This is the first time an electric SUV has made it to be Motor Trends SUV of the Year. The new kid on the block comes with unique exterior styling and a simple, clean interior with dual 12.3-inch displays. The Hyundai Ioniq is the cheapest vehicle on the market to feature an 800-volt architecture. It is also one of the few vehicles available that can handle the 350 – kW Level 3 DC fast chargers.
As more and more drivers make the switch to electric vehicles we expect to see these mingled in with the Tesla’s, Rivian’s, and other manufacturers’ electric models. Whether you buy or lease you should be looking at how to best protect your new Hyundai Ioniq and make it feel unique in a sea of other electric vehicles.
Best Ways to Protect the Paint
Paint Protection Film
Paint protection film is going to be the best method of protecting the exterior painted surfaces of your vehicle for years to come. Xpel paint protection film is 8mils thick and made of multilayered polyurethane film with a topcoat that can “heal” itself from light scratches when heated.
It also has the benefit of adding UV protection to the surfaces it covers protecting the paint from fading and cracking over time. A hydrophobic topcoat means cleaning is easier and water beads up on the vehicle surfaces.
With a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty against yellowing, peeling, bubbling, and delaminating Xpel paint protection film offers the longest-lasting and best option for protecting the painted exterior surfaces of your vehicle.
Ceramic Coating
Ceramic coating utilizes nanotechnology to provide a completely invisible layer of protection. Nanoparticles, when applied to the surface, seal all the pores in the clear coat making the surface stronger, hydrophobic, and UV resistant. All while making the surface more resistant to swirl scratches, etching, and water spotting.
The nano-coating forms a semi-permanent bond with the surface of the vehicle, resulting in a “sacrificial” layer over the factory paint. So if the car does need some kind of paint correction you would be working on the ceramic coating and not your vehicle’s clear coat.
Ceramic coating provides protection from contaminants as well as providing a deeply shiny, and glossy finish to your vehicle by bonding to the clear. These products are called permanent because they can be removed only through polishing or lack of maintenance.
Which Option is the Better Choice for my Vehicle?
This really depends on how long you’re going to be keeping the vehicle, how you maintain your vehicle, and what kind of driving you do.
If you’re leasing and not planning on buying the car after the lease ends, and you do a lot of freeway or construction zone driving, then doing just the high-impact areas in paint protection film and using ceramic coating on the rest of the car is a good cost-effective way to protect the paint from damage, and avoid the dealership charging you fees on lease turn-in.
If you’re planning on keeping the car for 3 -5 years then doing the premium package and possibly rocker panels is usually our recommendation. Along with doing the ceramic coating to protect the rest of the vehicle. You get the best protection for the high-impact areas, and then still get some protection and ease of maintenance from the ceramic coating.
And finally, if you plan on keeping your Hyundai Ioniq 5 for more than 5 years we strongly recommend going with the full vehicle paint protection film option. It provides the longest-lasting option for protecting the vehicle and also comes with a 10-year warranty. You won’t need to stress about rock chips, swirls, or something staining the factory paint finish. It also makes washing and maintaining the car’s paint easier.
Paint protection film and ceramic coatings are designed to protect the paint, but they are not foolproof. If you do not wash the vehicle regularly, run it through a brush carwash, or wash it with dirty mitts and towels, then the film and coating will become damaged over time. The film can lose its self-healing capabilities, or become stained or dull. These issues would not be covered under any warranty as they are caused by customer damage or neglect. Something to keep in mind if one of those descriptions matches.
Customizing the Exterior
Satin Paint Protection Film
Offering all the benefits of Xpel Ultimate Plus and the additional benefit of changing the look of the vehicle, this option allows you to turn the color of your vehicle to a satin finish and all while offering the best available protection to the paint! We use the Xpel Stealth brand of film, which offers a self-healing top coat for swirls and small scratches, hydrophobic qualities, UV protection, as well as a 10-year warranty.
It is the best option to get a satin finish for your vehicle. The film is more durable than a satin top coat would from the manufacturer or a vinyl wrap. Making washing the vehicle a much simpler task with the hydrophobic qualities it contains.
Another benefit of the satin paint protection film is that metallic paint will still show the metallic through the film. So a metallic grey now becomes a satin metallic grey.
Colored Paint Protection Film
If you’re looking to change the color of the vehicle, and want something that has a self-healing topcoat, and a 7-year warranty, then colored paint protection film is the option to go with. These kinds of films are relatively new to the market, with additional color options coming out regularly. However, they are a very expensive option to go with as these films are usually more expensive than traditional gloss or satin paint protection film.
Vinyl Color Change Wraps
*Please note that at the time of this blog post many vinyl wrap colors are not available. During the pandemic and persisting supply chain issues, many wrap manufacturers opted to produce standard colors and their most popular color options only. Many colors and finishes are still unavailable at this time.
A vinyl color change wrap is wrapping the exterior painted surfaces to another color with what is basically a large colored sticker. There are a multitude of different colors to choose from and in different finishes. Even “color flips”, which is a vinyl that changes color depending on the angle and the lighting.
The main downside to vinyl wraps is that they are not made to last. With a well-maintained and garage-kept vehicle, a vinyl wrap will usually only last a couple of years. But a poorly maintained vehicle, that is allowed to sit dirty, regularly has water on it/dried on the surface, bird droppings sitting for long periods of time, will go bad within a matter of months. Vinyl wraps are not for everyone.
For more information on what can happen with vinyl wraps check out our other blog post, A Truthful Look at Colored Vinyl Wraps
Changing the Brake Caliper Color
Brake calipers are usually painted and clear-coated when changing the color. You have the option of changing them to just about any color or gloss/satin/matte finish. It’s a nice way to add a subtle pop of color to the vehicle. Especially if the calipers come in a standard silver color.
Powdercoating the Rims
Changing the color of the rims can help to really change the look of the vehicle. You can go for a subtle change like gloss or satin black, maybe matching a chrome delete. Or do something more drastic like adding a pop of color or matching the wheels to the body color.
Powder coating is a durable finish to your wheels that is similar to their original coating. Painting the rims would easily chip and become damaged from everyday wear and tear. This is why we go with the more durable option of powder coating.
Learn More about Wheel Powder Coat
Best Way to Protect the Interior
Window Tint
Ceramic window tint can offer more benefits than just darkening your windows. It offers UV rejection, up to 62% depending on the shade(s) chosen. Compared to standard tint which is not as effective at blocking out heat and UV rays.
By rejecting UV rays the ceramic tint protects your vehicle’s interior surfaces from fading or cracking due to UV damage over time. It also helps prevent the inside of the vehicle from getting extremely hot and drying out, or “baking”, interior surfaces that can cause them to crack, blister, or fade.
It will also help maintain the interior temperature of your Hyundai Ioniq providing over-heating protection for interior electronics. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 does not come with over-heating protection as some other electric cars do, you would need to remotely and manually adjust the interior temperature with an app.
Learn more about the difference between ordinary and ceramic tint.
Protecting Interior Screens
With dual 12.3-inch displays, you will want to make sure and protect them from scratches, fingerprint marks, and other contaminants. Paint protection film can be applied to interior screen displays to protect them, and make them easier to keep clean. We recommend using a detailer spray and microfiber when cleaning the screens, with or without ppf protection. The paint protection film can also help to reduce glare off the screens.
For More Information on Protecting Your Hyundai Ioniq 5:
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