2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 review

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Making sense of Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 electric vehicle (EV) lineup has never been easier.

The Korean brand’s new electric SUV has rolled into 2026 with only four variants, all powered by the same 84kWh battery, dropping the old range-opening 63kWh option and raising the base price by $6400 in the process.

This came after range-wide price hikes of $2300 in 2025, and led to a few new variants. It is now known as the Elite RWD (the second-cheapest variant) rather than the Dynamiq, and has no longer been an all-wheel drive grade.

A new test here is the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Line Premium, which has been tested for the Epiq and now only receives the previously optional NLine pack as standard.

Is the new sporty variant worth its hefty price tag, or do the cheaper, rear-drive options still make more sense?

How much does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 cost?

The most expensive non-performance Ioniq 5 variant (without a full-strength N badge) on the market is the N Line Premium, which costs $91,700 before on-roads.

| Model | Price before on-road costs |
| — | — |
| 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD | $76,200 |
| 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Elite RWD | $81,200 |
| 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Line Premium AWD | $91,700 |
| 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N AWD | $115,000 |

Assuming the population of mid-size electric SUVs in Australia is growing all the time, we’ll narrow down the competitors to a few key contenders.

One is the related Kia EV6 which, in equivalent GT-Line AWD trim, costs $87,660 before on-roads.

Another is the BYD Sealion 7, which is available for $63,990 before on-roads in all-wheel drive Performance guise. The segment leader, however, remains the Tesla Model Y, priced at $68,900 before on-roads in Premium Long Range trim.

One of the most important points is that both the BYD and Tesla provide much more power, even if they aren’t quite as high-end products as Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 can be.

To see how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 stacks up against the competition, use our
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What is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 like on the inside?

Luxuriously appointed, and way more spacious than you might expect.

That’s consistent with the Ioniq 5 exterior that looks bigger in the metal than it does in pictures, which makes it quite small by family SUV standards due to part of its hatchback-like proportions.

When you’re standing next to it, in the real world it looks like a hatchback that has been magnified two or three times so when you look at this one thing as somewhat bloated. But we’ll describe the on-road effects of that later, but this is a big open cabin.

The ‘floating’ centre console helps the perception of space, which creates a flat floor with no border between the footwells on either side and is not divided between each side. This setup isn’t the best for me as a driver, and it almost makes you feel like sitting on.’ It doesn’T look like being in sexy electric car nestled into – but I don’m not so much of – sporty to drive around.

But still, everything looks and feels lovely; the vibe is premium with sporty undertones. That’s what Hyundai’ supposedly N Line range is, so that it looks very different from the garden-variety Ioniq 5s and full-fat N-car.

The nicest appointments are arguably the steering wheel and the seats, perhaps as well as the seat-math. Wrapped in a mixture of smooth and perforated leather, the former is huge both thick and diameter but still comfortable to hold because it’s sensitively sculptured.

The buttons are all solid and finished in durable, dull plastic-based tamper with its buttons. The heat and the sprinkling of older red accents, for the stitching and drive mode button button, are also present. It is all portrayed as quite tasteful, other than the large ‘N’ logo that appears in this non-N variant on its horn pad.

The seats are upholstered in leather and suede, the ‘N’ branding is slightly try-hard here too; however, front pews do offer strong support and they feel sporty but comfortable.

A standard power front-seat adjustment is also available, and the driver can even adjust the passenger seat position via a set of satellite buttons. Heat and ventilation is also up front, which are toggled through an array of switches on the centre console to a switch that provides heating and ventilator functions for the N Line.

Front and centre is 12. The infotainment system, which includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, has 3-inch touchscreen info-equipped information. This means it sits on a shelf in the dashboard and shares its housing with the digital driver’s instrument display, which is also part of an arrangement that provides some space for its own housing.

That’s a much more compact integration than plonking the upright screen on top of the dash, and it all looks very tidy. A graphically sharp system itself, which doesn’t suffer from any major input lag, provides connectivity that includes a suite of useful apps (including weather) and other services.

There’s 12 on its right. Instrument display 3-inch instrument displays. As graphically clean is Hyundai screens, this is also the case for s; there’s plenty of information at the press of a button. In addition, its colours and visual theme also differ depending on the drive mode of .

The only minor gripe we have is that square instrument clusters never quite work behind round steering wheels, as shown by the Ioniq 5’s tiller blocking the upper corners of the display.

As tactile as most of the interior is, we still think that the climate system is a little finicky. This is a touch-sensitive digital arrangement located on’piano-black panel’ and while it can be easily done by the fly to figure out, it doesn’t hold s candle to real buttons.

