[xsrahul]

Congratulations Hayek on this beautiful addition to your stable. Great post and look forward to a continued ownership review. This post corroborates GTOs comment that we don’t need a multi crore car now a days as a half a crore is a good budget for a great car. Also EVs are a great leveller as they offer much more acceleration and fun compared to much more expensive oil burners.

Any chance you are around Wadala as I feel seen this beauty around.

Wish you more (s)miles

[ex-innova-guy]

Congratulations Hayek on getting your first and if not the best EV out there. Just today I was on the Mumbai-Pune expressway and saw an Ioniq in the same shade as yours. I just didn't want to overtake it, and those stock rims are one of the best out there.

You have summed up quite a lot in your posts and would be always helpful for future EV buyers. Looking forward to your updates as you put some more miles.

[mobike008]

Congratulations Hayek for jumping into the EV bandwagon and an amazing detailed ownership report. Great Combo of an X3 & iONIQ 5.

I have to confess that this is the future and once you get used to an EV, it's hard to go back to gas cars (except a few special cars, of course )

I have briefly test driven the Ioniq 5 and liked everything about it. As you rightly said, it's a good looking car inside and out and drives well too. The only reason it was discarded from my short list was the lack of performance and of course, the various gimmicks and a second to none Autopilot that a Tesla offers. But, from the choices you have in India, it's indeed a great value for the price it commands.

A few queries :

1. Are you happy with Hyundai's claim vs. the real range that you get? Could you highlight what was the claim and what is your real time range?

2. Where do you charge the car? Is it at home? What is the speed of this charging? 100kms per hour?

3. What are the different modes and how does the range effects depending on them?

4. Are there any unique and fun features of iONIQ 5 that is not available in your X3?

5. What is the size of the battery in KWH? Where is it placed? Right in middle of the underbody? or, other location? Also, are you allowed to charge it to 100%?

Finally, as you rightly said the EV's handle better than a great handling car like a BMW due to the battery placement helping the centrifugal force. Aside from the high acquisition cost, running an EV literally feels like " driving for free".

Cheers & Enjoy your beautiful car and look forward to regular updates.

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by 100Kmphormore

By society, do you mean a large multi tower apartment group? Like those LIC quarters blocks.

We have 4 towers - all 30 stories plus and about 1200 parking slots spread over 2 levels.

Originally Posted by Seeler_Rebeiro

Aah, yes. in the mountains it would help to have the heat pump.

Yes, that would be useful - but presume we get somewhat tropicalised Air Conditioning instead. Always a challenge with a diverse country like India. Also don’t think they sell the RWD in snow bound countries - from what my relatives who live in the US Mid West or Canada tell me, RWD cars can be very dangerous in such conditions.

Originally Posted by xsrahul

Any chance you are around Wadala as I feel seen this beauty around.

Am not in Wadala but the dealership is just down the road at Godrej Coliseum.

Originally Posted by mobike008

A few queries :

1. Are you happy with Hyundai's claim vs. the real range that you get? Could you highlight what was the claim and what is your real time range?

Well, the ARAI range is 600+ km, but don’t think that is Hyundai’s claim. WLTP range is 507 km for the 77 KVA battery version, am practically getting about 575 km in Bombay conditions and got about 425 - 450 km on the Lonavala trips. Of course I have not done a proper long continuous 100+ kmph run as yet. Will post that once I do one, hopefully soon.

2. Where do you charge the car? Is it at home? What is the speed of this charging? 100kms per hour?

Have a 11 KVA home charger which gets from 20% to 80% in about 4 hours. So more like 85 km per hour at home.

3. What are the different modes and how does the range effects depending on them?

Not yet tested that. Did a brief few km stint in sport and have not touched eco. So by and larger in normal mode only.

4. Are there any unique and fun features of iONIQ 5 that is not available in your X3?

Lots of them but remember my X3 is an F25 manufactured in 2016. So ADAS, Apple Car Play, Connected Car Features, Keyless Entry, a Digital Cockpit are all missing on my X3. What is unique is the Anti Gravity Seats - my son uses them when the driver takes him to school or classes. As mentioned, knee room is better too. There is also a movable centre console but that does not work in my car since it is blocked by the third party floor mats I fitted.

5. What is the size of the battery in KWH? Where is it placed? Right in middle of the underbody? or, other location? Also, are you allowed to charge it to 100%?

