I don’t pump much gas, as my husband, Garry Sowerby, is quick to point out. Even when I’m driving, he jumps out to fuel for me.
What’s a woman to do? Fight over the nozzle out there in the cold? No, I should bask in it, right? Like I’m some kind of celebrity.
This past week, though, neither Garry nor I had to think about who would pump gas. There would be no discussing hot topics such as whether chivalry is dead.
My celebrity status? Stolen by my test vehicle for the week – the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5.
Hyundai IONIQ 5 – World Car
The handsome all-electric compact utility vehicle, wrapped in a matte paint called Shooting Star Gray, recently took home three, yes three, international awards – World Car of the Year, World Electric Vehicle of the Year and World Car Design of the Year.
Hyundai Motor Company should be proud of their global accomplishments.
From its first production vehicle in 1968, the Cortina, a Ford collaboration, to the launch of the Pony, the first Korean passenger car, in 1976, the brand has been growing by leaps and bounds, in both quantity and quality.
The IONIQ 5, Hyundai’s first full battery electric vehicle, is eye-catching and certainly stands out in a crowd. The lines are sleek. The 20-inch wheels and wide stance give it an aggressive look. All-wheel drive offers confidence on our wintry Canadian roads.
2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5Photo: GARRY SOWERBY
And, of course, there’s pure driving fun with its off-the-line acceleration, which shoots the IONIQ 5 from zero to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds. (Tested several times.)
I loved the interior of the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5.
The crisp and elegant cabin is a testament to the word ‘Hyundai’, which comes from the Korean ‘hanja’, meaning ‘modernity’.
The chic eco-leather seats fully recline, creating business-class quarters and providing expansive views from the vision roof, one of my (and my nieces’) favourite features.
So much room to put things! The centre console seemingly floats. Actually, it slides. Genius. Clean graphics on the large screens across the dash add to the openness.
Road Trip Ready
With a battery range of 481 kilometres, the IONIQ 5 is road trip ready.
The sophisticated and spacious cabin, also road trip ready, is a fine place to hang out while charging the vehicle.
Why not recline my seat and look at the stars? I won’t be here long. Once Garry connects the station’s charging cable to the IONIQ 5, it will take only 18 minutes for the 77.4-kWh battery to reach 80 per cent of its full charge.
See? Chivalry is not dead.
Read Richard Russell’s review on the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 here.
2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5Photo: GARRY SOWERBY
