2022 HYUNDAI IONIQ5

 

ACCOLADES, AWARDS KEEP ROLLING IN
FOR HYUNDAI’S ELECTRIFIED IONIQ 5 SUV

After a late 2021 debut, Hyundai’s all-electric Ioniq 5 compact crossover SUV has spent the last year or so collecting awards the way Tom Brady used to pick up Super Bowl MVP trophies.

    

And not just for automotive’s electrified segment.

Recognition has come from such authoritative sources as Kelley Blue Book, which dubbed the Ioniq 5 a “watershed vehicle” for the company in naming it its “Best New Model” and “Best EV Buy” of the year.

Esquire called the Ioniq 5 “one of the most delightfully distinctive everyman cars on the road today” in bestowing it with “Car of the Year” honors, and Car & Driver said the Ioniq 5 “is an attractive proposition for buyers who desire the performance, range, and charging speeds of far more expensive EVs at an accessible price” in selecting it as its “EV of the Year.”

Finally, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 took home the “World Electric Car and World Car Design” categories at the World Car Awards announced at last fall’s New York Auto Show, and the year wound up with CarBuzz.com giving the Ioniq 5 its “People’s Car Award” in December.

All that came after the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 picked up six awards in its debut year of 2021.

One might quibble about the “accessible price” comment from Car & Driver considering the standard range base SE trim starts at $41,450 for 2023 models and AWD versions of the top-of-the-line Limited trim starts at over $56,000, which is pretty much the price range for the cheapest Tesla available, the Model 3.

But the numbers for 2022 models run slightly less, and there is little difference between the two years so do your bargaining.

My first experience with the 2022 Hyundai Ionic 5 was a a brief ride-and-drive last summer, and my driving partner and I were both greatly impressed. I had a longer time behind the wheel last fall.

 

Since then, the Ioniq 5 closed out the year with sales of 22,982 vehicles, which placed it ninth among the Hyundai models for 2022. January 2023 sales were at 1,548, according to the South Korean automaker, which was a huge jump over the first month of 2022 when the Ioniq 5 was just starting its first full year in showrooms.

That January report was well over half the total of 2,911 the company reported for the last two months of 2022 combined.

A full review of the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 can be found under “October” in my director for 2022, but here is a summary with one caveat. The styling has kind of grown on me and maybe not as funky as I once thought it:

What I liked about the 2022 Ioniq 5 Limited: As is typical of EVs, the immediate torque response (446 pound-feet on AWD models, 256 lb.-ft. with RWD) makes driving a fun experience. The max driving range is over 300 miles on a full charge on RWD models and increased to 266 miles for 2023, up from 256, for AWD models. Tech features are easy enough to catch onto. I like the way the door handles pop out when you approach the car while with the key fob in your pocket or purse and then retract after you get in, leaving a clean exterior.

What I didn’t like about the 2022 Ioniq 5 Limited: Both exterior and interior styling in general can be a bi funky for possibly older buyers, but that may be an age thing. Hatchbacks generally appeal more to younger consumers. It’s minor, but gears are selected by turning a knob that sticks out from the steering column and the gear sequence has D (drive) at the top spot where R (reverse) would instinctively be found. You’ll typically find reverse at the head of your console’s gear shift, for example.

Would I buy the 2022 Ioniq 5 Limited? Again, I’m waiting for the infrastructure to catch up to provide more options for charging before I buy an EV even though the Ioniq 5 does have faster charging capability than many other EVs. But the range is good, and you can use the money you save on buy $4 or more gas to rent a car for longer trips.