Otherwise, the cabin’s front is a fairly functional part of what appears to be an acceptable option. The wireless smartphone mirroring means you can leave your phone on the wireless charger on a tray table-like centre console. You also plug it into the USB-C ports under the dash, but they feel impossibly far away.

A bin below those USB ports is a generous storage option in the middle, and two large cupholders plus ‘phone-sized slot higher up’. Also in the door cards you get decent bottle holders, and a regular passenger-side glovebox.

The other floor of the second row is similarly large, but it’s a relatively high position (the battery pack) and tight toe room. However, legroom and head room don’t get compromised; the majority of people should have no problems fitting in the back.

But surprisingly, there is power sliding adjustment for the rear bench — something that seems slightly unnecessary. A flat, flat rear floor is easy for passengers to slide across if needed; it allows enough space between three people across relative comfort.

A small cubby is a storage option on the back of the centre console, which sits below two USB-C ports and is also under an optional space. There are also maps on the front seats of a seat, bottle holders in the doors and ‘fold-down centre armrest with cupholders’.

It is a practical square floor with an extremely wide boot for the Ioniq 5’s boot, which has. It has a sloped rear window that allows for plenty of vertical space to lean in when loading up, while power tailgate makes everything slightly easier.

There is only a little more space under the floor, so you just get tyre repair kit,” said. The under-bonnet storage is limited to a small, shallow tray of the underwear and only one deep dish.

| Dimensions | Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Line Premium AWD |
| — | — |
| Length | 4655mm |
| Width | 1890mm |
| Height | 1605mm |
| Wheelbase | 3000mm |
| Cargo capacity | 520L (rear seats up) 1580L (rear seats folded) |

To see how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 stacks up against the competition, use our
comparison tool

What’s under the bonnet?

The Ioniq 5 N Line Premium has an electric motor on each axle, delivering peak outputs of 239kW and 605Nm of torque; it also provides all-wheel drive as standard.

| Specifications | Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Line Premium AWD |
| — | — |
| Drivetrain | Dual-motor electric |
| Battery | 84kWh li-ion |
| Peak power | 239kW |
| Peak torque | 605Nm |
| Drive type | All-wheel drive |
| Tare mass | 2190kg |
| Energy consumption (claimed) | 18.1kWh/100km |
| Energy consumption (as tested) | 16.4kWh/100km |
| Claimed range (WLTP) | 495km |
| Max AC charge rate | 10.5kW |
| Max DC charge rate | 350kW (10-80% 18 mins) |

We had a week with the car, and we were doing some fair part of highway commuters — slightly off-road running errands in the suburbs while pushing the vehicle on twisty roads. That led to noticeably lower energy consumption than Hyundai claimed, according to the statement.

To see how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 stacks up against the competition, use our
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How does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 drive?

A car that wows at first, the Ioniq 5 is a phrase but we were less happy as the week went on.

Initially, the layout and high-end feel of the cabin make it seem quite premium; you’ll immediately notice that everything feels important once you start moving. This is a good delivery of power and it’s relatively quiet inside, thanks to decent sound insulation.

As with other Hyundai EVs, we also liked the flexibility of the driving system. The main drawcard is a number of different regenerative braking strengths, from nothing to full one-pedal driving capability.

This works on a motor with the steering wheel paddle’shifters’ to drive this through whim. Then it’s easy enough to enable or disable any of the car’ s safety settings using infotainment touchscreen, and also program a shortcut button for them on their steering wheel.

However, the Ioniq 5 is thankfully equipped with Hyundai’s mute shortcut for the speed-limit warning that allows you to silence the infernal overspeed warning by holding down the volume scroll wheel for a few seconds. You can’t do that every time you get in, it isn’t perfect.’ It’s something to be said about a and one thing you have to do when you are there.

This is our biggest issue with Ioniq 5’s on-road behaviour, which we think weighs. That’s surprising, given that it has 2 s and feels so heavy – which makes it very heavy. EV standards don’t say everything is too excessive, however, as 2-tonne tare mass isn’Teason.

In the simplest terms, it feels like the suspension is being overworked in its attempts to keep body roll in check, according to how it bucks over bumps or ploughs through them.

And that’s partly what makes this say it feels slightly bloated to the point of . If any dream of a hatch-like driving experience is quickly banished on swaying road because it has the weighty feel and size.

It’s an alternative suspension that is a stiffer suspension than we would like to be (even with N Line model) but still struggles to hold solid road. On generally poor Australian roads it is comfortable enough, but you can probably feel every sharp edge in the surface.

