Why is the IONIQ 5’s super-long wheelbase the key to everything?
Press pictures suggests the IONIQ 5 as a stylish but maybe conventional mid-size family hatchback. However, its wheelbase is actually the size of a large SUV, akin to having a Mercedes GLE wheelbase sitting within a much smaller Mercedes GLB. The IONIQ 5’s 3000mm wheelbase is even longer than a Jaguar I-Pace’s while the car is considerably shorter overall. This allows the windscreen to be pushed forward and its wheels nudged out to the body’s edges. Due to the EV-only platform, without need for a conventional transmission tunnel, an exceptionally large cabin is created and with a truly flat floor. “The concept was an ‘inside-out’ design,” says SangYup Lee, head of Hyundai global design. “The IONIQ 5 is mid-size but its interior offers something mid-to-large in terms of legroom. We really wanted this car to have the maximum interior space. The car doesn’t have a ‘shoulder’ either, so the glass doesn’t go inward. It’s all about space innovation.”
What’s the IONIQ 5’s lounge-inspired sliding centre console all about?
One of the IONIQ’s party pieces is its movable centre console, dubbed the ‘Universal Island’. Able to sit in line with the edge of the front seats or slide 140mm backwards to be closer to rear passengers, it also has enough room to house a large handbag under its armrest and allow better access across the car too. That’s because unlike other brand’s sliding consoles – like the one in the Renault Scenic for instance – Hyundai’s design team also moved the gear selector up to the steering wheel column, to gain a genuinely walk-through flat floor. As Lee adds: “If you’re stuck in a tight parking space you can slide the console back and walk across the front of the car’s cabin easily.”
IONIQ 5’s ‘zero-gravity’ seats park-up for rest and relaxation
The IONIQ 5’s ‘zero-gravity’ seat isn’t a feature for using on the move, but could allow for a serious nap at a rest-stop, while the EV charges up perhaps. “We came up with the zero-gravity seat for when the car is parked and you want to relax,” says Lee. “The seat angle allows you to lie down with leg support to gain a lounge feel. These are the thinnest seats we have ever used, but without compromising any comfort and functionality.”
Why the IONIQ 5’s dashboard has a truly ‘magnetic’ personality
Because no journalist has really seen this car up close yet, it’s easy to miss some of the IONIQ’s details, but on the smaller side of its instrument panel, to the right of the steering wheel on UK cars, there will be a magnetic board for placing fridge-style magnets and notes. “This sort of attention to detail is very special,” says Lee, “It’s not a metal board but a piece of fabric, so even without attachments it’s a nice element.”
Keyword: Hyundai design boss reveals IONIQ 5’s interior secrets