It’s been a good year for Hyundai and its Ioniq 5 EV. Having been the subject of praise and thousands of orders in recent months, the brand’s flagship electric car has now earned a higher safety rating than BMW’s flashy i4 sedan.
The US based Insurance Institute for Road Safety (opens in new tab) (IIHS) awarded the Ioniq 5 its highest safety honor – dubbed the Top Safety Pick+ – after the Korean-made EV achieved top marks in multiple crash tests.
The BMW i4, on the other hand, scored just four out of five stars in a comparable test conducted by the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP), which cited the lack of an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and occupant detection system. to the car. driver and rear passenger seat (as InsideEVs (opens in new tab)).
It should be noted that the BMW i4 is far from an unsafe car – EuroNCAP praised its structural performance and battery integrity – but its technological shortcomings serve to highlight just how impressive the Ioniq 5 performed in similar conditions (Hyundai’s EV also achieved five stars in the same EuroNCAP (opens in new tab) test).
The results will be welcomed by new and potential owners of the Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60, as well as those in the market for an Ioniq 5, as all three cars are built on the same E-GMP platform.
To see for yourself how well Hyundai’s cute EV fared in recent IIHS tests, check out the institute’s official crash test footage below:
As green car reports (opens in new tab) notes, it is worth remembering that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not yet rated the Ioniq 5 – although we would be surprised to see it fall short of these comparable tests.
In our review of the car, we described the Ioniq 5 as “a superb EV” and an “appealing proposition for a variety of buyers” thanks to its varied charging options, spacious interior and unique design.
It doesn’t have the widest range of market-leading tech, but for an attractive EV that starts at the relatively reasonable price of £36,995 (about $45,000 / AU$65,000) – for comparison, the BMW i4 starts at £52,575 (about $65,000 / AU$90,000) – the Ioniq 5 continues to rank among our pick of the best electric cars money can buy in 2022.
Incidentally, Hyundai recently lifted the lid on its long-awaited Ioniq 6 sedan, which is expected to go on sale in the first half of 2023. We think it looks like Apple’s Magic Mouse on wheels – but you can decide for yourself if the Korean brand is on another winner in the fast-growing EV sector.