A year since its first release, Hyundai has announced it will boost the largest battery option and add other neat upgrades to its stylish and ground-breaking Ioniq 5.
Hyundai’s first dedicated electric vehicle has made headlines since its launch overseas in February 2021, winning numerous accolades.
It also stunned Hyundai’s local arm selling out its first allocation within hours of going live, giving a taste of the appetite that Australians are developing for well-designed, electric-only cars.
A year down the track and the South Korean carmaker is now upping the ante, with the top-of-the-line 72.6kWh long-range option getting a 7% boost up to 77.4kWh.
While Hyundai hasn’t specified a corresponding range increase, it’s reasonable to expect a range increase of around 7% on top of the long-range Ioniq 5’s current 480km (WLTP) will follow once driving range ratings are completed.
In a bid to improve the charging experience for Ioniq 5 owners, Hyundai is also adding battery conditioning to make sure the cells are at the optimal temperature to decrease time at the charger. This activates when a charging site is entered in the car’s navigation.
In addition to the larger battery, Hyundai will also add digital interior and exterior mirrors (aka cameras!), with an external camera installed in the centre at the back below the rear spoiler to give enhanced vision regardless of the weather.
The upgrades, says VP for marketing at Hyundai Europe Andreas-Christoph Hofmann, are aimed at maintaining the well-received reputation the Ioniq 5 has already carved itself on the EV market.
“The segment is growing increasingly competitive, and we will be offering enhanced features to defend our position as technology leader in the automotive industry,” Hofmann said via a statement.
Since the announcement comes from Hyundai’s UK office, it is possible that we will see the same additions to its local lineup down the track, although when is the big questions.
A spokesperson for Hyundai Australia told The Driven there are no plans as yet to add the larger battery option, but as was confirmed to The Driven on Monday, Australian drivers will see the same lineup as the UK which will also include a more affordable, smaller battery option (although timing has not yet been confirmed.)
Hyundai has yet to advise of any new pricing after the upgrade.
Bridie Schmidt is associate editor for The Driven, sister site of Renew Economy. She has been writing about electric vehicles since 2018, and has a keen interest in the role that zero-emissions transport has to play in sustainability. She has participated in podcasts such as Download This Show with Marc Fennell and Shirtloads of Science with Karl Kruszelnicki and is co-organiser of the Northern Rivers Electric Vehicle Forum. Bridie also owns a Tesla Model Y and has it available for hire on evee.com.au.