72.5 KVA. Placed on the floor since this is a ground up EV. Did not find anything in the manual which restricts AC charging below 100% (it does say DC charging will slow beyond 80%) but have used the app to set it to 80% given online feedback in any case. The car shows about 460 km range when charged to 80% which is more than enough for my usual use cycle.

Finally, as you rightly said the EV's handle better than a great handling car like a BMW due to the battery placement helping the centrifugal force. Aside from the high acquisition cost, running an EV literally feels like " driving for free".

Cheers & Enjoy your beautiful car and look forward to regular updates.

Thanks. The beauty is that thanks to the high taxation of petrol cars, this does not cost much more than equivalent ICE cars either. A Tiguan costs ₹42 lakhs OTR Mumbai for individuals while a Kodiaq costs ₹46 l - this cost ₹ 48.8 l including the extended warranty and charger installation - and is larger and more spacious than the short wheel base Tiguan sold here and almost as spacious inside as the Kodiaq (albeit without the option of using it as a 7 seater). Given I save ₹12.5 per km compared to using the Tiguan, I will recover the premium in just 60,000 km or under 5 years.

[shankar.balan]

The chaps from Hyundai told me this vehicle will take 6-6.5 hours to become fully charged when one uses the home AC charger. it will consume about 72 units of electricity if charged in this manner. It will cost about 600-700 Rupees per charge assuming 7 Rupees per unit plus taxes. The DC fast charger on the other hand will apparently charge the vehicle to 80% in about 40 minutes. But of course the cost will also be higher at a public charging dock.

The good thing which I ve seen on the Youtube tests is the real range of these vehicles. Looks like a dependable 500kms overall which I think is perfectly fine. There is a neat little 57 litre cubbyhole in the bonnet area plus an absolutely cavernous boot.

There is this V2L - vehicle to load concept in the Ioniq5, which by way of a power-lead, can help fire up a small fridge or similar. Just like the old “power lift off” concept which was there in the old Willys Jeeps, and which helped out in a variety of applications. But of course this in the Ioniq5 is the modern electrical version. Very thoughtful indeed for those light camping or picnic trips.

I love the looks of this vehicle. It is absolutely gorgeous in terms of design aesthetics, fit, finish and finesse. It is actually more well rounded in terms of looks, compared to the KIA EV6 which is more “extreme”. But being RWD it lacks the teeth blistering acceleration of the KIA EV6. I would love to consider an Ioniq5 but I think I honestly would prefer an AWD if such a possibility were to arise. These EV’s, both the Ioniq5 and the EV6, in my test drives across different types of roads and broken surfaces, were impressive in terms of their comfort and suspension tuning. One feels “nothing” and one absolutely does NOT get thrown about from side to side either, as one does in many other vehicles.

I am happy that Senior and Distinguished members on this Forum are taking the lead in EV Adoption. This is helping to make “believers” out of some of us “non-believers.” I personally love internal combustion vehicles and the smell of petrol and oil and grease and grime and the glorious sound of engines firing up and being driven well. Basically all the romance associated with the heydays of motoring and motor racing and all that.

But then, EV’s seem to be very much in all of our stars at some point, so might as well get used to it. Accept the inevitable, but as per one’s comfort and in one’s own time. And these EV’s which have more or less been designed from the Ground Up, are very very worthy of consideration, especially if one is not going to do these interminable marathon drives.

For me, honestly, if a high quality EV like the Ioniq5 or EV6 can take me and family etc in great comfort over all sorts of unpredictable road conditions, from Bangalore to Ooty or Coorg or Sakleshpur or Chikmagalur or Madurai or Chennai or Coimbatore and importantly, on one single charge, I am good with it. This may very well become the practical and supremely comfortable as well as efficient answer to the fanciful and elusive “Grand Tourer” which I keep seeking, like Indiana Jones seeking the “Holy Grail”.


As per my estimation, both Hyundai and Kia in their Ioniq5 and EV6 have actually proven to be Simply Cleverer! (Skoda used to be just plain ‘Clever’)


One worry I do have is what will happen in case one is, by some mischance, caught in a typical common-place Bangalore Outer Ring Road or Chennai Heavy-Rain Induced Flood? I asked the Hyundai chaps and the KIA chaps too. Apparently, both the vehicles are good for about 30 minutes in such a flood, when submerged upto a couple of 100mm of water. And this is when all the electricals inside are working - the lights, the AC, the music and all that. I am given to understand that when things become more challenging there will be a warning light which lights up along with some alarming sounding bongs and beeps, which are supposed to act as your prompt to switch everything off completely. I would not wish to put this to the test in real life conditions. Saying that, I’m sure when the weather conditions are deeply adverse, one can always do the common-sense thing and stay home (provided one lives on high ground) or if one absolutely needs to drive out, one can always take an equally common-sense Jeepy thing, which is better suited to the purpose.

