Next in our series of finalists in Driven's annual Car Of The Year: the Green Award
The 2017 automotive headlines included several car makers announcing strategies to electrify their full future model ranges – in some places mis-reported as the imminent demise of the internal combustion engine.
Those needing a guide to the new world of electrification have found an example in the Hyundai NZ range.
The Korean marque launched the Ioniq sub-brand at the start of 2017. The model range spans the electric options — full battery electric or petrol-electric parallel hybrid at this stage with a third ''half-way house'' choice of plug-in hybrid still to come — conventionally packaged in a family-size five-door hatchback body.
Ioniq's choices range from low consumption and emissions with the only constraint on range being the size of the full tank and location of a service station. That changes to something in the region of 200km of full electric and zero-emissions motoring – requiring careful planning of trips and recharging if venturing much further than the daily commute.
The Ioniq range is a ''here-and-now'' example from a mainstream brand of how electrification will be applied in the foreseeable future.
While some car makers grabbed headlines with their plans, Hyundai NZ was delivering a vehicle to its showrooms that covers the electrification options and has the performance, refinement and conventional driving techniques that also makes it a smooth transition into the new electric world.
Read our full Hyundai Ioniq EV road test here.
This year Driven decided to reflect our readers' interests in our Car of the Year categories more. For the first time we have:
- Little Beauties (covering light/compact cars, and small SUVS) - winner: Suzuki Ignis
- Family Chariots (medium/large cars, medium/large SUVs)
- Only For the Rich (premium cars, luxury SUVs)
- Lotto Winner's Choice (performance vehicles) - winner: Honda Civic Type R
- Tradies' Delight (utes/vans) – winner: Renault Master range
- Green Power (hybrids and EVs)
- Motorbike of the Year – winner: BMW G 310 R
-Colin Smith
