MY23 Hyundai IONIQ 5 upgraded with bigger battery

Hyundai Australia has formally announced a series of key upgrades to its lauded Hyundai IONIQ 5 electric SUV ahead of the 2023 model year, including a ground-breaking new flagship, with the first allocation of MY23 vehicles set to drop later this month.

Reservations for more than 200 examples of the MY23 Hyundai IONIQ 5 will open at 1:00pm AEDT next Wednesday (October 26), for buyers in capital cities in all states and territories except the Northern Territory.

The next batch of IONIQ 5 vehicles cars to become available here will be the largest since the first in September 2021, and will bring total number of IONIQ 5s sold in Australia to more than 1000 once they're delivered in November.

As predicted by carsales in September, the 2023 IONIQ 5 will be fitted with a bigger 77.4kWh battery pack – up from 72.6kWh that not only extends the driving range of all variants but adds significantly more firepower to the equation as well.

The new battery is shared across the MY23 line-up and grants the entry-level RWD Dynamiq a maximum driving range of up to 507km (+26km), while the dual-motor versions can now cover up to 454km (+24km).

Peak power for the solitary rear-driver has been increased by 8kW to 168kW, however, maximum torque remains steady at 350Nm.

It’s a similar story with the all-wheel drive powertrain that scores an extra 14kW to lift outputs to from 225kW/605Nm to 239kW/605Nm, which in turn yields an improved 0-100km/h acceleration time of 5.1 seconds.

More than just a powertrain upgrade, the 2023 IONIQ 5 will also arrive Down Under with a new chassis tune designed to improve the ride and handling characteristics of the electric SUV to match the extra shove.

Hyundai says key focus points of the retune were wheel control, bump absorption and body control, but the Korean car-maker hasn’t yet detailed exactly what changes have been made.

The updated range will be headed by a new luxury flagship in the form of the $85,000 (plus on-roads) Epiq AWD; the first Hyundai production vehicle to launch with digital wing mirrors as standard.

That unprecedented asking price also nets buyers a new heat pump-based heating system, battery conditioning system and a fixed glass roof accessed via an electric sunblind.

The rest of the flagship’s standard equipment list reads identically to the mid-range Techniq’s ($79,500), which in turn is carried over unchanged from 2022, with highlights including 20-inch alloys, premium front seats with heating, ventilation, power adjustment and memory function, a heated steering wheel and power adjustable rear seats with heating.

Beyond these luxury-minded items, the bulk of both the Techniq and Epiq’s standard toys can be found on the base model, which now starts from $72,000 (+$2100) on account of all the mechanical and chassis upgrades.

Full LED exterior lighting, a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, Bose premium sound system, a smart tailgate, rain-sensing wipers, eco leather upholstery, ambient lighting, power adjustable front seats, head-up display, wireless phone charger, remote start, 12.3-inch infotainment screen, dual-zone climate control and more are all still included as standard.

Hyundai Australia today also announced the doubling of the IONIQ 5's service intervals to two years or 30,000km (whichever comes first), with capped-price servicing set at $570 for the first service, $1090 for the four-year/60,000km service and $570 for the six-year/90,000km service.

“These important updates make zero-emission motoring with Hyundai even more appealing, with the 2023 IONIQ 5 delivering improvements in all the areas our customers already love about EVs,” Hyundai Australia CEO Ted Lee said.

“From a new flagship model, to improved range and power right across the line-up, this is a comprehensive update that improves the IONIQ 5 formula in every way.”

Despite the new Epiq having been priced and detailed, consumers will have to wait until later in the year to get their hands on the flagship, with Hyundai confirming it would not be included in the next allocation of vehicles.

And while the Epiq does indeed debut a series of innovations for Hyundai, its time at the top of the IONIQ 5 tree will be limited given the rabid Hyundai IONIQ 5 N is anticipated to arrive Down Under in 2024.

As with the closely related Kia EV6 GT, which will be launched in Australia in January 2023, you can expect a near-$100,000 pricetag for the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, given its expected 430kW/740Nm dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain, circa-3.5sec 0-100km/h pace and fully-loaded equipment list.

How much does the 2023 Hyundai IONIQ 5 cost?
Dynamiq RWD – $72,000 (+$2100)
Techniq AWD – $79,500 (+$2000)
Epiq AWD – $85,000 (new)
*Prices exclude on-road costs