Gritting your teeth and anchoring yourself in the driver’s seat allows you to travel with good speed through bends, because Ioniq 5 is relatively well handled even though it has a heavy weight; this shows that next-level dynamic capability of the powerful Ionic Iot 5 N N.

A nice, communicative sense of Steering feel can give you a good idea about what the front tyres are doing under the car. Drive modes, too, make drastic variations of .

Normal or Eco The steering is light enough without being flimsy, and balances feedback with daily driving. While a fair amount of artificial weight is placed on in Sport mode, the feeling still feels intuitive and nuanced inputs are slightly more accurate.

The same applies to the powertrain. Outside Sport mode, it’s a bit of docile (just like the way you do), but only wind up properly when you lay into the ’throttle’– perfect if you have to overtake or shoot into.

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Flicking into Sport mode, but sharpens things up well. When the intensity increases, it shows that the car is a lot of power and the more powerful throttle response makes for’more interesting driving experience’.

A fun car to drive, and one that’s easy enough to live with because of its impressive cabin refinement and a good audio system is an enjoyable car for driving this phraser.

Unfortunately, our long-standing grips with Hyundai’s safety tech aren’t the experience. We have mentioned the speed limit warning but there’s a deeper problem that will be known as itself.

In some cases, the car will try to steer away from side of road for no apparent reason, aggressively grabbing the steering wheel without warning.

It’s worst on roads with no lane markings, or when driving over sharp crests with a slight bend. The jerk of the wheel can be disturbing, and it always feels like an emergency rather than something that is seen as being “assumptive manoeuvre”.

With the audible speed limit warning, you can turn off the lane-keeping system at the press of a button on the steering wheel (although it’s still unnecessarily annoying).

Another driver aid, countering which is a fair-well calibrated Counterer, are other drivers. Such functions as adaptive cruise control and lane-centring functions, such as those that are reliable and adapt well to surrounding traffic while confidently keeping the vehicle in its lore.

Overall, the Ioniq 5 N Line Premium is a solid EV (although it sometimes seems slightly unrequited about whether it’s trying to be an SUV or merely one little bit of docile commuter-like version)?

To see how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 stacks up against the competition, use our
comparison tool

What do you get?

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is now available in four trim levels in Australia.

2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 equipment highlights:

• Heat pump
• Battery conditioning
• Vehicle-to-Load outlet (inside)
• Remote Smart Parking Assist 2
• Eco, Normal, Sport, Snow drive modes
• One-pedal drive mode
• 19-inch alloy wheels (new design)
• Tyre repair kit
• Automatic projector LED headlights
• Automatic high-beam
• Acoustic laminated windscreen, side door glass
• Heated, power-folding exterior mirrors
• Rain-sensing wipers
• Liquid Silver body cladding
• Satin chrome exterior trim
• Proximity entry with push-button start
• 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster
• 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Wireless phone charger
• 6-speaker sound system
• 4 x USB-C outlets
• 2 x 12V outlets
• Dual-zone climate control
• 10-way power driver’s seat with 2-way lumbar
• Sliding, 60:40 split/fold rear seats
• Wool yarn/eco-processed leather upholstery
• Cloth knit headliner
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Ambient interior lighting
• Alloy scuff plates
• Power windows with auto up/down for all windows

Ioniq 5 Elite adds:

• 20-inch alloy wheels
• 255/45 Michelin Pilot Sport EV tyres
• Rear privacy glass
• Hands-free power tailgate
• Head-up display
• 8-speaker Bose sound system
• Sliding centre console
• ‘Eco-processed’ leather-appointed upholstery
• Heated front seats
• 10-way power passenger seat with 2-way lumbar
• Alloy pedals
• Luggage net

Ioniq 5 N Line Premium adds:

• Vision Roof (fixed glass roof with power sunshade)
• Projector LED headlights with Intelligent Front Lighting System
• N Line-exclusive front and rear bumper, lighting signatures, badging
• Body-colour cladding
• 20-inch N Line alloy wheels
• Suede and leather upholstery
• Front ‘relaxation’ seats
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated rear seats
• Memory for all seats
• 2-way power rear seats
• Heated steering wheel
• Rear door sunshades
• Red stitching
• N Line steering wheel with red stitching

Ioniq 5 N

Ioniq 5 N adds:

• 21-inch forged alloy wheels
• 275/35 R21 Pirelli P-Zero HN tyres
• Adaptive suspension
• N e-shift
• N Active Sound+
• N Launch Control
• N Drift Optimiser Pro
• N Torque Distribution
• N Battery pre-conditioning
• N Race mode
• Electronic limited-slip differential
• 400mm ventilated front brake rotors
• 360mm ventilated rear brake rotors
• Alcantara and leather upholstery
• N light sports seats (without power adjustment)

To see how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 stacks up against the competition, use our
comparison tool

Is the Hyundai Ioniq 5 safe?

