I have to admit that when I first saw this car in photos, I thought it looked stupid. I mean, as a Gen-Xer I liked the ‘80s vibe, but it was a shock in a sea of sleek futuristic Teslas and Mercedes. However, after seeing and spending time with the 2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 Limited in actual daylight — and moonlight — I’ve come to like it very much.

It gets its design honestly, as it was based on Korea’s first mass-produced and exported car, the Hyundai Pony. A basic little compact hatchback that debuted in 1975 and held court through the ‘80s, the Pony was styled by the maestro Giorgetto Giugiaro at Italdesign. You might know some of his other work like the DeLorean DMC-12, Volkswagen Rabbit, and Lotus Esprit.

Of course, this crossover’s style is considerably more advanced than the old Pony. It looks small in photos, but has a longer wheelbase than the full-size Palisade SUV. There’s more dimension too with square LED headlamps, origami side creases, and full-width pixelated taillights. Our Limited edition sports black 20-inch wheels, roof rails and panoramic glass. It’s both retro and futuristic.

Interiors are essentially rolling lounges. As with a classic minivan, you step in at a comfortable height, the floor is wide and flat, and there’s good visibility all around. Hyundai stepped up with twin infotainment screens, wireless phone connections, and phone charging pad on the utility pod between front passengers. USBs are seemingly everywhere and there’s a 120v household outlet for second row voyagers.

Beyond technology that would have astounded this 1980s technophile, the IONIQ 5 impresses with luxuries like heated front and rear seats, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, and Bose audio. There’s too much hard plastic on the doors and dash, but it looks good. Rear passengers can stretch their legs while reclining their seatbacks. Luggage capacity under the sloping hatch is a little tight, but split/fold rear seats enlarge it considerably.

Twist the column knob and whir away. It feels effortless with 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque, sent roadward through dual-motor all-wheel-drive. Zip off 0-60 mph in under 5 seconds. In Limited trim with AWD, the IONIQ 5 claims 269 miles between charges. Fast charge 10-80% in 20 minutes or about 7.5 hours on 240 volts at home. It’s now NACS-compatible for easy access to Tesla Superchargers.

As for safety, everybody is protected by automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane keep assist, and rear cross traffic alert. Side exit assist keeps passengers from stepping into traffic. I really appreciate the car’s head-up display for speed, safety, and navigational aids, but I’d also love hands-off cruising.

As an ‘80s kid, I get all of the styling references and period vibe, but also appreciate how every inch of the IONIQ 5 amasses a car right for this decade. A base price of $35,000, or $50,815 for our luxurious Limited, puts it against the Chevy Equinox EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Leaf, Subaru Solterra, Toyota bZ and Tesla Model Y.

Likes: 1980s vibe, smooth power, serene interior

Dislikes: hard plastics, limited luggage space, hands-on cruising

2026 Hyundai IONIQ 5 AWD

Five-passenger, AWD Crossover

Powertrain: Li-ion batteries/dual motors

Output: 320 hp/446 pound-feet

Suspension f/r: Ind/Ind

Wheels f/r: 20”/20” alloy

Brakes f/r: regen disc/disc

Driving range: 269 miles

0-60 mph: 4.8s

Fast charge (10-80%): 20m

Assembly: Ellabell, Georgia

Base/As-tested price: $35,000/$50,815

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