Car of the Year The Hyundai electric hot hatch
is fast, good-looking and practical, but what impresses most is how
exciting it feels to drive. All the controls are expertly tuned – the
steering is feelsome and nicely weighted; the brake pedal is
responsive, suffering no dead feel as in some EVs; the N e-Shift mode
does a good job to simulate the behaviour of an 8-speed DCT; the
suspension is firm but controls the car's massive weight pretty well.
With torque split set to rear-biased, the car's turn-in is particularly
impressive, sharp and faithful. Turn off stability control and you can
induce some oversteer like a proper rear-drive performance sedan. The
great balance and adjustable manner remind us some of the best BMW M
cars in the past.
Hyundai's N division has successfully created a great driver's car based on an EV. While you might say Porsche did that first with Taycan, the Ioniq 5 N is an even bolder attempt, just check the artificial gearbox and variable torque split and you will see. Yes, £65,000 is a lot of money for a Hyundai, but it proves that electric cars can be fun to drive. |
| Past winners 2023 Ferrari 296 GTB 2022 Lucid Air 2021 Toyota GR Yaris 2020 Porsche Taycan 2019 Jaguar I-Pace 2018 Renault Alpine A110 2017 BMW 5-Series G30 2016 Mazda MX-5 2015 Ferrari LaFerrari 2014 Porsche 991 GT3 2013 Tesla Model S 2012 BMW 3-Series F30 2011 Jaguar XJ 2010 Ferrari 458 Italia 2009 Nissan GT-R 2008 Jaguar XF 2007 Ferrari 599GTB Fiorano 2006 Bugatti EB16.4 Veyron 2005 Ferrari F430 2004 Ford GT 2003 Mercedes-Benz E-class and E55 AMG 2002 Mercedes-Benz SL 2001 Alfa Romeo 147 2000 Ferrari 360 Modena 1999 Ford Focus |
