Hyundai’s radical Ioniq 5 EV confirmed for New Zealand

Hyundai’s futuristic and much talked about new electric car, the Ioniq 5, has been confirmed for New Zealand showrooms.

In a statement issued today, the Korean car-maker’s local arm said that the crease-filled model is estimated to land here in the second half of 2021. It’s currently taking orders for the car, in the form of a refundable $500 deposit.

Local interest in electric cars is currently on the increase, as evidenced by increasing numbers of registrations each month from the Motor Industry Association. Hyundai New Zealand says it’s fielded “significant interest” in the model, with pre-orders reaching double digits prior to today’s announcement.

“We are really pleased by the initial interest in the Ioniq 5. Our team and dealer network are really excited about bringing this EV into New Zealand, and it seems many other EV enthusiasts are too,” says Andy Sinclair, Hyundai New Zealand General Manager.

“In a matter days we’ve had a large volume of people register their interest to hear more about this vehicle, as well as pre-orders.”

Pricing and spec is yet to be confirmed, however locals should expect to pay around $75,000–$85,000. This is based on reports of a reported price leak in Europe for the limited edition high-spec Ioniq 45 launch model. According to a webpage that briefly appeared on Hyundai’s UK website, the model will cost £48,000 (£45,000 after incentives) — that’s around $90,000 based on current exchange rates.

The local demand dovetails with reports of strong demand for the model in Europe. Less than a week after its launch, Hyundai Motor Europe received an impressive 236,000 enquiries from potential customers in the continent. That’s more interest than any other Hyundai has ever garnered in Europe; and most likely in the world.

On top of its futuristic styling, the Ioniq 5 also signals the arrival of Hyundai’s new Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), the brand’s first dedicated electric car architecture. This new platform enables the 5 to be charged with 400V or 800V capability.

As reported previously, the Ioniq 5 is actually longer and wider than its Tucson sibling. And, when plugged into a 350V charger, Hyundai says it takes just 18 minutes to get it from 10 per cent charge to 80 per cent charge. Two battery packs are set to be offered overseas; a 58kWh pack and a 72.6kWh pack. These come paired to two different drivetrain layouts in the form of a single motor front-wheel drive layout or a dual-motor all-wheel drive layout.

The dual-motor 72.6kWh variant is set to be the most powerful of the bunch, producing 225kW of power and 605Nm of torque, with 100km/h arriving on the speedometer in 5.2 seconds. The single-motor 72.6kWh variant, meanwhile, offers over 470km of range per charge, Hyundai says, with power and torque rated at 160kW/350Nm.