The Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 are the mainstays of the Hyundai Ioniq range
As a car brand, having a strong identity in a digital age is not as easy as you would imagine, especially since the obsession with features and functions tends to dominate the proceedings.
However, as a legacy automaker, you know you have made good life choices when your cars have enough recognisable traits to be tied back to the brand. So while the empirical features do appeal to a buyer’s purse strings, they are transient, because most, if not all, will be surpassed by the time of the next facelift.
This is why we reckon it is the emotional element of a car that tugs at one’s heartstrings, allowing it to stand the test of a COE cycle (at the very least) and the relentless march of technology.
In many ways, this is the true manifestation of a brand’s prestige, especially amidst a sea of relatively homogeneous products that, yes, boast near-identical features.
See also: Fast & Furious in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N
Without the salient design elements and personality traits that define a legacy brand’s offerings, a new brand’s anonymity can sometimes make for quite an ignoble ownership experience.
Hyundai is one of those enlightened brands that offers a full-bodied range of powertrain solutions encompassing ICE (internal combustion engine) vehicles, hybrids and electric vehicles (EV).
See also: Touring Jeju Island in the Hyundai Ioniq 5
The Ioniq range is the Korean carmaker’s electrified pillar, which, at present, includes the Ioniq 9 multi-seater SUV, the Ioniq 5 crossover (pictured above), and the swoopy Ioniq 6 four-door coupe.
In addition to the single- and dual-motor variants of the Ioniq 5, there is also the fire-breathing Ioniq 5 N that is available in Singapore. Local buyers might also be interested to know that the non-N derivatives of the Ioniq 5 are assembled in Singapore at the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS).
There are several methods for achieving a “family” look. Some brands maintain a cookie-cutter approach and keep a uniform “face” across the entire range. Still, Hyundai has adopted an elegant “chess-piece” strategy to its design, so the various models are different, yet the same.
Each Hyundai model is treated as a distinct chess piece, differentiated by its function and how it fulfils an owner’s lifestyle needs. (pictured above is the facelift Ioniq 6)
For more lifestyle, arts and fashion trends, click here for Options Section
However, all the models are unified under the brand’s “Sensuous Sportiness” philosophy, which includes common design language details, such as parametric pixel lighting and the four indicator LEDs on the steering wheels of the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6.
The charmingly chunky Ioniq 5 was the first model to be built using Hyundai’s E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform), the brand’s dedicated 800V EV architecture. The charismatic five-door crossover-hatchback injects a whimsical dose of nostalgia and DNA from the brand’s iconic Pony model into the Ioniq 5’s futuristic package.
In full-fat N guise, the Ioniq 5 N is power-packed to deliver a maximum of 650hp and 770Nm, but it is not just a one-trick pony that is fast in a straight line. The driving enthusiasts behind its conception engineered it to deliver visceral thrills familiar to petrolheads when the going gets curvy. The weight of its controls and the delivery of its performance are deep in sports car territory, so there’s ample feel when you’re in maximum attack mode.
The Ioniq 6 (pictured above is the facelifted Ioniq 6) takes the svelte form of a stylish and sophisticated four-door coupe, with a distinctive “streamliner” silhouette that turns heads wherever it goes, not to mention its ultra-low aerodynamic drag coefficient of 0.21. At the time of writing, the Ioniq 6 is no longer available for sale in Singapore ahead of the facelift model’s launch.
Despite the all-electric credentials of the Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6, we’re glad that Hyundai does not digitalise controls for the sake of it, or build the entire interior around an oversized tablet. This means there is a meaningful combination of analogue switchgear and a digital, touch-based interface, rather than just digitising everything, as is the trend in many new EVs
The interior ergonomics and architecture are on point for the Hyundai brand. Despite the all-electric status of the Ioniq 5 and the Ioniq 6, the brand never feels like it has abandoned its roots. There are thoughtful features too, which include the drawer-like glovebox and V2L (vehicle-to-load) ability, which lets the car power your family’s devices when you’re out and about.
We caught up with the current owner of an Ioniq 5 N, orthopaedic surgeon Dr Roland Chong (pictured above), to find out what this serial sportscar owner thinks of the electric hot-hatchback. However, more interestingly, he also has another Ioniq 5, a regular, dual-motor one, in his garage for his wife to use.
“We really enjoyed the Ioniq 5, so we decided to buy the Ioniq 5 N. The drive is wonderful, and between the Korean and Chinese brands, I still prefer the former. I’m hoping to find an open space where I can experience the N Drift Optimizer safely and legally. Still, ideally, I would like to attend a Hyundai-organised drive programme,” Chong tells us. “Furthermore, I like all the features that make the Ioniq 5 N feel like an ICE sports car!”
He adds: “The Ioniq 5 N proves that an electric car does not need to be mundane and ordinary, because its technology has turned it into a credible driving instrument. It certainly feels faster than my Porsche, because the Ioniq 5 N's initial kick is a lot more immediate.”
“Compared to an ICE sportscar, the Ioniq 5 N is flawless in its technical delivery, but I don’t see this as a bad thing. For instance, I know that when I ‘rev’ it to a certain point, the car will react with burbles and pops. Personally, I like such perfection and precision, because I can anticipate its reactions in response to my actions as a driver — I like to be able to predict the performance of the car,” Chong says.
