The Hyundai Ioniq 5 earned the 2022 EV of the Year award from Car and Driver, as announced on Thursday. In the write-up, the publication noted the Ioniq 5’s design aesthetic as part of its reason for victory, and even called it “confidently weird.”
Car and Driver writes, “If you want to know why the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is our EV of the Year, just look at it.”
The publication tested the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and found it had a 60 mph acceleration time of 4.5 seconds, a 1/4-mile time of 13.2 seconds at 102 mph and a highway range of about 210 miles.
Hyundai Unveils IONIQ 6 EV Design https://t.co/Rd35S5dc3g
— TeslaNorth.com (@RealTeslaNorth) June 29, 2022
The Ioniq 5 also has a 0.29 drag coefficient, impressive for its shape and size, and it starts at $41,245. The vehicle beat out the Tesla Model S Plaid, Porsche Taycan 4S Cross Turismo, Lucid Air Grand Touring, and more.
Car and Driver points out the range of the Ioniq 5 is not class-leading–that goes to the Tesla Model Y Long Range–but praises the Hyundai’s 800-volt architecture and rapid-charging features.
Other features that make it great, per the report, are its odd quirks like the power leg rest, the rear-moving center console, and the ability to drive the car forward or backward with the key fob when parking. It also features a driver-sensing cruise control to try to emulate your driving style.
As for shortfalls of the Ioniq 5?
Fails? The tiny frunk—effectively a briefcase sitting atop the power-electronics hardware—is a joke, and the turning circle is unusually huge, about a foot more than that of a base GMC Yukon. The rotary stalk shifter also requires acclimation.
But so what? The Hyundai Ioniq 5 feels like the future. And the future is good.
Other contenders for Car and Driver‘s 2022 EV of the Year included a total of 18 EV models, in addition to the Tesla Model S Plaid. Last year, the Ford Mustang Mach-E was named the 2021 EV of the Year.
