Johor Sultan Rolled Up In A Hyundai IONIQ 5 To Meet PM

We’re pretty well aware that Johor royalty takes every opportunity to show their extensive collection of automobiles, but this newest sighting takes things into unexpected EV territory with the Hyundai IONIQ 5.

When arriving for a meet with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob, the Sultan of Johor, His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar was seen behind the wheel of the electric hatchback, accompanied by the usual cavalcade of super-tinted SUVs. Our PM, for example, arrived in a Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

Last month, the ruler of Johor was previously seen with a Genesis G90 as his official chariot of the day, which indicates something of a trend with vehicles from South Korea - Genesis, for the uninitiated, is Hyundai’s luxury sub-brand with the aforementioned G90 being their equivalent of a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or BMW 7 Series.

Onto the IONIQ 5, the car only made its official international debut in February 2021 as the spearhead vehicle of both their EV-focused IONIQ subsidiary marque and the company’s E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform) vehicle architecture.

Its design is pretty much a production-realised version of the Hyundai 45 EV Concept that debuted at 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show with its extremely generous wheelbase, crossover-like ride height, and boldly angular ‘Parametric Pixel’ exterior aesthetic.

It boasts a battery capacity between 58kWh and 77.4kWh and either single or dual-motor configurations with a combined output of up to 320hp and 605Nm. In its longest-lasting variant, maximum range is quoted at 480km before needing a recharge.

With this royal nod, perhaps Hyundai-Sime Darby Malaysia will see fit to fast-track the arrival of the IONIQ 5 to local showrooms. After all, we’ve already had confirmation that Hyundai will be launching their first zero emissions vehicle here in Q4 2021 with the Kona Electric.