Anyway, let me not further hijack this thread. Apologies Hayek for all this chatter.

Good luck with your new Toy!

[iliketurtles]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Not sure what daily charging from 60-80% would do to battery life though.

When I was considering an EV, I read extensively and remember this line sticking in my head: charge the car between 30 and 80%. That’s the sweet spot for ensuring ample range for daily usage and longevity of the battery. It’s probably why charging speeds drop off post 80%, to protect the battery and balance cells or whatever.

Originally Posted by psyph3r

Came across this a couple of weeks ago, wonder what the price of a replacement battery is in India.

https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=dr3mFzh0KSk

Anecdotally, I was chatting with a friend who handles insurance for my car, among other things. He mentioned a Kia EV6 that came in with an underbody hit that wasn’t being covered under warranty, and was quoted some 35 lakhs to replace it as they don’t repair it.

Mind you, I never followed up with him for evidence (I wish I had), but what he says lines up with this case, where the cost of the battery is prohibitively high, and Hyundai Canada claims that the battery is non-repairable.

[C300]

Great review Hayek. Congratulations. Recently saw few Ioniqs on the road and absolutely blown away by the looks. One of the best looking car on our roads for sure. The design is elegant and understated but very much modern.

Looking forward for your ownership updates.

[Aditya]

Exceptional, unbiased & detailed ownership reviews of cars have started going to our homepage reviews box. It's the ultimate stamp of trust from Team-BHP (as a platform) because lakhs of visitors every month check out reviews from there & make purchase decisions.

Your review has also been included here. Thank you so much for sharing .

[Gargee]

Originally Posted by Hayek

Something I had Forgotten - Charger Installation can Cost Money

Car looks stunning and wishing you many green miles in your Ioniq.

Have a few questions about the EV charger installation:

1. Did you have the change the original meter that is connected to your house or did you only install an additional meter to measure the power consumed for charging the car?

2. Did Hyundai or your society electrician confirm that the electrical cable from your meter to the society's transformer (source of power to the entire society) can take this load (11 KVA)? Will there be a problem when multiple houses start utilizing such high load? Can the transformer itself take so much additional load?

3. Has your society installed any special fire fighting equipment in the car park area as you have mentioned that there are so many EVs in your society?

Thank you.

[Hayek]

Originally Posted by Gargee

1. Did you have the change the original meter that is connected to your house or did you only install an additional meter to measure the power consumed for charging the car?

2. Did Hyundai or your society electrician confirm that the electrical cable from your meter to the society's transformer (source of power to the entire society) can take this load (11 KVA)? Will there be a problem when multiple houses start utilizing such high load?

BEST installed a new meter for my EV which is billed at a special tariff rate for EVs including time of the day metering. They verify the ability of their transformer to handle the load before permitting the installation of the meter. 11 KW is not so large in the context of our building - we have ~ 500 flats, and each flat has a normal connected load of 22-25 KW, so even if we reach a stage where every flat has an EV, it would add only about 50% to connected load (and we are nowhere near that level at present).

3. Has your society installed any special fire fighting equipment in the car park area as you have mentioned that there are so many EVs in your society?

We have a fairly comprehensive fire fighting system including sprinklers throughout the parking area, and fire hoses fed by a separate tank apart from fire extinguishers. Also they do take considerable care while chargers are being installed to ensure that wiring is done properly. However I don’t think that we have been advised to modify the system as the number of EVs increase.

[Axe77]

Your comment on the tyre puncture kit piqued my interest when I read about it so I searched and found this video. Very simple to use indeed, specially for folks who’re already used to using tyre inflators like the ones from Michelin etc.

I was also under the impression that they probably provide a manual kit like the one used by a roadside vendor. Didn’t know these kind of mobile kits also existed. Would also be worth checking what’s the capacity of each sealant cylinder provided (i.e. how many fills per cylinder). Will be instructive if one wants to perhaps carry more than one on a longer road trip. Hopefully Hyundai A.S.S. also stocks these readily so they’re easy to replace once used.

