• Swindon & Wiltshire Motors
• Wednesday February 22 2023
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Hyundai Ioniq 6 named Saloon of the Year at 2023 GQ Car Awards

The new all-electric Hyundai Ioniq 6 has been named Saloon of the Year at the 2023 GQ Car Awards.

The annual awards seek to identify the world’s finest vehicles, and this year the changing landscape of the car industry was reflected as British GQ decided that all the winners should feature some form of electrification.

The Hyundai Ioniq 6 emerged as the number one choice in the hotly contested saloon category, with the judges particularly impressed by the model’s unique Streamliner design.

British GQ said: “From hotter-than-the-sun hatches and sensational SUVs to elegant EVs and killer concepts, everyone knows Hyundai’s ambitious design team are having a moment, and the Ioniq 6 continues the brand’s remarkable run.

“Their latest offering is a four-door Streamliner saloon, inspired by the late Art Deco exploration into functional efficiency that showcases the South Koreans’ sleek statement styling, offering distinctive and daring architecture with a futuristic, high-tech, pure-electric twist.”

There were also plaudits for the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which was named Icon of the Year, and the Renault 5 Prototype, which was named Prototype of the Year.

“VW has had a hankering to reimagine the original Type 2 van for the past 20 years and the end result is the ID. Buzz,” said the judges.

“Filing under ‘original, eye-catching and dope,’ the elevated driving position and minimalist cockpit make it a breezy place to sit.

“Plus, with its bright colour options, planet-protecting EV ethos and unconventional design, it emits an aura that’s nothing short of ‘positive vibes only’ with a hippie aesthetic. We (peace and) love it.”

On the Renualt 5 Prototype, the judges wrote: “Thirty years on from the original’s retirement, the R5 is back as part of the ‘Renaulution.

“Gilles Vidal has purposefully and playfully produced a modern, fully electric city car prototype that just happens to look like an entrant in the 2030 Monte Carlo Rally.

“With its flared wheel arches, off-centre bonnet air-intake and sexy rear light bar, the electric 5 bears all the hallmarks of a smoking hot hatch.

“If, as Renault describes it, this is the ‘nouvelle vague’, we are happy to ride it.”