2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs. 2023 Toyota bZ4X: Small EV SUVs Compared!
We go into every comparison test with an open mind, but in this electric SUV matchup between Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Toyota's newer bZ4X, the Hyundai was the heavy favorite. After all, it already won a comparison test against its corporate cousin, the slick Kia EV6, and is currently our top pick among electric SUVs in our Ultimate Car Rankings. Turns out we were both right and wrong: Right about which EV would win but wrong about the reasons why. What we found were two exceptionally useful electric cars with their own distinct strengths.
Meet the Players: Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Toyota BZ4X
The Ioniq 5 is a talented and stylish EV, and it's the first vehicle from Hyundai's all-electric Ioniq subbrand. Although the bZ4X is Toyota's first modern-day battery electric vehicle, Toyota introduced an electric RAV4 back in 1997 and has been selling the Mirai FCEV (an electric car powered by a hydrogen fuel cell instead of a battery) since 2016. Given that experience, we thought it was fair to match the bZ4X against the best in the field.
For this comparison, we went with top-of-the-line all-wheel-drive models. Our Hyundai Ioniq 5 Limited AWD came with a set of accessory floormats that raised its price to $55,920. The bZ4X's top trim level is also called Limited, and our test AWD EV came with a cold-weather package, premium stereo, spoiler, and extra-cost paint that raised the sticker price to $52,050.
Are These Electric SUVs or Electric Hatchbacks?
Although both vehicles are pitched as compact sport-utilities, they blur the line between SUV and hatchback car. Both are just an inch or two shorter in length than Toyota's ubiquitous RAV4 and about the same width as it. But the BZ4X's roofline is some 2 inches closer to the ground than the RAV4's, and the Hyundai checks in 2 inches lower still. Consider that both carry their batteries under their bellies, which raises their floor height, and you can understand why they feel more like cars than SUVs from behind the wheel.
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the head-turner of this duo. Its nifty '80s-hatchback styling was inspired by Hyundai's first mass-produced vehicle, a dreadfully unreliable rustbucket called the Pony; despite those questionable roots, it drew universal acclaim: Throughout our test drive we could see the points and smiles directed at the Ioniq 5, and thanks to the Toyota's inferior sound insulation, we could sometimes hear the compliments, as well. The bZ4X is pretty enough in its own way, with its bold, grilleless styling and rakish roofline reminiscent of Toyota's own Venza. The black fender surrounds are questionable but do set the bZ4X apart—or at least they would if the Toyota didn't look so much like its fraternal twin, the Subaru Solterra.
Inside the Ioniq 5 and the bZ4X
Inside, the Hyundai has the edge: We love the EV rethink of the cabin. With no need for a center tunnel to house driveshafts or exhaust pipes, Hyundai has given the Ioniq 5 a completely flat floor, so there's no center pedestal where front passengers can smack their knees. It's a smart layout that reminds us of minivans and bench-seat sedans of yore. The control layout is fairly straightforward, and the cabin has plenty of storage space, but the instrument panel takes time to interpret, and there's a definite learning curve to the infotainment system. The Ioniq 5 is not a car for those who never RTFM.
The Toyota, in contrast, is refreshingly simple. Despite an all-digital dash, the controls and displays look like they could have been pulled from any Toyota model, and that simplicity is the bZ4X's hallmark, or at least it is once you get used to the driving position. The bZ4X's instrument panel is placed close to the windshield and meant to be viewed over the steering wheel rim rather than through it, blurring the line between a traditional gauge panel and a head-up display. It takes some getting used to, but once we adapted, we rather liked it.
Both cars have adequate room in the back seat, but the Toyota has a short cushion that sits too close to the floor. The Hyundai's back seat is positioned higher and is more comfortable by an order of magnitude, with no shortage of headroom despite its lower roofline, and the full-length sunroof lets in more daylight than the twin-pane job on the BZ4X.
The two cars run neck and neck on cargo space, with about 27 cubic feet behind the rear seats; only the Ioniq 5 has a sliding rear seat to adjust between passenger and luggage space, however. Neither car has a proper frunk, as both cars concentrate their electrical control gear under the hood. Hyundai does have a vestigial storage locker up front, but it's too small to be of much use.
Driving: Surprises and Disappointments
Out on the open road, the Toyota took us by surprise: Although it's not as quick as the Hyundai (we timed the bZ4X to 60 in 5.8 seconds versus 4.4 for the Ioniq 5), it feels very zippy and responsive, with a strong midrange punch that always made us smile. The Hyundai's accelerator is set up so that, outside of Sport mode, one must dip more deeply into its travel to access its best acceleration. Nothing wrong with that, but we preferred the Toyota's always-eager feel.
