Sometimes, we see a car in photos and they don’t give the full picture. Sometimes the photos don’t do the true car justice. Sometimes they hide a multitude of sins.

In the case of the IONIQ 5, the pictures got it about right, except one thing. The size.

When I first saw the pictures it was different to establish what size the IONIQ 5 is. City car? Hatchback? Full-size SUV? With no reference points it was pretty hard to tell. Spoiler alert: the IONIQ 5 is big.

The wheelbase of an IONIQ 5 is 3m. 3 whole metres, longer than a Range Rover, so it’s a big car. But although it is massive, it doesn’t feel excessively big to look at (unlike some SUVs that look like small tanks heading towards you).

The first time I set eyes on that wonderful EV I was shocked by how big it was, it certainly has some presence about it. On my second trip to see the 5 the size was much less startling but it still makes a strong impression.

The exterior of the IONIQ 5 is controversial but I love it. All the creases and retro boxiness just works for me. At the front, it’s bold. Some may hate the looks, but I like it.

The more I look at the rear the more I start to dislike it. It’s a bit flat and doesn’t really look like it’s from the same car as that funky front end. The rear lights are something to behold though – lovely pixelated clusters that hint at the key theme of the car.

Pixels are central to the design of this car, in the charging port and moving through to the interior.

Another key part of the exterior of any car are the wheels. Manufacturers spend a great deal of time designing beautiful wheel trims and the IONIQ 5 is no exception to that. There’s two options on the 5, I’m not sure which I prefer and I’ll leave you to make up your mind.

Back to the subject of the interior, it’s lovely in there. There’s 2 12.3 inch screens, one touchscreen, one not. The latter displays all the important driver information (speed, state of charge, etc) and the touchscreen delivers all the information you’d expect. But not the climate control! Thankfully, it’s a separate cluster of touch sensitive buttons near some physical ones to accompany the touch screen.

However, a car interior is way more than touchscreens. The IONIQ 5, like many EVs, has a completely flat floor and many, many spaces to lose store your precious belongings and two USBs in the front. A further couple of things to note are that the IONIQ 5 bears a very nice two spoke wheel and has a drawer for a glovebox!

Moving to the back seats there is more exciting flat floor action and some very comfortable seats (made from recycled materials). Also in the rear are two USBs and (in the UK at least) a 3-pin plug socket.

However (and this is something I didn’t notice first time) the interior door handles are absolutely diabolical. You pull them yet don’t feel like you’ve done anything and the doors seem incredibly heavy to me. Let’s just say you don’t want to have to get out of an IONIQ 5 in a hurry!

As with any EV, many of you will want to know about charging and range. The IONIQ 5s I have been in have had the lesser battery pack at 58kW with a WLTP range of 240 miles. However there is a 73kW option that in rear wheel drive configuration can travel up to 300 miles.

As for charging, the IONIQ 5 can rapid charge at up to 350kW. If you can find a charger that quick, the big battery, 73kW car can charge from 0-80% in 17 minutes which is pretty handy.

In conclusion, the IONIQ 5 is a very stylish car that truly epitomises what you would expect the futuristic EVs to look like. The interior is more than you’d imagine and Hyundai have produced a very credible EV for 2023 and beyond.

Do comment your thoughts below.