Hyundai‘s Ioniq 5, an all-electric model with an edgy design, was named electric car of the year for cars and drivers. This is only the second year the award has been awarded.
Car and Driver employees praised Hyundai’s performance – it gets up to 320 hp from two electric motors – its impressive fast charging capabilities and its relatively affordable price.
Prices start at $41,245 for a rear-wheel drive vehicle capable of developing up to 168 hp and a range of 220 km. The most powerful all-wheel drive version tested by Car and Driver costs $57,490.
It is reported on Wapcar.my that the most charming part of Ioniq 5 is its special design.
Isn’t this the coolest design on the road? In terms of it, Tony Quiroga, a car and driver editor wrote an article to give high praise for it.
The overall shape of the Ioniq 5 is similar to that of a large hatchback or a low SUV – you can see it both ways – but it is covered with creases and straight edges. The taillights and front daytime running lights look like something out of a very low-resolution video game.
Surprisingly, however, the Ioniq 5 has a fairly smooth drag coefficient of 0.29, which means it’s only slightly less aerodynamic than the Tesla Model 3.
The 800-volt electrical system in mode the car’s fast charging and its ease of use and functionality Quiroga says driver-assist technologies are also factors that affect the price of the car.
Unlike most automotive awards, such as Trending Car of the Year, in the Car and Driver of the Year Competition, past winners can compete again the following year. This means that last year’s winner, the Ford Mustang Mach-E, is in contention again this year.
But magazine staffers think the Ioniq 5 is actually a bit more fun to drive than the Mustang, Quiroga said.
“Fun to drive” is one of four categories in which vehicles are ranked. Other things are valuable, how well the car performs the intended function and technology.
Ioniq 5 is also competing with Lucid Air, which won MotorTrend Car of the Year, and Rivian R1T, which won MotorTrend Truck of the Year.Hyundai beats them in part because of its more accessible pricing and better value. The Lucid Air that Cars and Drivers tested costs more than $140,000 and the Rivian at $93,000.
It also competes with the Kia EV6. Although they operate as separate companies in the United States, Kia and Hyundai are closely related globally.
The parent company of Hyundai owns a majority stake in Kia.
Although the Ioniq 5 and EV6 are very different – both with surprisingly unusual but distinct looks – they share much of their engineering, thanks to this relationship. The Car and Driver performance tests on both models gave similar results, and they were similarly priced, with the EV6 Car and Driver tested for only $3,000 less. with Ioniq 5. Again, however, employees think the Hyundai just drives a little better than the Kia, Quiroga said.
A third vehicle, the Genesis GV60, also shares the same technical platform as the EV6 and Ioniq 5 but, given its higher price tag, it has depreciated despite praise from the judges, Quiroga said.