The Toyota had the better ride, too; it's comfortable and steady, whereas the Hyundai is busier and more jittery, even while being appreciably quieter. On the curviest section of our test route, the Hyundai exhibited better grip, but the suspension felt underdamped. The Ioniq 5 leans more in the turns than the bZ4X, and midcorner bumps set it bounding, often to the detriment of traction. Speaking of which, if you turn off traction control and punch the throttle coming out of the turns, the Ioniq 5 is happy to get a little sideways. (Stability control will keep it from going too far out of line.) It's good fun if a bit ragged. The Toyota wasn't as up for this sort of silly fun, but it showed more serious skills: Its better damping kept all four wheels in good contact with the pavement, allowing it to rocket out of turns that left the Hyundai scrabbling for grip.
Both of our cars had cruise control and lane centering, and both systems worked well. We like that the Hyundai's lane centering can be switched on independent of cruise control. The Hyundai has automated lane changing, but we couldn't figure out how to get it to work—that's our fault and not the car's, as we never did, um, RTFM. But it underscores a point we made earlier: The Ioniq 5 has a steeper learning curve, while the Toyota is simplicity defined.
At this point in our test, the cars were running relatively neck and neck: The Hyundai Ioniq 5 led on style and interior comfort, but we appreciated the Toyota bZ4X's ease of use and—much to our surprise—judged its road manners superior. But once we factored in range and charging speed, the Hyundai pulled ahead by several EV lengths.
Range and Charging: Hyundai Pulls Ahead of Toyota
The AWD version of the Ioniq 5 has an EPA-rated range of 256 miles, while the BZ4X Limited AWD is rated at 222 miles (which you can increase to 228 by opting for the cheaper XLE model). A 34-mile delta isn't much, but the difference in charge times is significant, particularly at DC fast chargers of the type you'd most likely use on a road trip. The Hyundai has an 800-volt charging system that can take advantage of high-speed 350-kW chargers. Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 can charge from 10 to 80 percent capacity in 18 minutes, and our experience bears that out. The all-wheel-drive bZ4X can't charge at more than 100 kW, which means that same charge can take the better part of an hour. During our test, we stopped for lunch at a supermarket with the batteries similarly depleted, plugged both cars into 150 kW chargers, and went upstairs to wait in line at the busy deli counter. The Hyundai hit 80 percent as we were paying for our sandwiches; the Toyota didn't get there until well after we had finished eating.
Does charging speed really matter? Maybe not, if you install a 240-volt home charger—and you'll want to, as the convenience of having one beats the stuffing out of relying on the public charging network—and mainly use the EV for commuting while also owning another car for long-distance trips. Remember, home charging means leaving every morning with a full "tank," and few Americans routinely drive more than 200 miles in a day. (That said, even on the slower Level 2 household plugs, the Hyundai's 10.9-kW charging gear takes power faster than the Toyota's 6.6-kW unit.) But if you're an inveterate road-tripper and/or a single-car household, the Hyundai's high-speed charging abilities will make a significant difference.
Let's Consider the Coin
We were ready to name Hyundai as the winner, but we hadn't yet considered the price difference: The Hyundai we were driving cost $4,390 more than the Toyota. The higher charge speeds might justify that extra cost, but what if we were homebodies to whom charging speed wasn't important? Is the Toyota the better value?
We debated this point and decided it wasn't. The Ioniq 5 has better accommodations and looks, and opting for the midrange SEL version will run $50,995. That means living without the big sunroof, the nifty head-up display, and a few other goodies, but we think that's a worthwhile sacrifice for the better overall car and experience.
Hyundai Ioniq 5 Wins—But Don't Count Out the Toyota bZ4X
Although the Toyota emerged as our second-place finisher, we can make a good use case for it. The bZ4X's simplicity and approachability should not be undervalued: For someone who isn't a tech geek, who doesn't want to have to read the manual or watch a bunch of YouTube videos, who just wants to get in the damn car and drive it, the Toyota bZ4X is the way to go. With every automaker seeming to want to emulate Tesla and turn their EVs into high-tech showcases, the Toyota is refreshingly easy to use. It's the flip phone of electric cars, and we mean that as a compliment. We also can't ignore that the Toyota is the better-riding and better-driving of these two EVs.
