Four variants of award-winning EV spanning two battery capacities and two drive configurations locked in for 2022 release
The Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric vehicle portfolio will be expanded from two variants to four later this year when the MY22 range arrives Down Under comprising two ‘standard range’ and two ‘long range’ versions.
While local pricing and finer specification details are still to be announced, carsales uncovered the updated line-up within the government’s Road Vehicle Regulator database which confirmed Hyundai is making good on its promise to offer more affordable versions of the 2021 carsales Car of the Year.
The most affordable version has been dubbed the ‘2WD Standard Range’ and will be powered by a single 125kW/350Nm electric motor drawing current from a 58kWh battery pack.
It remains to be seen if the all-electric IONIQ 5 fastback crossover range continues to be offered in a solitary trim level or if the range will be split into two as it is overseas, but we do know that 19-inch alloy wheels will continue to feature across the range, with 20-inch rims set to be optional for long-range versions.
Above the base model, the familiar IONIQ 5 2WD will be rebadged as the ‘2WD Long Range’ and retain both its 160kW/350Nm motor as well as its 72.6kWh battery, indicating that Australia will miss out on the recently detailed 77.4kWh unit set to be offered in the UK.
That said, there may still be a chance for the optional new battery conditioning system.
Utilising the same battery as the base model but doubling the motor count will be the ‘4WD Standard Range’ which, thanks to the addition of a second electric motor, ups its outputs to a much healthier 173kW/605Nm.
Such a vast increase in firepower – primarily torque – will no doubt have a negative impact on the effective driving range compared to the 2WD version, but it will also elevate the level of available performance, with 0-100km/h acceleration dropping from 8.1 seconds to just 6.1sec.
Finally at the top of the range, the existing IONIQ 5 AWD will be rebadged as the ‘4WD Long Range’ and, like its lesser counterpart, retain all of its 225kW/605Nm shove along with the bigger 72.6kWh battery.
Hyundai Australia is yet to announce the driving ranges of the updated range but international WLTP figures are pegged at 384km, 451km, 362km and 430km respectively.
On the topic of radio silence, there’s been no update on the hotter Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, which has been spotted several times undergoing high-performance testing in Europe and is tipped to square off against the inbound Kia EV6 GT.
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Keyword: 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 line-up confirmed