mReview: Hyundai Ioniq 5 Inspiration 77kWh – Too Good For Its Own Good

We’ve spent quite a bit of time with the Ioniq 5 but mostly in the mid-range Prestige 58kWh variant. This time, I’ve given the top-spec Inspiration variant a go to try and see how, if at all, it's better than its lower-spec siblings.

The home-grown Hyundai Ioniq 5 has quickly turned into one of our favourite cars on the market today with its back-to-the-future styling and the-future-is-now interior and features. It’s been available in Singapore for a while now, with (at least by my reckoning) more and more seen on the roads as the months go by.

The 20-inch rims on this car are exclusive to the Inspiration model variant.

The least common of the Ioniq 5 variants though is the one we’re looking at today, the full-fat, top-spec, dual-motor, Inspiration 77kWh. This story will focus primarily on the Inspiration variant of the Ioniq 5 so if you want more information on the Ioniq 5 platform, you can check out our previous review on the Ioniq 5 here.

The Inspiration 77kWh is largely similar to all the other Ioniq 5s on offer, those being the entry-level Exclusive 58kWh, the Prestige 58kWh, and the Prestige 77kWh. All three of those Ioniq 5s are rear-wheel drive only, with the only dual-motor option being the Inspiration 77kWh.

The square LEDs for the taillights look very retro-chic.

Those two motors are mated to the 77kWh battery to give the Inspiration 321hp and 605Nm of torque which is more than enough to turn this family-friendly SUV into quite the sleeper. 0-100km/h takes just 5.1s and while the 185km/h top speed is not exactly record-breaking, it still cruises extremely easily even at triple-digit speeds. 

The handling of the Ioniq 5 Inspiration is also similar to that of all the other Ioniq 5s with the main differences being all-wheel drive and an almost 200kg weight increase. Thanks to the dual motors, acceleration is mega and you get a proper shove into the back of your seat. The steering is light and rather numb but there’s loads of grip and minimal body roll, contributed in no small part by how low the centre of gravity is. 

Power and grip can unfortunately only do so much to mask the effects of weight and at 2.1 tons, the Ioniq 5 Inspiration is a chonky one. Quick changes of direction or stomping on the brakes reveal the sizeable heft that serves as a stark reminder of the unavoidable weight penalty you get with a capable EV.

Despite its weight, Hyundai quotes 19.1kWh/100km of consumption which equates to 454km of driving from a full charge. Surprisingly, I found this estimate to be bang on in my testing. I managed to get 19kWh/100km which is actually less than what Hyundai claims which usually tends not to be the case with manufacturer-claimed consumption figures. Someone with a lighter right foot (not me) could easily get more range out of it too.

A useful detail in case you forget you bought an EV and wonder where your engine's gone.

But even when the battery does eventually run out, the Ioniq 5 has the capacity for 350kW DC fast-charging which would be able to add 100km of range in just five minutes or recharge from 10% to 80% in 18 minutes. The caveat is that there aren’t any chargers in Singapore capable of 350kW fast charging yet, the fastest publicly available chargers at the moment max out at 180kW, but I have no doubt that faster chargers will arrive in the near future.

The 350kW charging capability isn’t limited to the Inspiration spec Ioniq 5 though, it’s available on all Ioniq 5 trim levels. This sparks quite the dilemma in my opinion because there really isn’t all that much to differentiate this topflight Inspiration model from the rest of the model range. 

That’s not being disparaging to the lower-spec models at all though, in fact, it’s quite the opposite. The base and lower-spec models are already so good and feel like such premium products that it can be quite hard to justify the almost $50,000 price difference between the Exclusive and Inspiration trim levels. 

For example, the base model Exclusive and top-of-the-line Inspiration both have a sunroof, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, electric front seats, adaptive cruise control, wireless charging, and wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Most of the other features that the Exclusive lacks are available on the Prestige trim levels too with trim options and bigger wheels and tyres the main features exclusive to the Inspiration.

The glove box is more of a glove drawer in the Ioniq 5.

So the only real selling points of the Inspiration variant are the premium Bose sound system, all-wheel drive, and increased power and I’m just not sure that’s enough to warrant a $26,000 premium over the next highest spec. 

So unless you really, really want that extra horsepower and all-wheel drive, I’d say save your money and get the Prestige variant instead or wait for the Ioniq 5 N to arrive. Now that’s a range-topping model that may be worth the price premium. 

Read More: Taking Five In Malaysia – Road trip to Desaru with Hyundai's made-in-Singapore Ioniq 5

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