PS: I should start looking out for Ioniqs parked near usual Sunday running haunts like NCPA etc. Would be fun to bump into you have a first hand dekko at the EV.

https://youtu.be/uhdqgsxkjHo?si=PQ5lBLMHYhthRe6o

[ElCapitan]

Originally Posted by Hayek

TLDR Summary

[*]Small Bottle Holders - I use wide 750 ml bottles for water, and can also store a 1l Bisleri bottle next to that in each door of my X3. Here, the 750 ml bottle barely fits in the front, and does not fit in the rear door

Hey, @Hayek, Great review!
Faced the same issue with my Ioniq 5 with the water bottles, ordered a few different bottles from Amazon, until I found these linked below, 750ml, Glass, fits perfectly and snugly, both in the front and rear door pockets!

https://www.amazon.in/gp/product/B08...e?ie=UTF8&th=1

Cheers!

[dockap]

Small update on range. Had been on a round trip from mangalore to panaji goa and back to mangalore
Going to panaji maintained speed between 70 to 90 kph got a range of 500km
On the way back speed between 90 to 110 kph got a range of 425 kms
Car was in eco mode
Recharged battery at the resort in Goa with 60 units before starting back.

So range can be from 350 in sports mode driving hard to 575 kms in eco mode flat highway at 70 to 80 kph conservative driving.

[kaatchu]

Congratulations @Hayek and welcome to the EV/Ioniq club.

Thanks for sharing your purchasing experience.

I think we got our cars from the same dealer. I was also very concerned when I was told that the car landed at their body workshop location when I was going for the PDI prior registration.

But after checking the car and talking to their sales and service heads I was assured this is normal practice to store the EV’s in this yard prior delivery and as I could see many new Ioniq’s parked there I was not so worried and went ahead with registration process.

My ioniq had done about 60km on the odometer prior delivery at their showroom.

Originally Posted by BlueGod

Good review. Could you please let me know if the lack of support for the left knee is a big concern ?

It’s not a concern for me as you have this curved resting area for the left knee beside the steering wheel. Refer attached photo.

[Hayek]

Did another long highway drive last week. Had to go to Gujarat and decided to take the Ioniq 5. Charged up to 100% and the car showed a range of 578 km at start. Heavy traffic to work at BKC got range down to 561 km with 12 km of driving.

Started from BKC in the afternoon, and took 50 minutes to cover 27 km to Dahisar - but lost a lot of range, down to 475 km with 92% battery left. Picked up pace on the highway esp after the Bassein creek bridge, and covered the next 100 km in 1.5 hours, using a further 22% charge and 105 km range. The last stretch in Gujarat was even faster - 48 km in about 40 minutes, losing 11% charge and 75 km range. Overall used 41% charge to cover 185 km from home in almost 4 hours. The car showed 306 km residual range, and I decided to risk returning home without charging even though there were a couple of charging points shown on PlugShare in a 15 km radius.



The return journey started very early (around 530 am) with the aim of beating Bombay traffic on the Western Express Highway. Made good time till the Dahisar toll - covered 145 km in just over 2 hours with a 10 minute break. The faster average speed meant that I lost more charge though. Took 10 minutes to cross the toll naka, and even though we were in Bombay by 7:55 am, the rest of the journey was a crawl. It was 9:15 by the time I entered BKC where my driver met us, and 9:45 by the time he got home. The car had just 13% charge and showed a 57 km range by then - so used 46% charge on the return journey, probably due to higher average speeds (and top speeds) in the leg up to Dahisar and the crawl from Dahisar home (36 km from Dahisar home took 1 hour 50 minutes).



Driving was immensely pleasurably - where traffic was light, it was a pleasure letting the car follow lane markings around curves with just a finger on the wheel. The car picks up speed very deceptively. In an ICE car like my X3, you know you are going fast due to the engine noise and the feel of the shifts - here you just pick up speed and it’s only when the car started making a din at 120 kmph that I realised how fast I was going and dropped down below that.

Have covered 3650 km so far and used 524 units till my last top up to 80% which was 275 km ago. Overall power consumption based on MID is 14.4 units per 100 km, and per Fuelly is 6.4 km per kWh (viz 15.6 units per 100 km). The charge up to 100% saw about 8% higher units consumed per the charger than battery capacity - in charges to 80%, that is typically 3-4%.

Overall still having a great experience. 2 months, 3650 km - we have never had a car driven this much. Think usage will settle down now. Will keep you posted.