Hyundai’s Brilliant Ioniq 5 Scoops Another Award

Hyundai surprised us all this week when it lifted the lid on the all-new Ioniq 6 electric car. People were instantly divided by the design; some called it unique, while others branded the slippery EV downright ugly. Whatever you may think of it, there’s no denying it fails to live up to the handsome Hyundai Ioniq 5 – in terms of broad aesthetic appeal, at least.

But the Ioniq 5 is so much more than a pretty face. It’s quite a delight to drive, with a comfortable interior and a decent turn of speed. The base price of $44,000 isn’t bad either, and that’s before the EV incentives have been deducted. With that in mind, it comes as no surprise that Hyundai’s electric wunderkind walked off with top honors at the 2022 World Car of the Year awards. But wait, there’s more!

It seems that the angular EV is a bit of an overachiever. In the latest bout of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluations, the Ioniq 5 walked off with a prestigious Top Safety Pick+ rating. “As the industry navigates to an all-electric future, we are extremely proud to have been awarded an IIHS TSP+ for our all-new Ioniq 5,” said the company’s chief safety officer, Brian Latouf.

A glance at the Ioniq 5’s standard safety equipment quickly puts this rating into perspective. Not only is the electric crossover the first Hyundai to receive the company’s Highway Driving Assist 2, but it ships standard with blind-spot monitoring, smart cruise control, and more. It’s worth noting, however, that this rating only applies to models built after December 2021. Impressively, it is the fifth Hyundai to attain this rating in 2022.

Aside from clinching honors in safety and overall excellence, esteemed motoring journalists from across the world also voted it the best electric car of 2022 and the best-designed one as well. It looks like the Ioniq 6 has some large shoes to fill. As a relatively new model, the Ioniq 5 isn’t expected to change much over the next few years.

That said, Hyundai has been hard at work on a high-performance derivative that will wear the famed N badge. Not much is known about the range-topper yet, but rumors suggest the 5 N will gain motivation from its corporate cousin, the Kia EV6 GT. The speedy Kia has 585 horsepower and 546 lb-ft of torque up for grabs, allowing for a 0-60-mph dash of 3.5 seconds.

If the current N lineup is anything to go by, it should be a hoot to drive quickly.