Hyundai revises range for Ioniq 5, ditches smaller battery and digital side mirrors

South Korean automaker Hyundai has unveiled a new range of models for its popular Ioniq 5 electric SUV, slashing the number of variants and also ditching the smaller battery variant and the digital side mirrors.

The news comes also with new pricing, with the simplified line-up starting from $76,200 for the base model and scaling up to $115,000 for the flagship N model.

The now three variants for the Ioniq 5 include the entry-level, sans-modifier Ioniq 5, the Ioniq 5 Elite, and the Ioniq 5 N Line Premium, which is not the same as the Ioniq 5 N, which is its own single variant.

According to Hyundai, these new naming conventions are designed to align the car with its broader range of models. So the Ioniq 5 Dynamiq becomes the Ioniq 5 Elite, and the Ioniq 5 Epiq becomes the Ioniq 5 N Line Premium.

The most significant changes are in the battery size, with 63kWh battery featured in the 125kW RWD 63kWh discontinued, along with the digital side mirror option.

All four new variants will be powered by an “Extended Range” 84-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery. The first two variants feature rear-wheel drive with 168kW of power and 350Nm of torque, but differ on range, with the base level variant boasting a WLTP range of 570 kilometres and the Ioniq 5 Elite only 530 kilometres.

Unsurprisingly, the range drops again for the N Line Premium thanks to its dual motor all-wheel drive, 74kW on the front and 165kWh on the back, putting out torque of 255Nm and 350Nm respectively. Its WLTP range is therefore down to 495 kilometres.

The power goes up again for the top-of-the-line Ioniq 5 N, with dual motor all-wheel drive from 166kW front and 282kW rear motors, putting out 370Nm and 400Nm of torque respectively, but a reduced range of 448 kilometres.

All four models will come with Hyundai Digital Key 2.0, a smartphone-based car key that lets users lock, unlock, and start their car from their own phones or smartwatch – though the exact features depend on how “smart” your smartphone and watch are.

Devices without ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology will still be able to utilise the phone’s NFC to tap the phone against the door handle to open the car door and on the NFC wireless reader to start the car. But those with UWB functionality need only walk up with a compatible device to control the vehicle.

Pricing starts from $76,200 (MLP, including Luxury Car Tax (LCT) where applicable but excluding delivery and on-road costs) for the Ioniq 5, steps up to $81,200 for the 5 Elite, $91,700 for the 5 N Line Premium, and maxes out at $115,000 for the Ioniq 5 N.