Tag Archives: electric-vehicles

New Car Review – Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy

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This week I’m testing the Hyundai Ioniq 9 Calligraphy – a 7-seater luxury EV. It’s certainly big, plush, quiet and well equipped. At a smidge under $120,000, it’s pushing well into Genesis territory, but that can probably work for the company.

There’s strong acceleration – 0-100km/h in 5.2 seconds, with much less intrusive electronic nannying than many other recent models from Hyundai – seems they’ve been taking the feedback on board.

The Ioniq 9 feels well planted on the road, handles well for a 2.5 tonne SUV. The WLTP claim is a 600km range.

The top of the line Calligraphy has everything they can throw at it. Except Australia doesn’t get the option of swivelling centre row seats that other markets do. There are special finishes, heated and cooled front and rear seats, dozens of cup holders, 21-ich wheels (of a rather dated, fussy design), triple zone climate control, panoramic glass roof, lovely feeling suede-like roof lining and many more details.

But the $3000 option gimmick cameras and screens in place of door mirrors is frustrating at best – dangerous at worst. You have to focus on the screen, not using the depth of field as with a normal mirrors or looking through the windows. Loses a fraction of a second. Terrible for anyone who needs glasses. And hard to judge gaps (when reverse parking for example). The image doesn’t give the additional information a brain can take on board by moving your head a bit. I’ve used this in several cars now. More car makers will use this expensive gimmick to seem high tech. It’s a retrograde step.

The boot floor is crazy high, like almost every new SUV, especially EVs. And it’s not concealing a spare wheel. Boot space with seats up is not generous. There is a small frunk.

Space in the front two rows is excellent – almost limousine-like for the centre row passengers.

There’s an 8-year warranty – and unlike sone of the unknown new brands, Hyundai will still be around to honour it – while parts availability and servicing will be to their usual good standard.

And I don’t mind the styling, especially the back end.

Paul Blank

Hyundai Ioniq 5N

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New car review by Paul Blank

What a blast! Hyundai’s N division has created something very special from their large Ionic 5 electric car. The normal Ioniq 5 is modern, capable and well-sorted. The N technicians have made something overtly sporty with it.

The 5 N is good for 0-100 in 3.4 seconds (from 478kW and 770Nm in boost mode), which for a hefty car, is impressive. That’s double the power of the regular Ioniq 5. With the right combination of buttons pressed, the sheer acceleration pushes your organs backwards and even your facial muscles get a workout. Not just from the G-forces, but your huge grin.

The grip and roadholding are tremendous and confidence inspiring.

The sportiness extends to racing style seats, giant 21-inch wheels with low-profile tyres and paddles for gearshifts. Gearshifts? It’s an electric car with no gears…

Well, the N division obviously has some serious car nuts on the payroll. The 5 N has a few tricks up its sleeve. Push one of the steering wheel mounted buttons and the cars ‘engine’ bursts into life. Using carefully placed under-seat speakers, the car emits engine noise exactly commensurate with how you’re driving the car. It burbles away when plodding around, does gearchange sounds and the revs sound just like they are real.

Add in the paddle shifters and sporty driving and it all changes. The revs scream, gear changes include the feel of a gearchange (thumping on full acceleration), brief cut in acceleration, clever, realistic torque changes in the ‘gears’ and when you back off there’s a wicked exhaust burble. These noises are incredibly accurate and realistic. They add an amazing amount of engagement to the driving experience. Except from outside – anyone else just hears a whoosh.

Somehow, the ultimate gimmick is much more than a gimmick, adding tremendously to the driving experience. And at the touch of a button it all goes silent again – but the car’s still just as fast.

Some of the external styling tweaks are a bit tacky, but the overall shape remains dynamic. The extent of engineering upgrades for the N extends to 42 extra body welds, 2.1 metres of additional structural adhesive and different steering, brakes and suspension. There’s even a drift mode, which I didn’t try…

There are other fast electric cars, but none anywhere near this price point capture overall sportiness so well.

The cabin is well laid out, comfortable, it’s very spacious in the back and pitched at $111,000 the equipment level is appropriately high. This is a very sophisticated car with a lot of technology built-in. And for all its performance, it’s a completely easy car to use around town in everyday traffic.

Often I’m happy to change to the next press car after a week, but the Ioniq 5 N is one I really wanted to hold onto for longer… This car gets a double thumbs-up.

Copyright – Paul Blank