IONIQ 5 emerges as EV game changer with industry accolades

NEW YORK – Hyundai Motor Co.'s all-electric IONIQ 5 crossover has been named the World Car of the Year following a series of recent industry accolades in the latest sign that the top South Korean automaker is leading the pack in electrification.

The IONIQ 5, the first model of Hyundai’s dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV) lineup, was honored by the World Car Awards (WCA), beating two short-listed rivals – sister brand Kia Corp.'s EV6 and Ford Motor’s Mustang March-E, the company said on Thursday.

The Hyundai crossover was also named the World Electric Car of the Year and the World Car Design of the Year by the WCA on the sidelines of the 2022 New York Auto Show, which runs April 15-24 in Manhattan.

The WCA, a program organized and conducted by a jury of 102 international automotive journalists from 33 countries, is one of the world’s three most prestigious automobile industry awards alongside the North American Car, Utility and Truck of the Year (NACTOY) and the European Car of the Year (ECOTY) awards.

“We are truly honored to receive these prestigious awards,” said Hyundai Motor Chief Executive Chang Jae-hoon. “Our vision is to enable progress for humanity, and this endorsement will serve to embolden our commitment to make this vision a reality.”

SMART MOBILITY PROVIDER

The latest industry accolades come as Hyundai Motor is striving to transform into a smart mobility solutions provider, accelerating its electrification strategy to become the world leader in the EV segment.

The IONIQ 5, Hyundai’s first model built on its proprietary Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), boasts 800-volt, ultra-fast charging capabilities with an 80% charge from empty possible in just 18 minutes.

The Korean carmaker plans to introduce 17 new BEV models by 2030, including Genesis luxury brand cars, and aims to boost annual global BEV sales to 1.87 million units by 2030.

“The IONIQ 5 has made a strong impression on increasingly eco-conscious consumers, and its success supports the acceleration of electrification in the automotive industry,” Chang said.

The Hyundai crossover is no stranger to global auto awards.

Since its global launch last year, the IONIQ 5 has earned prestigious international honors, including German Car of the Year, UK Car of the Year, Auto Express Car of the Year and Auto Bild’s Electric Car of the Year.

“With the IONIQ 5, we set out to create a new mobility experience – a game changer,” said Lee Sang-yup, executive vice president and head of Hyundai’s global design center.

Hyundai and Kia in recent months significantly raised their standings in the global car market, winning top global awards and industry accolades in recognition of their excellence in design, performance, quality and safety.

CHAIRMAN CHUNG, INDUSTRY VISIONARY

Since Chairman Chung Euisun took the helm of the Korean automotive group in October 2020, he has brought a number of electric vehicles to the market and has been testing hydrogen fuel-powered vehicles.

He also led Hyundai’s acquisition in 2020 of Boston Dynamics, a US robotics company best known for its four-legged robot dog Spot, to apply the robotics technology to Hyundai and Kia cars.

In recognition of his efforts to drive transformative change not only in his business group but in the entire industry, he was named the automobile industry's Visionary of the Year by Newsweek during the New York auto show.

In New York, Chairman Chung said Hyundai aims to fully electrify its cars by 2045, the company’s carbon neutrality target year.

“We’re not just targeting to become the top seller by selling the largest number of cars around the world. Quality and customer satisfaction are as important or more important than the number of cars sold,” he said during a meeting with Korean reporters in New York.

Regarding Hyundai’s autonomous vehicle roadmap, he said the company aims to perfect Level 3 self-driving technology by 2026 when it also expects to start production of Level 4 autonomous vehicles.

At Level 3, hands-free driving is possible with the help of various driver assistance systems and artificial intelligence. At Level 4, a vehicle can drive itself under limited conditions, just shy of Level 5, which enables fully automated driving.

The chairman also said robotics is one of the carmaker’s major future growth engines, looking at both industrial and personal purposes.

“In addition to the utilization of robots at various industrial and manufacturing sites, they can also be incorporated into cars or work as a secretary to the human driver inside the vehicle,” he said.

Meanwhile, Hyundai on Thursday revealed the upgraded Palisade SUV at the motor show ahead of its domestic launch in May and the US launch this summer. Kia also showcased the face-lift version of its large-size Telluride SUV ahead of its US launch later this year.

Separately, Hyundai premiered the Genesis X Speedium Coupe, the Genesis brand’s next electric sedan concept, at Genesis House New York, a cultural hub in Manhattan’s Meatpacking District.

Write to Il-Gue Kim, Hyung-Kyu Kim and Young-Yeon Kang at Black0419@hankyung.com
In-Soo Nam edited this article.