The fully electric Hyundai IONIQ 5, launched in Malaysia just two days ago from RM199k, has just been crowned the UK Car of the Year 2022 after consideration from a panel of 29 judges from Top Gear, Evo, Auto Express, The Independent, and The Telegraph to name a few.
The IONIQ 5 was also voted the Best Family Car as it was noted for making “going electric easy”. The awards also credited the IONIQ 5 for being the future of motoring but is instead today’s reality.
The IONIQ 5 was also recognised at the 2021 News UK Motor Awards; walking away with the Best Designed Car of the 2021 title and Motoring Innovation of the Year Award for its Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) feature. The V2L feature essentially allows occupants to power electrical appliances, even with the car off, by plugging into a conventional 3-pin socket.
Closer to home, the IONIQ 5 is available in 3 variants; the Lite from RM 199,888, the Plus from RM229,888 and the Max from RM259,888. Its batteries are covered by an 8-year/160,000 km warranty.
The Lite and Plus variants are rear-wheel drive, powered by a single electric motor, while the Max comes with all-wheel drive; with an electric motor in the front and back.
The Lite and Plus come with 170 hp and 350 Nm with 0 to 100 km/h done in just 8.5 seconds, while the more powerful Max variant with 305 hp and 605 Nm, does it in 5.2 seconds. Top speed is limited to 185 km/h for all variants.
The Lite and Plus are fitted with a 58 kWh lithium-ion battery for up to 384 km of driving range, while the Max gets a larger 72.6 kWh battery for up to 430 km. Using a Type 2 AC (11kW) charger, the IONIQ 5 can be charged from 0 to 100% in just 5 hours. With the quicker DC charger, the IONIQ 5 can be charged up to 80% in just 18 minutes.
