Hyundai IONIQ 5

Cabin

There are two 12.25-inch display run side by side on a single sweeping dashboard. One handles the digital instrument cluster, and the other handles the touchscreen infotainment system. A magnetic dashboard strip lets owners attach accessories without drilling or sticking anything to the surface. The column-mounted shift-by-wire frees up space beneath the screens for the Universal Island console.

A vision roof made from a single uninterrupted glass panel removes the usual centre support bar. So the cabin feels more open than its actual dimensions suggest, and so do the surfaces throughout. This includes the dashboard and steering wheel, which are finished in a bio-paint made from rapeseed and corn oils rather than standard synthetic coatings.

Front Seat

• The Universal Island centre console slides back up to 140 mm, adjusting the space between driver and passenger on demand
• Seats trimmed in eco-processed leather dyed with plant oil extracted from flaxseed
• Column-type shift-by-wire, moving the gear selector off the centre console entirely
• A sliding glovebox that opens further than a hinged design allows

The relaxed, lounge-like front cabin is one of the IONIQ 5's advantages over rivals still built on adapted petrol platforms.

Rear Seat

• A completely flat floor, since there's no transmission tunnel to work around
• A reclining rear bench on higher variants for a more relaxed seating position
• Rear air vents built into the centre console
• A second Vehicle-to-Load outlet located under the rear seats for charging devices on the move

For the most part, rear passengers benefit most directly from the E-GMP platform's packaging, with legroom that a similarly sized petrol car usually can't offer.

Climate Control

Dual-zone automatic climate control is standard across the range, and the flat floor helps airflow reach the rear seats more evenly than in a car with a raised transmission tunnel splitting the cabin in two.

Storage

Door pockets sized for a bottle on each side, a covered centre console box, and the sliding glovebox handle every day cabin items. The console box moves with the Universal Island's sliding top, so its exact size changes depending on where the console is set.

Charging

This is where the IONIQ 5 makes its strongest case. Built on an 800-volt system from the start, it can add charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes on a 350 kW DC station. Hyundai's own figures show five minutes of charging returning 111 km of range on the Long Range battery, or 88 km on the Standard Range battery.

A patented dual-voltage system means the IONIQ 5 also works with older 400-volt infrastructure without needing a separate charger. Useful given how UAE charging networks vary station to station.

The Vehicle-to-Load technology lets you power external equipment at up to 3.6 kW from either the exterior charging port or a second outlet under the rear seats. This basically turns the car into a mobile power source for camping trips or a stranded EV on the road.

Boot Space

Behind the rear seats, the IONIQ 5 offers 527 litres of boot space, a competitive figure for its size. Rear-wheel-drive variants add a front trunk of around 57 litres, which is useful for charging cables or a soft bag. However, all-wheel-drive variants sacrifice most of that space because the front motor now occupies the area under the bonnet.

The IONIQ 5 was the first Hyundai to offer Highway Driving Assist II, a Level 2 autonomous system that manages speed, following distance, and lane changes together rather than as separate functions. Seven airbags are fitted, including a driver's seat centre-side airbag designed specifically to reduce head injuries between the driver and front passenger in a side impact.

• Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist, covering both vehicles and pedestrians ahead
• Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, which can brake automatically if a lane change would cause a collision
• Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist with reversing out of low-visibility spots
• Remote Smart Parking Assist, letting the car reverse into or pull out of a space by itself
• A 360-degree Surround View Monitor for tight parking garages and confined spaces

Independent testing has awarded the IONIQ 5 a five-star Euro NCAP rating. This backs up the strength of its standard driver-assist package with real crash-test results.

Front

The parametric pixel lighting defines the IONIQ 5's face, with 256 individual LED pixels forming the headlamp signature across a clean, closed-off nose that needs no grille to feed a radiator. The look draws a deliberate line back to the original Hyundai Pony, the brand's first production car, designed for an electric-only future.

Side Profile

The short overhangs and a long wheelbase are both natural results of the E-GMP platform rather than styling choices. This gives the IONIQ 5 a stance closer to a small SUV than a hatchback despite its compact footprint. A steeply raked C-pillar and flush door handles keep the surface clean, while active air intake flaps open only when the motor needs extra cooling.

Alloy Wheels

Wheel sizing depends on the variant. Start with 19-inch wheels on 235/55R19 tyres as the standard fitment and 20-inch wheels on a lower-profile 255/45R20 setup as the step-up option. The larger wheels sharpen the look without changing the closed-off aero design underneath.

