Hyundai Ioniq 5 Cargo Test: How Big Is the Trunk?

• The Hyundai Ioniq 5 EV has 26.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the back seat raised.
• A sliding back seat increases versatility.
• Our real-world test shows how much stuff the trunk can fit.

Here is the cargo area. There are a couple of points to touch on. 

First, the Ioniq 5's body may be covered in tiny squares, but there's nothing boxy about the actual cargo area. The liftgate angle basically makes it a triangle, which, as I've learned many times in various cargo tests, isn't ideal for loading rectangular luggage. The "Porsche problem," as I call it. 

Second, the Ioniq 5 is the rare two-row SUV with a sliding back seat. This expands cargo space at the expense of some of that ample backseat legroom. This is a great idea — one that its rivals, including the Kia EV6, would be wise to copy. Stay tuned to see if I needed to take advantage of this feature.

Third, most of the Ioniq 5's competitors come with an underfloor storage area or a dual-level cargo floor that expands their bag-carrying capability ...

... But that's a great big X for the Ioniq 5 on both fronts. Yes, there is literally space below for the charge cord and various odds and ends, but this is not a dual-level floor, and the humpy-bumpy floor makes for iffy cargo loading. I suppose leaving the floor out could increase capacity a bit, but that would be the case if you left the floor off other cars and loaded stuff on top of the spare tire. You can do that; I'm not going to. 

Furthermore, the charge cord and those various odds and ends can fit in the underhood storage compartment you could call a frunk if you were so inclined. I unfortunately neglected to take a photo of it, but it's pretty much the same as what I covered in the Genesis GV60 cargo test.

Finally, the Ioniq 5 is available with a cargo cover, but this test car didn't have one, so I couldn't test with and without it.

Now, here's some nice boilerplate information about the bags I use and their dimensions. There are two bags you'd definitely have to check at the airport: Big Gray (26 inches long x 16.5 inches wide x 12 inches deep) and Big Blue (26 x 16.5 x 10). There are three roll-aboards that usually fit as carry-ons: Medium Tall (24 x 14 x 9), Medium Wide (23 x 15 x 9) and the smaller Green Bag (21 x 14 x 9.5). Finally, there's everyone's favorite Fancy Bag (21 x 12 x 11), a medium-size duffle.

There, all the bags fit, and there's some room to spare. This is very similar to the EV6's bag formation, but it sure seems like the Ioniq 5 is a bit wider. 

Speaking of the EV6, here it is. When you utilize its dual-level/lower cargo floor, it seems to be incredibly similar to the Ioniq 5. I'm not sure if Kia counts that extra space in the EV6's official cargo volume of 24.4 cubic feet, but given its similarity to the Ioniq 5 with the lower level, I'm guessing the answer is no. 

OK, let's move on and fill up the Ioniq 5.

Here is the unofficial result. I could, technically, fit all my bags plus my 38-quart cooler (23 x 16 x 13) and the Edmunds Golf Classic Duffel (20.5 x 10.5 x 10.5), which would be very good for this electric SUV segment, but ...

... Visibility is basically eliminated, which runs afoul of cargo test safety rules. Nothing would fly forward into the cabin, however, meaning that the Ioniq 5 Limited trim level and its digital rearview mirror would technically get a passing grade with the above formation. For some context, the above amount is comparable to the space in bigger compact SUVs like the Honda CR-V, but they maintain visibility. 

This was an Ioniq 5 XRT, however, which like every other trim level does not have a digital rearview mirror. As such, there will be a different official result.

With a little help from Photoshop, this is all my standard bags, plus an extra digitally cloned Medium Tall bag and the Edmunds duffel. The Fancy bag sits this one out — it's too wide to fit where the Edmunds duffel is and would've wiped out visibility if placed on top. 

Ultimately, the Ioniq 5's liftgate angle is a limiting factor. You can see all the wasted space caused by the triangular shape. This is an issue for most in the segment, however. 

That includes the EV6, which again, seems to have had the same result as the Ioniq 5. To know for sure, I've put a retest on the to-do list for the new year (some of my pre-Edmunds tests differed from the standards I've enacted since moving them here last year). For the same reason, a retest of the Ford Mustang Mach-E is coming even sooner. 

Until then, the Ioniq 5's official result bettered the Chevy Equinox EV, which has nearly the same cargo volume figure. It also quite clearly topped the Blazer EV, while the VW ID.4 quite clearly still has an advantage. 

But — remember back at the beginning when I mentioned the Ioniq 5 has a sliding back seat? None of the above competitors have that. I didn't end up testing with the sliding seat (I only slide seats or decrease seat recline when my standard bags do not fit), but the advantage this unique versatility provides is obvious if you're OK sacrificing rear legroom.