This is familiar to us. Three years ago, we also named Hyundai our Manufacturer of the Year. The reason for this was a trio of impressive products, both stout (the i30 N) and sweet (the hybrid Ioniq and electric Kona). Those cars are still for sale – well, the N no longer in the Netherlands – and are now joined by some even more diverse and talented characters.
The i20 N is in practice a shrunken i30 N with a good dollop of polishing paste on it. In reality, it’s much more than the sum of its parts: a cool little performance car that somehow feels both simple and sophisticated. Do you have to have a crossover? The i20 N was launched almost simultaneously with the Kona N, a unique machine that, as a fast SUV, ‘does its own thing’ even more than a Cayenne or Urus. (Unfortunately, this also applies here: Hyundai no longer sees a market for these fun models in the Netherlands.)
The N division hasn’t been half-hearted with a soft chassis and sensible AWD – they’ve just tightened up the i30 N a bit. The result is steadfast, almost slapstick-like, and leaves us giggling in a corner of the car world where we usually have to yawn. The updated i30 N – with the Kona’s increasingly smart dual-clutch transmission as an interesting option – is now even more appealing to purists who like to sit close to the tarmac.
The Manufacturer of the Year 2021 came with the Ioniq 5
But with recent climate reports and COP26 headlines in mind, we can’t just focus on the fast stuff here. In 2018 we already applauded the Prius-esque Ioniq sedan; now its type name has changed into an entire sub-brand, with the angular Ioniq 5 taking the lead. He manages the improbable: he looks retro and futuristic at the same time. Its design draws you in like quicksand, whether you like it or not.
The fact that it also complements such aesthetic bravado with Audi-like quality makes it quite irresistible, if you fall for its looks. More Ioniq models will follow, including an athletic four-door that may do a better job of playing “posh Hyundai” than the Genesis products we’ve tried so far.
The Nexo on hydrogen
Proof that Hyundai really has an answer for everything is the Nexo – especially for those who are convinced that our future will be powered by hydrogen rather than purely by electricity. It is brave to launch a hydrogen car at this point, because the infrastructure is still not really usable in terms of coverage, not to say quite useless (according to H2Platform, eight stations are now in use throughout the Netherlands, three in Belgium; although there are plans to double those numbers).
But look at Renault, who brought EVs to the mainstream over a decade ago and are now building the brilliant Megane E-Tech. Being a pioneer means you’re likely to be among the best when (or if) a technology really picks up steam. The Nexo looks as handsome as you’d expect from a family crossover and intrigues when you take a closer look at its drivetrain. His time has not (yet) come, but he is ready for it.
The most ordinary car from our Manufacturer of the Year 2021
If you like its style, but you still prefer a conventional petrol engine, Hyundai has the new Tucson for you. It’s the ‘normal’ car in the line-up in the photo above – an SUV with a few safe hybrid options with an emphasis on everyday usability – but it’s perhaps the most striking proof of how far Hyundai has come in the time this magazine has published. consists. Claiming your space in a rigid segment with such a brutally designed car, that requires serious amounts of talent, if not mind. It seems Hyundai has both in abundance – which is why they are allowed to have another TG Placing Manufacturer of the Year chimes on their creaky mantelpiece.
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