Hyundai ix35 Fuel Cell 2014 Review

Much like our recent drive of the all-new Hyundai Sonata, our stint at the wheel of the hydrogen/electric-powered ix35 SUV was all too brief.

That said, the chance to sample the ix35 FCEV (or Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) was a novel one, even if the experience was limited to the 14-lane-wide and perfectly flat test road at Hyundai’s Namyang R&D test facility in South Korea.

Visually, and from just about every angle, the ix35 FCEV is identical to its conventionally-powered sibling. The bodywork is identical to the model sold in the Korean domestic market (which scores a very neat baby Santa Fe front mask), and barring a badge on the boot, you wouldn’t pick the as ‘different’ model from the rest of the model line-up.

Inside, too, the model looks identical to the regular variants, though trainspotters will notice a different instrument cluster, and a few different markings on the gearshift – the regular P-R-N-D arrangement adding a braking function, a la Toyota’s Prius.

The instrument panel provides info for the state of charge and animations of the rate of use, and charging status of the vehicle’s complicated hydrogen/electric propulsion system. There’s a large duplicate of this information provided on the infotainment system’s central display, which otherwise offers the same functions (Bluetooth, sat-nav, radio, CD, et al) as found in the ix35 Highlander.

Of course, it’s a different story under the bonnet, and beneath the cargo area floor.

Up front the ix35 FCEV reveals very little. A large engine cover hides most of the detail with only a few orange high-voltage cables and some additional blue-coloured cooling lines hinting at the unique powerplant. The unit, essentially a large induction motor fed by the combination of a 24kW lithium polymer battery, 100kW fuel cell and two 5.64kg hydrogen tanks, develops 100kW and 300Nm – all from zero rpm.

In the back, a hydrogen gas tank fills the void under the boot floor usually occupied by the spare wheel (which is replaced by a temporary mobility kit). It’s a larger, cylindrical tank that looks similar to an LPG cylinder, and holds hydrogen at a pressure of 700MPa.

Capable of travelling 564km on a single ‘fill’, the ix35 FCEV has come a long way in a short space of time. It can travel 50 per cent further than the original 2005 Tucson FCEV, and is faster, with a top whack of 160km/h.

The ix35 FCEV is silent at ‘idle’ (or should we say stand-by mode). The only way you know it’s ‘running’ is to look at the instrument panel to see if the needle on the power meter indicates ‘ready’. Select drive, and begin to move away, and the vehicle is silent, only a slight whirring sound from the geared differential and the sound of rubber on road penetrating the cockpit.

As you’d expect from what’s essentially an electric vehicle, the ix35 FCEV offers plenty of zip right from the get-go (0-100km/h in a claimed 12.9 seconds). The torque is available instantly and delivers rapidly until around 80km/h. Backing off to 50km/h and accelerating again to 80 the motion is strong, almost brisk, though it does taper off significantly from 80-100km/h, perhaps showing the model is tuned with city use in mind.

The brake pedal feel, usually then bane of any hybrid driving experience, is very well modulated and progressive through its travel. The electric motor acts as a generator in braking mode and seems to assist the ix35’s stopping action, even in regular ‘Drive’ mode. The stopping action is of course stronger in ‘Braking’ mode, though not to the point that you’d need to closely monitor the rear-view mirror for fear of being rear-ended.

Like our time in the Sonata, the drive of the ix35 FCEV was brief (I estimate around 1.2km all up), with no opportunity to sample ride or handling. We can say that the electrically-assisted steering felt pretty natural, and that in making a U-turn at the end of the circuit the 1485kg SUV didn’t feel as heavy as I’d anticipated. But in all, an assessment of the dynamism of the vehicle will have to wait until we have a better chance to experience it.

Though... that will most likely never come. With only 1000 to be built between now and 2015, the ix35 FCEV is an unlikely starter for the Australian market, where infrastructure is virtually non-existent. Instead it will be leased as part of a trial to municipal fleets in parts of Denmark, Sweden, Belgium, South Korea and the USA (California, to be specific).

Whether or not the ix35 FCEV is the silver bullet to end our reliance on fossil fuels is debateable. But the car does show a lot of promise and is a definite step in the right direction – especially when you consider the only tailpipe emissions are water.

2014 Hyundai ix35 FCEV pricing and specifications:
Price: Overseas lease program only