Still, after extensive back-to-back evaluation, the 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 emerged as the winner. It's a marvelous electric SUV that is both practical and futuristic, and its employment of better electrical hardware makes it a long-legged, fast-charging adventurer. Nonetheless, the margin of victory over the Toyota was narrower than we expected. The 2022 bZ4X is a competent electric car with many of the attributes that have made Toyota one of the world's most popular car brands. It exits this competition with its head held high—or at least it will once it finishes charging.
2nd Place: 2022 Toyota bZ4X
Pros: Zippy acceleration, sure-footed handling, easy to operate.
Cons: Low back seat, moderate range, slow charging performance.
Verdict: An easy-to-approach EV for the layperson but not a great traveling companion.
1st Place: 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5
Pros: Handsome and stylish looks, roomy interior, superfast charging.
Cons: Underdamped suspension, steeper learning curve, a little pricier.
Verdict: One of the best overall electric SUVs on the market right now.
POWERTRAIN/CHASSIS 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 HTRAC Specifications 2023 Toyota bZ4x Limited AWD Specifications DRIVETRAIN LAYOUT Front- and rear-motor, AWD Front- and rear-motor, AWD MOTOR TYPE Permanent-magnet electric Permanent-magnet electric POWER (SAE NET) 99 hp (fr), 221 hp (rr), 320 hp (comb) 107 hp (fr), 107 hp (rr), 214 hp (comb) TORQUE (SAE NET) 105 lb-ft (fr), 321 lb-ft (rr), 446 lb-ft (comb) 124 lb-ft (fr), 124 lb-ft (rr), 248 lb-ft (comb) WEIGHT TO POWER 14.6 lb/hp 20.6 lb/hp TRANSMISSIONS 1-speed automatic 1-speed automatic AXLE RATIO 4.71:1/10.65:1 13.80:1/13.80:1 SUSPENSION, FRONT; REAR Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar Struts, coil springs, anti-roll bar; multilink, coil springs, anti-roll bar STEERING RATIO 14.3:1 14.1:1 TURNS LOCK-TO-LOCK 2.7 2.8 BRAKES, F; R 12.8-in vented disc; 12.8-in disc 12.9-in vented disc; 12.5-in vented disc WHEELS 8.0 x 20-in cast aluminum 8.0 x 20-in cast aluminum TIRES 255/45R20 105V Michelin Primacy Tour A/S (M+S) 235/50R20 100V Bridgestone Turanza EL450 (M+S) DIMENSIONS WHEELBASE 118.1 in 112.2 in TRACK, F/R 64.2/64.6 in 63.0/63.4 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 182.5 x 74.4 x 63.0 in 184.6 x 73.2 x 65.0 in TURNING CIRCLE 39.3 ft 40.0 ft CURB WEIGHT (DIST F/R) 4,684 lb (51/49%) 4,402 lb (54/46%) SEATING CAPACITY 5 5 HEADROOM, F/R 39.1/37.5 in 38.6/37.1 in LEGROOM, F/R 41.7/39.4 in 42.1/35.3 in SHOULDER ROOM, F/R 57.7/57.7 in 57.8/56.0 in CARGO VOLUME, BEH F/R 59.3/27.2 cu ft 50.7/25.8 cu ft TEST DATA ACCELERATION TO MPH 0-30 1.6 sec 2.1 sec 0-40 2.3 3.1 0-50 3.3 4.3 0-60 4.4 5.8 0-70 5.8 7.7 0-80 7.6 10.0 0-90 9.7 12.7 0-100 12.3 16.0 PASSING, 45-65 MPH 2.3 3.1 QUARTER MILE 13.2 sec @ 102.7 mph 14.5 sec @ 95.9 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 123 ft 125 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.88 g (avg) 0.77 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 25.7 sec @ 0.71 g (avg) 27.4 sec @ 0.62 g (avg) CONSUMER INFO BASE PRICE $48,745 $49,995 PRICE AS TESTED $56,440 $52,050 AIRBAGS 6: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain 8: Dual front, front side, f/r curtain, front knee BASIC WARRANTY 5 years/60,000 miles 3 years/36,000 miles POWERTRAIN WARRANTY 10 years/100,000 miles (including battery) 5 years/60,000 miles (8 years/100,000 miles battery) ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE 5 years/Unlimited miles 2 years/25,000 miles BATTERY CAPACITY 77.4 kWh Li-Ion 72.8 kWh Li-Ion EPA CITY/HWY/COMB ECON 110/87/98 mpg-e 112/92/102 mpg-e (mfr est) EPA RANGE, COMB 256 miles 222 miles (mfr est) RECOMMENDED FUEL 240-volt electricity, 480-volt electricity 240-volt electricity, 480-volt electricity ON SALE Now Now Show AllYou may also like
Ever since Michelin revealed the Tweel airless tire in 2004, it has been on the radar for anyone looking to reduce the need for monitoring tire pressures for optimum fuel efficiency and tire safety—at least for applications like ride-on lawnmowers and ATVs. Looks like Hankook is the next to get in on the act with its i-Flex concept that debuted on the Hyundai Plug-n-Drive module concept at CES 2022.What Makes The i-Flex Different?Compared to Michelin X Tweel, the Hankook i-Flex is far more organic in its design—and that's by design. The tire's structure was inspired by "the cellular structure of living organisms." According to Hankook, this allows for "better shock absorption while allowing hexagonal and tetragonal cell structures of different rigidity join together for more stable load support."Made For An Autonomous TableFor now, the tire design is just a concept limited to a 10-inch outer diameter, which was perfect for