Car of the Year 2022 awards dominated by Electric vehicles.
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The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has won the 2022 British Car of the Year title. The victory means that in three of the past four years, battery power has triumphed over the internal combustion engine.
Hyundai’s latest electric car, the Ioniq 5, took home the overall best car award, and also took home the best family car category. Second place in the Car of the Year category is another electric car: Skoda’s Enyaq. Two other electric cars took third place: BMW’s brand new Sports Utility Vehicle and Porsche’s Taycan.
The judges – automotive journalists and industry experts – highlighted the Ioniq 5’s design and interior in their praise, but also crucially the car’s electric range. “Range anxiety” has plagued electric vehicles in recent years, potentially hindering wider consumer adoption. Those concerns have been eased as battery technology advances, and with the assurance that EVs can reliably cover longer distances.
The Ioniq 5 was showered with praise from 29 judges. Top Gear’s Tom Ford said: “The Ioniq 5 has the impression of a mobile lounge for commuting and long journeys. Ample space for all occupants and 800-volt fast charging helps here too. And it looks fantastic .”
Guy Bird, freelance motoring reporter, added: “The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is a game-changer for electric vehicles. It’s neck and neck with the biggest-selling automakers and could also steal sales from premium automakers. Innovative, aspirational, practical and great. It is designed to take full advantage of an all-electric platform.”
Colleague Alex Robbins called the car “one of the best electric cars out there”, while Company Car Today’s Paul Barker commented that it “makes going electric easy”.
Car of the Year 2022 awards dominated by Electric vehicles.
John Challen, Director of British Car of the Year Awards, said: “The Ioniq 5 feels like the future of cars, only it’s here today. Its design, performance and practicality make it a great choice for those looking for an electric vehicle. A great choice and a worthy winner of the 2022 British Car of the Year.
Ashley Andrew, Managing Director of Hyundai UK, was of course delighted when he accepted the winner’s trophy: “The Ioniq 5 has captured the attention of UK consumers as it offers a sleek, premium all-electric experience that spans almost every type of new car buyer. Its innovative layout means it’s spacious enough for large families, its efficient zero-emission powertrain is perfect for corporate car buyers, and its luxurious, eco-friendly interior makes Hyundai a true premium product.”
Mat Moakes, CEO of heycar UK, sponsor of the British Car of the Year Awards, added: “Hyundai’s success underscores the strengths of this exciting car and we are particularly impressed with the Ioniq 5’s charging speed, 10% to 80% in 18 minutes!
“Despite intense competition, Hyundai leads the electric vehicle market with cutting-edge design and world-class technology. Hyundai has shown the world the future of electric vehicles, and thanks to the Ioniq 5, that future looks very bright.”
The design was previewed by the Hyundai 45 EV Concept which was presented at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2019. Both the concept car and the production version are inspired by the original Hyundai Pony, and features the Parametric Pixel design that is applied to the headlights, tail lights, and wheels. The vehicle’s clamshell hood spans the entire width to make a sleek look with the 20-inch aerodynamic wheels.
Developed under the project code NE, it is the first vehicle to be based on the E-GMP platform. The dedicated electric vehicle platform enables the vehicle to adopt a fully flat interior floor with a 3-metre long wheelbase. The flat floor allows Hyundai engineers to develop a sliding front central console, which is able to slide backwards by 140 mm (5.5 inches). It has a cargo capacity of 531 L (18.8 cu ft) behind the rear seats that can be increased to nearly 1,600 L (56.5 cu ft) with the second row seats folded.
The dashboard is dominated by two 300 mm (12 inch) screens, one for the instrument cluster display and the other for the infotainment system under one piece of glass. It is equipped with an optional head-up display with augmented reality support. Many of the interior parts are made from recycled materials, including PET bottles. The roof consists of a single large glass panel without any support beams.
The Ioniq 5 also features a front trunk, which has a 57 L (2.01 cubic feet) capacity for the RWD version and all North American versions, while the AWD model (except North America) has a 24 L (0.848 cubic feet) capacity, due to the extra mechanical components underneath to support the front electric motor.
It has the ability to charge electrical equipment through the built-in V2L (Vehicle to Load) function. It can supply up to 3.6 kilowatts of power from the port mounted under the rear seats (except Australia) and from another port installed outside. The exterior port is able to supply power even if the vehicle is turned off.
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