design value,” Hyundai says.

“Ioniq 5’s front end is adorned with arrays of pixel-inspired lights suggestive of the digital technology within,” the automaker adds. “Ioniq 5 is also the first Hyundai vehicle to feature a clamshell hood that spans the entire width of the car, thus minimizing panel gaps and creating a clean and high-tech overall look.”

What else can we glean from these images?

For starters, it’s clear that the car’s wheels will be absolutely massive in proportion to the rest of the car. The photo of the left side shows just how much space the wheel well takes up in proportion to the rest of the bodywork and the car itself. We can also see that the production model will have an exceptionally short front overhang because, after all, there isn’t going to be an engine under that hood. Instead, as the 45 concept showed, the EV will have a long wheelbase with wheels pushed out to the four corners of the car, which will sit on the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). This should buy the cabin an impressive amount of room while the battery is positioned low in the floor between the two axles. This will give the car a very low center of gravity, which should also give it surefooted handling, especially when paired with very short overhangs. E-GMP could also be the platform Hyundai is trying to get Apple to use, but that’s total speculation.

However, a couple of things we haven’t heard from Hyundai so far are the production model’s battery and power specs, and just how many motors will be doing the work. The Ioniq 5 is expected to be sized closer to a large hatch than a compact crossover, which should make it one of the lighter EVs on sale, but beyond that it’s hard to tell just where Hyundai believes it should land range-wise. We think a 200+ mile range is pretty much assured, but the Ioniq being able to crack the 350-mile mark is doubtful. After all, it won’t be all that big on the outside.

“Ioniq 5 presents an all-new customer experience through innovative EV design that is evocative of the icon that established Hyundai’s design DNA,” said SangYup Lee, Senior Vice President and Hyundai Global Design Center boss. “Beginning with IONIQ 5, our dedicated BEV lineup brand will redefine the relationship between people and their cars, establishing a new standard against which all BEV design experiences will be measured.”

We should have a clearer picture of the Ioniq’s capabilities in February, when Hyundai reveals the production version in its entirety.

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