We can't begin to tell you how much time we've wasted arguing over the definition of what makes an SUV an SUV. Days' worth of meetings, countless supposedly social hours, a painful amount of minutes—none of which we'll ever get back. One recent vehicle whose SUV-ness inspired heated debate was the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5. Of course, as regards our SUV of the Year competition, we stopped arguing and just let the automakers tell us what it is they're selling. If they say it's an SUV, fine. We'll test it like one. Turns out that whatever you call it, the Ioniq 5 is just plain great.
Credit for the Ioniq 5's success starts with its underpinnings. Like the related Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60, the Ioniq 5 is one of the first vehicles on the manufacturer's cutting-edge E-GMP modular EV platform. Base $42,745 Ioniq 5s get a 58.0-kWh battery pack paired with a single rear-mounted electric motor, good for 168 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque and an EPA-estimated 220 miles of range. One step up, the $46,795 SE nets a 77.4-kWh battery pack and optional ($3,500) dual-motor all-wheel drive. Rear-drive big-battery Ioniq 5s get 225 hp and 258 lb-ft of twist, while all-wheel-drive variants produce a healthy 320 hp and 446 lb-ft. All-wheel-drive 2023 Ioniq 5s can now travel 266 miles per charge, 10 more than before, while the single-motor variant can clear an impressive 303 miles between charges.
Even better, E-GMP is an 800-volt platform, meaning EVs on it are among the few at any price point that can make use of a 350-kW Level 3 DC fast charger. In its current state, the Ioniq 5 can charge from 10 to 80 percent in as little as 18 minutes, but Hyundai says the end goal of its ongoing improvements to the 5 is whittling the time down to that of an average gas-only fuel stop.
Beyond the numbers, the Ioniq 5 is subjectively good. "One of the most visually 'electrified' vehicles of the group," guest judge and former Ford VP of design Moray Callum said. "With a slightly retro VW-Golf-meets-DeLorean feel, the exterior detailing brings the Ioniq 5 clearly into the 21st century. That, aligned with the latest lighting technology and consistent graphic themes, makes this a complete design statement, which is hard not to like."
The Hyundai's drive experience is hard not to like, too. "Good fun to whip this thing around corners; it absolutely sticks to the road," senior editor Aaron Gold said. Digital director Erik Johnson agreed, adding, "The damping is outstanding, the way it not only controls the weight of the battery pack but also soaks up bumps with nary a shudder or shimmy. This is luxury-level chassis tuning in a mainstream EV." Although we'd still hesitate to take the Ioniq on anything more extreme than a dirt road, the Hyundai did its best to defend its SUV label, happily tackling the same off-road course that stranded an EV6 in the competition.
Flaws? Sure, the Ioniq 5 has some. For starters, the cabin, while both functional and spacious, lacks some of the charm of the exterior; we'd love to see 8-bit cyberpunk flourishes make their way inside for the midcycle update. Also, the Ioniq 5's infotainment suite is incapable of route-planning like rival systems in the Ford Mustang Mach E or Tesla Model Y, forcing drivers to guess or use third-party apps to determine the most efficient charge strategy on road trips. Given Hyundai's embrace of the connected car, we're confident that can be sorted via a software update. The only real hitch as far as we can see will be convincing buyers this Hyundai is an SUV and not a hatchback. At this point, we'll let that be in the eye of the beholder.