the Hyundai Plug-n-Drive (PnD) module that also debuted at CES. You can almost think of it as a rolling, self-driven table. "The PnD modular platform is an all-in-one mobility solution that combines intelligent steering, braking, in-wheel electric drive and suspension hardware. The single wheel unit uses a steering actuator for infinite wheel rotation." In other words, it can turn around itself like that Lazy Susan on your table—except it's the whole table and it can drive around. With LiDAR and camera sensors, a PnD-enabled object can move autonomously, and the PnD modules can be attached to virtually anything that needs additional mobility.When's It Coming?The i-Flex has been in the works from Hankook since 2010, but a production version still isn't in sight. There are no explicit plans for building something larger than these small concept tires, but we have to imagine that Hankook is considering scaling up the concept for cars. We just don't know how far in the future that'll be.
cadillac ct5 Full OverviewCadillac's story in the two decades since the year 2000 has been one of chasing dreams. It went on a search for Art and Science. It traveled east to New York to find brand cachet and score modeling gigs. Like every carmaker, it pivoted wildly to crossovers and SUVs. Then along came EVs and the pledge that every Cadillac would soon be all-electric, all the time.Then there was V, the attempt to out-German the Germans at sport sedans. Like many of Cadillac's efforts in the past 20 years, it didn't quite pan out. But man, did the company ever get close, and the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is the proverbial going-out-with-a-bang car that should reverberate as one of the greatest American sport sedans of all time 20 years from now.The powertrain numbers are the pinnacle of Cadillac's gas-only power and performance: 668 hp and 659 lb-ft of torque from a 6.2-liter supercharged, direct-injected V-8. The engine itself is one of the last of the venerable LTs from GM's murderer's row of V-8s—the LT4. You get your choice of transmissions to pair with this aluminum-cast monster: an available 10-speed automatic or the standard Tremec six-speed manual.How Well Does the CT5-V Perform?For our instrumented test runs, we scored a manual-equipped version of the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing. It also came with one significant performance upgrade, Cadillac's optional carbon-ceramic front and rear brake package ($9,000). Though our test team experienced some issues launching the car from a stop, the CT5-V (eventually) performed about as expected.In fact, our number from 0-60 mph mirrored what Cadillac called out in its own estimates, a 3.6-second run. But it didn't exactly come easy. We found it incredibly tricky to get the CT5-V to hook up, despite following Cadillac's extensive launch instructions, including bleeding the tires down to 35 psi, which helped.Our most experienced tester, road test editor Chris Walton, also had his hands full with getting the CT5-V to launch correctly and channeling the car's prodigious power to the pavement. It ultimately thundered its way to a best quarter-mile time of 11.5 seconds at 127.5 mph."I, too, struggled with the launch on this car," Walton said. "It's one of those 'you can't go to wide-open throttle until the very top of first gear or you roast the rear tires.' I tried automatic launch control first, then started tweaking the launch rpm and tire-slip knobs. After failures and some successes, I found one that worked on our testing surface: 4,000 rpm with 10 percent slip, which goes against logic, but it worked."The brakes were also a bone of contention with the test team. We recorded 102 feet to stop from 60 mph—a more than respectable number, especially considering the CT5-V Blackwing's 4,067-pound curb weight—but Walton wasn't exactly enamored with what he found when he pressed the slow pedal. "The brakes are OK," he said. "The pedal feels unnecessarily firm, making it difficult to modulate on the release into the skidpad." That said, the team reported that the carbon units held up well after repeated whoa downs from triple-digit speeds.Dynamic Numbers Are DynamicWe also had some trouble getting things totally sorted on the skidpad, but the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing still put up some super numbers in the lateral-g and figure-eight departments, helped in part by a set of Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. Its 1.04-g average number is up there with the best sedans we've tested in recent years, and it matches that of the 2022 BMW M5 CS (interestingly, its CT4-V Blackwing stablemate performed a smidge better at 1.05 g).Out on our MotorTrend figure eight, the CT5-V Blackwing posted a 23.4-second lap at 0.89 g (average), with