All-electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 tucks one more award under belt

The ground-breaking Hyundai Ioniq 5 has tucked yet another award under its belt, adding to numerous already well-deserved gongs.

Respected automotive news site MotorTrend has now awarded the all-electric crossover a pair of “Golden Calipers.”

Having crossed the figurative finish line ahead of 45 other competitors, MotorTrend says it awarded the Ioniq 5 the top gong for its “sharp style, cohesion of details and user experience.”

In particular, Ed Loh, head of editorial at MotorTrend Group said that the Ioniq 5 came out on top for Hyundai’s ability to deliver “an affordable, capable, tech-forward crossover with great range and quick charging capability, standing out in an increasingly crowded field.”

He added: “The Ioniq 5 doesn’t look or drive like any other EV on the road; it leads with interesting and futuristic styling and seals the deal with intuitive, human-centered technology, all in a smartly packaged crossover that fits a wide range of garages, budgets, and lifestyles.”

The retro-styled crossover takes cues from its predecessor, the 1974 Pony concept. However, inside it is a veritable Tardis filled with new technology, thoughtful design and of course oodles of space.

With an 800-volt architecture allowing super-fast-charging from 10-80% in 18 minutes, it also has a neat device-charging function known as vehicle-to-load (V2L). This in the form of a standard powerpoint inside the car in its most recent iteration, as well as via an external adapter.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 now available in three variants

In Australia, it is now available in three variants. Hyundai Australia on Monday announced a range-topping Epiq variant in addition to the existing 2WD Dynamiq and AWD Techniq variants.

All three now also get a 7% larger battery, and a corresponding increase in driving range of 454km (WLTP).

This has also been accompanied by an increase in price. The single-motor Ioniq 5 Dynamiq now starts at $72,000, up from $69,900. The dual-motor Ioniq 5 Techniq now starts at $77,500, up from $77,500, all before on-roads.

The Ioniq 5 Epiq starts at a premium price of $85,000 before on-roads. It features the reintroduction of the panoramic “moon roof,” which was standard on the AWD prior to being renamed the Techniq.

While it is clearly a oft-awarded vehicle, in Australia at least in continues to be a hard vehicle to get hold of. However, a new tranche of 200 Ioniq 5s – the largest one to date – will go on sale in Australia on October 26 at 1pm.