Hyundai IONIQ 5: 2021 carsales Car of the Year

The all-new Hyundai IONIQ 5 is the 2021 carsales Car of the Year, proudly presented by Bingle.

The electric car revolution is upon us – even in Australia, where state EV incentives are being rolled out and charging infrastructure is ramping up at a frenetic pace.

But the 2021 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is not just an exciting glimpse of zero-emissions motoring according to the ambitious Korean automotive giant.

It’s a real car that you can buy today, it looks stellar, drives exceptionally well and delivers the most up-to-date EV platform this side of the Porsche Taycan at close to mass-market money.

What’s more, it comes from an established mainstream brand that offers solid aftersales support and is most likely to challenge the market dominance of Toyota Australia, whose first EV is yet to arrive.

Based on Hyundai’s new global electric car architecture dubbed E-GMP, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 is a fastback-style mid-size electric crossover SUV that delivers large-car space and a flat-floor cabin that moves the brand and segment forward.

New from the ground up and wrapped in an edgy, low-slung five-door body, the battery-powered Hyundai IONIQ 5 debuts new 800V charging tech, next-generation infotainment, European-car levels of driver and passenger engagement and the sort of clever connectivity early adopters and digital cynics alike will warm to.

Best of all, it’s a decent drive with a hint of old-school rear-wheel drive dynamics in the base version. Performance in its twin-motor all-wheel drive form is solid – not Tesla-fast, but not far off.

Entry-level versions match the top-selling Tesla Model 3 with rear-drive and a handy 450km of driving range, thanks to a rear-mounted 160kW electric motor that draws power from a 72.6kWh lithium-ion battery, providing 0-100km/h acceleration in a decent 7.4sec.

Upgrading to the all-wheel drive variant combines a 155kW rear-mounted electric motor and 70kW front-mounted motor for sizeable combined system outputs of 225kW/605Nm.

The flagship dual-motor IONIQ 5 also draws power from a 72.6kWh battery, offering a 430km range and 0-100km/h in a spirited 5.2sec.

Indeed, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 goes as good as it looks, earning high praise from judges for brisk acceleration even at base level and a dynamic ride/handling combination for all versions.

All IONIQ 5s also come with a top five-star 2021 ANCAP safety rating, five-year unlimited-kilometre warranty and an affordable five-year service program.

EV or not, the IONIQ 5 achieved one of the best cost-of-ownership scores from RedBook, which took into account cost-to-own data including purchase pricing, financing, depreciation, value for money and warranty, and cost-to-run data such as fuel, tyres, insurance and servicing over a period of three years or 60,000km.

And, unlike some EVs in this year’s COTY field, the IONIQ 5’s clean-sheet design liberates a clever, modern, high-quality, spacious and versatile cabin layout.

Hyundai’s first dedicated EV isn’t cheap at a starting price of almost $72,000, but the line-up will soon be joined by both a faster high-performance N flagship and a cheaper version (albeit with less range) that will be priced to be eligible for state EV subsidies.

The IONIQ 5 is not only the first mainstream mid-size electric SUV to arrive in Australia, but the coolest Hyundai ever produced, so it’s no surprise the first batch of 400 vehicles sold out in just two hours via Hyundai’s new online sales portal.

Our judges loved the way the IONIQ 5 drives, the way it looks, its space, tech and amenity, and the fact it says so much about what’s to come from one of the auto industry’s most exciting brands.

In fact, after attracting more top votes from judges than any other model in the history of Australia’s premier automotive consumer award, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 easily claimed its title of 2021 carsales Car of the Year.