IONIQ 5 named Japan's Import Car of the Year for 2022-2023

Hyundai Motor Co. on Friday said its electric-powered sport-utility vehicle (SUV) IONIQ 5 was named Japan's Import Car of the Year for 2022-23 by the executive committee of the country's Car of the Year award.

The model was also the first Korean car to make the awards' top 10 list.

Launched in 1980, Japan's Car of the Year honors select the country's 10 best models through judge voting for new cars released in the country every year. The Car of the Year is picked in each category through evaluations of test drives and final voting.

The IONIQ 5 beat out competitors like the BMX iX, Land Rover Range Rover and Renault Arkana, all three of which made the top 10.

"It received praise for its innovative interior and exterior design, long-driving distance on a single charge, dynamic driving performance, and a variety of convenience and safety specifications," the committee said of the IONIQ 5.

"In particular, many opinions said the function of changing the regenerative braking stage with a paddle shift mounted on the steering wheel provided driving pleasure." 
 
Long called the "graveyard of imported cars," the Japanese automotive market features stronger domestic brands and high consumer loyalty to their brands, so the country is deemed a textbook case of a market where imported cars struggle.

Hyundai Motor in 2001 debuted on the Japanese market but failed to reach its annual sales goal of 30,000 units there within five years, eventually pulling out from Japan in 2009.

In February of this year, however, the company reentered the Japanese passenger car market after a 12-year absence. It has been selling the IONIQ 5 and hydrogen-powered Nexo online since May and signed a contract in July to supply 50 units of the IONIQ 5 to Japan's MK Limousine and Taxi.

"Since the launch of sales, the IONIQ 5 has received high praise amid big interest from Japanese consumers," said Cho Won-sang, CEO of the carmaker's affiliate Hyundai Mobility Japan.

"We will continue striving to contribute to the future of mobility on the Japanese market with sincerity and humility."

The IONIQ 5 is the first electric vehicle (EV) developed solely based on Hyundai Motor Group's EV platform E-GMP. The model has received major global acclaim like World Car of the Year in April at the World Car Awards and Sports Utility Vehicle of the Year in October by the American magazine Motor Trend, which made the IONIQ 5 the first EV to win the honor.

Write to Il-Kyu Kim at black0419@hankyung.com