Hyundai IONIQ 5 to be sold exclusively online

The highly-anticipated Hyundai IONIQ 5 will be sold exclusively online in Australia rather than through the brand’s dealership network as the car-maker grapples with “unprecedented demand” for the all-new electric car.

carsales can reveal a new Hyundai national sales portal will go live later this month, coinciding with the release of full pricing and specification details for the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 ahead of its arrival in the final quarter of this year.

In a statement, Hyundai Australia said the online model had been employed to ensure fair allocation to customers, and assured the portal would not be extended to other Hyundai models at this stage.

“The initial Australian allocation of IONIQ 5 will be sold online by Hyundai directly to customers to provide a transparent and fair allocation of a high-demand model with limited initial supply,” a spokesman said.

“This new online ordering and sales process is unique to IONIQ 5. The rest of the Hyundai range – including Kona Electric and IONIQ Electric – will continue to be sold through the dealership network in the traditional manner.”

Selling new vehicles online is becoming increasingly popular in Australia, with Tesla leading the way with its electric cars and Polestar to soon follows suit.

Other more established brands that have traditional retail networks have also taken up the sales model, including Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, MINI and Subaru.

Amid plenty of pent-up global demand for the IONIQ 5, which is proving a smash hit in Europe since launching in the first quarter of 2021, Hyundai Australia has admitted it has been hamstrung by stock shortages.

“We have received around 100 deposits for IONIQ 5 over the last eight months, and over 10,000 expressions of interest submitted. This level of interest is unprecedented for a Hyundai vehicle,” the spokesman said.

Wrapped in a low-slung five-door wagon body, the IONIQ 5 supports ultra-fast 400V and 800V multi-charging capability, plus a vehicle-to-load (V2L) function that can turn the vehicle into a charger on wheels.

Expected to be priced from at least $60,000, the IONIQ 5 will offer two battery pack options in Australia – 58kWh or 72.6kWh – and two electric motor layouts – rear or front/rear, the latter providing all-wheel drive.

In its most efficient 72.6kWh battery/rear-drive form, the IONIQ 5 is claimed to offer a maximum driving range of 470-480km (WLTP).

Related: Hyundai IONIQ 5 attracting 'huge interest'
Related: Hyundai IONIQ 5 revealed with 800V fast-charging