the M5 edging it at 23.2 seconds at 0.92 g. No, it didn't quite out-German the M5 dynamically, but for a front-engine, rear-drive sedan with a manual transmission (the M5 is all-wheel drive with an eight-speed automatic), the Cadillac is right there with it. That's duly impressive for a car that is in essence in its first and last generation. Yes, it's an evolution of the CTS-V, but the 2022 Cadillac CT5-V Blackwing is its own car, a Blackwing that can really fly.SPECIFICATIONS 2022 Cadillac CT5 V Blackwing BASE PRICE $84,990 PRICE AS TESTED $112,545 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan ENGINE 6.2L Supercharged direct-injected OHV 16-valve 90-degree V-8 POWER (SAE NET) 668 hp @ 6,500 rpm TORQUE (SAE NET) 659 lb-ft @ 3,600 rpm TRANSMISSION 6-speed manual CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 4,067 lb (54/46%) WHEELBASE 116.0 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 194.9 x 74.1 x 56.5 in 0-60 MPH 3.6 sec QUARTER MILE 11.5 sec @ 127.5 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 102 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 1.04 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 23.4 sec @ 0.89 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 13/21/15 mpg ON SALE Now Show All Looks good! More details?
With the introduction of the 2022 Toyota Tundra, we began to wonder when we'd see the next Sequoia SUV come out. Considering the full-size three-row SUV is loosely based off of the full-size pickup, it'd make sense that a new Tundra might beget an updated Sequoia. Sure enough, it looks as though a new Sequoia is finally happening, as Toyota has begun to tease out the look of the next-gen large SUV. Even better? It looks like there might be a few stylistic references to early Sequoia models in the new one.What We Get To See, So FarFrom the looks of the teaser image above, the 2023 Sequoia's design is going to depart from the current, second-generation model, which has been around since 2007. The rear end shows just how much change to expect: Where rounded, doughy, early naughts bodylines once meandered there now live more muscular, straight edges. The tail lights also show a new "T" design fast growing familiar across the Toyota SUV lineup. They draw not only further forward and into the rear quarter panel, but also further across the liftgate.The teaser also shows that the C-pillar has adopted a piece of black trim (instead of a body-color treatment) and brings the rear quarter window closer—physically, as we can tell thanks to some exposure editing—to the back of the rear doors. Toyota also gives the rear quarter windows a new arrowhead shape with a gray, silver, or chromed piece of trim between it and the body. Also getting some potential chrome treatment on this teaser image are the door handles.The New Liftgate Design Is A First Gen Sequoia CallbackThe bumper has also changed from a straight body separation on the body to now an angular one from the lower portion of the tail light to the molded overfender, however this separation does not continue into it. With our enhanced exposure edit, we also get a look at how the rear gate blends into the quarter panels, seemingly like the piece on the first-generation XK30/XK40 Sequoia. Instead of being completely encased into the liftgate, the rear window now curves around the gate and into the body, just like the 2001-2007 models' did.Unfortunately, we can't see how the glass separates to form the liftgate as its separation is not evident in the edited image. It's possible that the last bit going into the body is just a piece of trim—either black plastic or darkly tinted glass bonded by adhesive—and the separation follows the line seen in the rear spoiler and taillight just as it did with the first generation Sequoia. Or it could be one whole piece that lifts up with the rest of the liftgate. Finally, we also get a quick tease of the wheel, which on the surely up-level trim highlighted here looks to be a black-painted aluminum wheel with a machined face.Anything Else Teased?For the moment, this is all Toyota is giving out. There is no news on available engines, drivetrains, suspension, TRD versions, or the like. We imagine that the new Sequoia will get the same engine and drive treatments as the newest Tundra short of the live axle rear. Despite the Tundra's change to coil springs, we just don't see the Sequoia backsliding from its multilink, independent rear suspension setup—recently adopted by segment heavyweights from General Motors, the Chevy Tahoe and GMC Yukon, and long a staple of Ford's Expedition—to the Tundra's live axle, however improved it might be.Given how the Sequoia's teaser train has left the station, figure on the big SUV making its formal debut sometime soon.
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