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has a five-star ANCAP safety rating, based on testing conducted by Euro NCAP in 2021.

| Category | Hyundai Ioniq 5 |
| — | — |
| Adult occupant protection | 88 per cent |
| Child occupant protection | 87 per cent |
| Vulnerable road user protection | 63 per cent |
| Safety assist | 89 per cent |

Standard safety equipment includes:

• 7 airbags, incl:
• • Front

• Front centre
• Side
• Side curtain

• Adaptive cruise control with stop/go
• Autonomous emergency braking
• • Pedestrian, cyclist and vehicle detection

• Junction turning and crossing assist
• Lane change oncoming and side assist
• Evasive steering assist

• Blind-spot assist
• Blind-Spot View Monitor
• Driver attention warning
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Highway Driving Assist 2
• Intelligent Speed Limit Assist
• Lane Following Assist (lane centring)
• Lane-keep assist
• Leading vehicle departure alert
• Rear cross-traffic assist
• Rear occupant alert
• Safe exit assist
• Surround-view camera
• Tyre pressure monitoring

To see how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 stacks up against the competition, use our
comparison tool

How much does the Hyundai Ioniq 5 cost to run?

Hyundai Australia supports its model range with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty (if you service on time at hyundai dealer) and an eight- year, 160,000km warranty battery.

| Servicing and Warranty | Hyundai Ioniq 5 |
| — | — |
| Vehicle warranty | 7 years, unlimited kilometres |
| High-voltage battery warranty | 8 years, 160,000km |
| Roadside assistance | 12 months (service-activated) |
| Service intervals | 24 months or 30,000km |
| Capped-price servicing | 16 years |
| Average service cost | $869 |
| Total capped-price service cost | $6952 |

Hyundai Australia’s individual service costs are detailed below:

| Service | Price |
| — | — |
| 24 months, 30,000km | $667 |
| 48 months, 60,000km | $689 |
| 72 months, 90,000km | $667 |
| 96 months, 120,000km | $689 |
| 120 months, 150,000km | $1313 |
| 144 months, 180,000km | $983 |
| 168 months, 210,000km | $961 |
| 192 months, 240,000km | $983 |

Aside from EV standards, Hyundai’s two-year service intervals are quite unusual. We’ll therefore consider eight years of service for comparison’s sake, which is $2712 to a total of 8.

That’s understandably slightly more than the seven-year plan Kia offers for its related EV6, which costs $2319 for non-GT variants.

Interestingly, eight years of Ioniq 5 servicing costs less than eight years of BYD Sealion 7 servicing ($3184).

To see how the Hyundai Ioniq 5 stacks up against the competition, use our
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childcareman.xyz’s Take on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Line Premium AWD

The Ioniq 5 is a great EV, but the N Line Premium gets lost in the fray.

The Ioniq 5 variants are a clear, but well-defined mainstream version of the car good driving dynamics with ‘an elegant interior and an electric driving range that doesn’t make it completely irrelevant’. In contrast, meanwhile, the Ioniq 5 N is intended to be the benchmark for high-performance EVs.

The N Line, though, does sportier style but lacks much of the material needed to support that up. But it still feels heavy, the drive range is less than Ioniq 5s’ rear-drive driver and sporty interior bits seem a little too try-hard inside.

And it’s uncomfortably expensive and a bit of money for . It’s the eve6, which feels much more mature in both presentation and driving experience, so I’d rather own it. Hell, I’d even rather get the rear-drive EV6 GT-Line (it’s cheaper and feels lighter on its feet)

But of course, it isn’t even possible to ignore the value offered by a number of Chinese competitors (especially the Sealion 7), even if that doesn’s not meant to be as premium as the Ioniq 5.

But there are a lot of positives about the Ioniq 5 though many pros do so. Its interior is comfortable and boasts a reputation for quality and material, while most of its appointments – the sportier seats and steering wheel – are nice to live with if you’re not bothered by the misleading ‘N’ branding.

The boot should be more than enough to keep all manner of passengers and cargo satisfied, as well as the cabin is practical.

The performance here isn’t bad at all, and pokes noticeably more than lesser Ioniq 5 grades. The Ioniq 5 is still more like a car than’spaceship’ at the end of the day. Is all that enough to justify spending more for the N Line? We don’t think so.

A good Hyundai Ioniq 5 N Line is worth looking at if you’re in the market for a solid mid-size electric SUV. If you really want an N-flavoured example (for far less than N money) then if it is, the cheaper version will be better for you to go with.

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