Rear

The rear mirrors the front's pixel theme, with the same LED signature stretched across a wide, rectangular light bar. A solar roof panel is available as an option, feeding a modest trickle of charge back into the 12-volt system without ever needing a plug.

Colors

• Phantom Black
• Olive Green
• Atlas White
• Cyber Grey
• Digital Teal Green Pearl
• Galactic Grey
• Gravity Gold
• Lucid Blue
• Shooting Star Grey Matte

Nine exterior colours are offered in total, giving UAE buyers one of the widest palettes in the segment.

City Performance

• Squeezing into a tight spot, the Standard 2WD's single motor delivers exactly the amount of shove needed without ever feeling abrupt.
• The Surround View Monitor turns a cramped basement car park into a routine move rather than a guessing game.
• Crawling through traffic for school pickup time, the AWD variants stay smooth at walking pace, with none of the jerkiness that some dual-motor EVs show at that low speed.
• Rolling out of a side street with poor sightlines, the Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist helps catch oncoming traffic before it becomes a problem.
• The remote Smart Parking Assist is useful in a narrow spot from outside the car, handy when the doors on either side are barely open.

Highway Performance

• If you are accelerating past a slow truck on the Dubai-Al Ain Road, the Long Range AWD's 605 Nm makes the move feel instant rather than building up over a second or two.
• The flat floor and low centre of gravity keep the IONIQ 5 planted at high speed toward Abu Dhabi, unlike taller EVs on the same road.
• A 350 kW top-up at an E11 fast charger turns what would be a long stop in a slower-charging rival into a quick coffee break instead.
• The Highway Driving Assist II handles lane positioning and distance together on the long, straight stretch toward Al Ain. This reduces the small corrections a driver would otherwise have to make constantly.
• The Standard Range 2WD variant is the least powerful in the range. Yet it still holds highway speed without strain. Even its modest output arrives instantly rather than needing revs to build.

Ride and Handling

• On rougher patches, they absorb the bumps before they reach the cabin, thanks to the battery pack's low mounting point, which keeps weight down and centred.
• The four-wheel independent suspension keeps the body flat through the banked curves, whereas a taller, softer-sprung EV would lean more noticeably.
• Lifting off the accelerator down a long ramp onto the E311, adjustable regenerative braking lets a driver dial in exactly how much the car slows itself.
• The steering wheel paddles control the level rather than leaving the car to coast freely every time.
• Even loaded with rear passengers and luggage for a weekend in Ras Al Khaimah, the flat floor and even weight distribution keep the rear from feeling saggy.
• Rare as Gulf downpours are, that's when Snow mode's extra traction control actually becomes worth switching on. It's one of four settings alongside Eco, Normal, and Sport, and most owners will otherwise leave the car on Normal year-round.

Four variants make up the IONIQ 5 range in the UAE. The split is mainly across two battery sizes and two drivetrain layouts.

Standard 2WD is the base variant, and it comes with a 58 kWh battery and a single rear motor producing 170 hp. It's the lightest and most efficient variant in the range, suited to buyers whose daily driving rarely strays far from the city.

Standard AWD adds a second motor up front for 233 hp and all-wheel traction, without moving up to the larger battery. It suits buyers who want sharper acceleration and better wet-weather grip but don't need the extra range the Long Range battery brings.

Long Range 2WD steps up to the 72.6 kWh battery and some outright acceleration for the longest range in the lineup at up to 481 km. Anyone who regularly drives between emirates will get the most out of this specific variant.

Long Range AWD, the top-end variant, combines the bigger battery with dual motors for 305 hp and a 5.2-second sprint to 100 km/h, making it the variant to choose if performance matters as much as range.

Zigwheels Recommendation

For most UAE buyers, the Long Range 2WD makes the most obvious choice. It gets the longest range in the range, keeps running costs down with a single efficient motor, and still charges as fast as every other variant on the 800-volt system. Step up to an AWD variant only if the extra motor's traction and acceleration matter more for daily driving than squeezing out the last kilometres of range.

The IONIQ 5 remains a genuinely convincing electric car years after its debut, and the reason is its fundamentals: a platform built for EVs from the start and charging speeds that still lead most of the segment. The cabin, with its flat floor and short overhangs, makes better use of space, freeing it up rather than wasting it.

Most rivals have improved their styling and infotainment, but few match the IONIQ 5's charging ceiling, which is more important in everyday use than most spec-sheet comparisons suggest.

For a UAE buyer ready to go fully electric, the IONIQ 5 remains one of the safer, more complete choices in its price bracket.

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