We’d never seen one of these in public until we were handed the key FOB. Now we get to drive one for a week! The All-New Hyundai IONIQ 6. With sleek lines and an interesting interior we couldn’t wait to fire up the electrons and take if for a blast!
We’ve seen pictures of the Santa Cruz for years now and finally it’s arrived. Oddly enough, Ford also released the Maverick around the same time so we’ve now got two variations of the same theme: a Unibody pickup truck that is not a real truck, but is a truck in looks and utility. The Santa Cruz is Hyundai’s first pickup truck in North America and can I say…it’s long overdue. Having owned a Ranger for the past 10+ years I can honestly say I don’t know how I ever lived without a pickup truck.
We’ve seen pictures of the IONIC5 for a while now, but I’ve never actually seen one in the flesh, on the road. It’s a very rare beast and as of right now there’s a 1 year wait until people are going to be getting them…people want them, but dealerships can’t get them – it’s the typical story of 2022 from all manufacturers. Oh well, we’ve got one and we’ve got an entire week behind the wheel.
Late last month Hyundai revealed the U.S. specs on the 2022 IONIQ 5 that will be available this fall, with a larger rollout coming in 2022. While closely related to the Kia EV6, they are very different crossover EV’s.
Kia officially unveiled their EV6 crossover in March, but no prices were announced at that time. It is scheduled to go on sale in the second half of 2021 – probably in the fall. Now we have the prices coming out of South Korea, with estimates converted to $U.S.
Hyundai revealed the All-New 2022 Santa Cruz on Thursday, and it’s going on sale this summer. After first seeing it 6 years ago, it’s now actually going to be available, but excitement quickly turned to disappointment as it’s based on the All-New Tucson and not the larger Santa Fe as we were expecting, so it’s much smaller and a lot less useful.
Hyundai’s all-new electric mid-size crossover – the Ioniq 5, has been revealed to the public and it comes in three models and a long list of features. It’s the first model to be branded under the ‘Ioniq’ electric sub-brand. The Ioniq 5 rides on the dedicated Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), which blends the traditional skateboard design with an elongated wheelbase. At a fairly long 4.65m (182.4 inches) overall and a 3m wheelbase (over 118 inches), it’s even longer than the Palisade!
The first time I saw a Palisade in the flesh (or should I say metal), I wasn’t paying attention and mistook it for an Infiniti QX80. I jumped into the passenger seat and looked around, thoroughly impressed and could see why the QX80 was priced around $96,500. The driver asked what I thought of it, and how much did I think it was worth. I blurted out – around $85-90k. “Nope – $56k fully loaded.” Came the reply. My jaw dropped. $56k for an SUV like this, just oozing luxury?! What a bargain. “Yeah, pretty nice for a Hyundai – right?” Whaddayamean a Hyundai? “It’s a Hyundai Palisade” No way! Gotta get me one for a test ASAP. And so we have it… for a week.
Last year we drove the gas-powered Kona and came away nicely impressed, but really wondered what the EV version would be like – after all that was the one we were REALLY interested in. With the lease on our vehicle ending soon, we’re legitimately looking to get a new car and we’re both excited about the EV revolution. With so many new EV’s arriving in 2020 it’s going to be a feast of options, but the almighty dollar (budget) is most likely going to be the deciding factor in the end.
At this years’ AutoShow in Toronto, my wife and I came away more than impressed with the entirely new Hyundai Kona, and when we heard it was going to be available as an EV we were even more excited that it could go to the top of our next future car list. We were drawn to the Kona at the show by the unique look and the incredible paint colour – Acid Yellow (Lime Twist in the U.S.).
Road-Test.org 