It’s official: the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is safer than this expensive electric BMW

It’s been a good year for Hyundai and its Ioniq 5 EV. Having been the subject of rave reviews and thousands of orders in recent months, the brand’s flagship electric car has now earned itself a higher safety rating than BMW’s flashy i4 sedan.

The US-based Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (opens in new tab) (IIHS) has awarded the Ioniq 5 its highest safety honor – dubbed Top Safety Pick+ – after the Korean-made EV achieved top marks in several crash tests. 

The BMW i4, in contrast, scored only scored four out of five stars in a comparable test conducted by the European New Car Assessment Program (EuroNCAP), which cited the car’s lack of an autonomous emergency braking (AEB) system and occupant detection for the driver’s seat and rear passenger (as per 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 prospective Kia EV6 and Genesis GV60 owners, as well as those in the market for an Ioniq 5, since all three cars are built on the same E-GMP platform.

To see for yourself just how well Hyundai’s cutesy EV fared in IIHS’ recent tests, check out the institute’s official crash test footage below:

As Green Car Reports (opens in new tab) notes, it’s worth remembering that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) hasn’t yet rated the Ioniq 5 – though we’d be surprised to see it fall short in those comparable tests. 

In our review of the car, we described the Ioniq 5 as “a superb EV” and an “attractive proposition for a range of buyers” thanks to its varied charging options, spacious interior and unique design. 

It doesn’t boast the greatest range of market-leading tech, but for an eye-catching EV that starts at the relatively reasonable price of £36,995 (around $45,000 / AU$65,000) – for comparison, the BMW i4 starts at £52,575 (around $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 much-anticipated 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 whether the Korean brand is onto another winner in the fast-growing EV sector.