After initially teasing the new, fully electric Ioniq 5 crossover/hatchback a little too tantalizingly—by showing essentially nothing at all—Hyundai is back and ready to give us all a better peek at the new EV. In fact, Hyundai is serving up three glimpses of its first-ever dedicated electric SUV in the buff: There’s a shot of the front end, a photo of the rear, and a closeup of the front wheel and fender.
If the name “BMW” leaped into your brain while scanning the Ioniq 5 photos, you aren’t alone. The hooded quad LED headlight accents and well-defined hood bulge suggest some design inspiration from Bavaria. The resemblance fades the further aft one’s eye moves down the Ioniq 5’s body; by the time your gaze makes it to the rear doors and tail, you might begin noticing some rather cool ’80s Euro hatchback cues. We see some Lancia Delta Integrale in the Hyundai’s chunky butt, raked hatch, and flared rear fenders. The full-width graphic on the rear where the four square taillights live is unique, and matches the front, though each end of the car features unusually large Hyundai “H” badges that seem out of scale.
The Ioniq 5’s body is generally clean, with restrained surfacing and the aforementioned chunky volumes, similar to the 45 Concept, but there are interesting details, too. The front wheel arch is molded with twisting marks that bring to mind slotted brake rotors or a camera lens, and silvery trim adorns the lower body and lighting elements. The bright portions of the massive 20-inch wheels work in visual concert with the fender adornments, while the inner section is a wonderfully intricate web design reminiscent of the rollers on newer Genesis luxury products.
Underneath its edgy styling, the Ioniq 5 will use Hyundai’s all-new global electric car platform, which arrives as part of a big EV push that will see the Korean automaker spin the Ioniq name off as the brand for its electric cars and SUVs. The Ioniq 5 will be capable of taking on 62 miles of range in only five minutes of charging (per European testing standards) and can even deliver power externally, supplying up to 3.5 kW for 11o- or 220-volt devices. Look for further details and a full reveal of the Ioniq 5 soon.