As every Singaporean driver would probably attest to, driving in Singapore is mostly no fun. Although we drive pretty fast (and get away with it), there is simply not enough space to have a proper scenic drive in the countryside. Any measly discovery of a half-decent new road will usually give way to sadness as a sprawling town develops around it. Then it just becomes an urban road like any other.

For the made-in-Singapore Hyundai Ioniq 5, it was imperative to take it on the pilgrimage up north to Malaysia to truly be called a Singaporean car. It’s where we truly drive. How it fares on the vast and marvellous Malaysian expanse will be key to its success among Singaporean drivers. Especially when it comes to charging the car on a longer drive.

Making the Ringgit work for us
We started the day bright and early at Komoco Motors, and I got the top spec Inspiration 77 kWh variant ($289,800) to start off with, with 321 hp and 605 Nm. As detailed in our first drive review, the Inspiration 77 kWh proved to be the best of the three available variants on the drive - it had better steering feel, more sure-footedness and power to really conquer the North-South Highway with ease. Comfort doesn’t suffer one bit either despite its larger rims.

The flagship Ioniq 5 brought us to our first stop, the Talula Hill Farm Resort which is set in a secluded hilly area with a beautiful valley view. Because it was still quite early in the morning, unseasonably cool weather made breakfast all the more enjoyable. It was a pretty stunning place to say the least, something I didn’t expect to find in Johor, and I made a mental note to stay there the next time with my family.

Here, a coffee machine was set up in the boot of one of the Ioniq 5s - powered by its Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology - to perk us up for the next leg! For those not in the know, V2L is essentially using the vehicle as a power source to provide power for appliances, laptops and anything else, really.

Future ready
I jumped into the Prestige 77 kWh variant ($259,800) next, which is a rear-wheel drive (RWD) variant with the same battery capacity as the flagship Inspiration. It boasts the best range of all Ioniq 5 variants offered in Singapore (507 km WLTP) and sits right in the middle of the pack in terms of power output with 225 hp and 350 Nm. We took the Prestige 77 kWh Ioniq 5 from Talula Hill to the Shell Recharge station at Skudai R&R. Here we had a chance to drive on some B-roads before hopping onto the North-South Highway again.

With a 0-100 km/h time of 7.3 seconds, the Prestige 77 kWh variant definitely could keep up with tricky overtaking maneuvers, but it is quite apparent that its steering is somewhat more vague than in the flagship Inspiration variant. Nevertheless, it makes up for it with its sweet RWD handling, which makes things feel more natural and balanced. The Ioniq 5, while being incredibly comfortable on the highway, also manages to feel rather competent along the bends too. It rolls, but in a predictable and well-controlled manner that’s very desirable.

At Shell Skudai, the 800V charging architecture of the Ioniq 5 took in the 120 kW of DC charging with ease. In fact, the car is so future-ready that it can take up to 350 Kw of charging, more than double that of what’s offered at Shell Skudai. This applies to all variants of the Ioniq 5, too, so owners can be assured the Ioniq 5 is ready for quicker and more powerful charging.

The last but not the least
On the last leg of the first day, we swapped into the Prestige 58 kWh variant ($211,800) with 143 hp and 350 Nm. If you noticed, the torque figure is exactly the same as in the Prestige 77 kWh variant. So even though the Prestige 58 kWh variant is the only Cat A COE Ioniq 5, you’re not really short changing yourself when it comes to torque.

With the detuned power output that’s specially engineered to fit into Singapore’s unique tax structure, the Prestige 58 kWh is generally responsive up to 100 km/h, which is pretty much all you need in Singapore. But in Malaysia, where faster speeds are often hit, the car’s pace does taper off. However, it retains the excellent comfort and balance which made the Prestige 77 kWh so impressive, and took us to the Desaru Coast in utmost calmness.

Trees and glamping
At Anantara Desaru, we finally had the chance to unwind after a whole day of driving - and undertook activities that were a nice contrast to being behind the wheel. The first was planting our very own trees in an effort to restore the region’s wildlife and ecosystems. Not since my army days have I picked up a shovel to dig some soil, but it was a pleasantly enjoyable experience and I was happy that I could perhaps visit the same spot decades later to see how the tree has grown.

After dinner we had a ‘movie’ night out with the Ioniq 5s that reminded me of the days when car groups gathered at Yishun Dam. Except this time, it’s a lot glitzier (and well-stocked) because of the Ioniq 5’s V2L capabilities that powered up a projector and fairy lights. It was a demonstration of the sort of things an Ioniq 5 owner could possibly do - glamping under the stars on a proper mattress, which by the way is offered as official Hyundai merchandise. It was the perfect ending to a very relaxing evening.

The Ioniq 5 is Singaporean
The next day, we continued on with the Prestige 58 kWh variant that took us to Kong Kong Seafood that sits right at the mouth of Johor River. It offered a peaceful view of Kelongs and of course, served amazing seafood that was pure joy for every Singaporean (I’m of the camp that Malaysian food is indeed better). After our tummies were heartily filled, we headed back to Singapore, utterly refreshed by the Ioniq 5’s ability to cross Malaysia’s highways and B-roads with quiet confidence. The made-in-Singapore car passed the Singaporean test with flying colours.

Photos by HMGICS

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