HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK !

WE'RE GOING FULL-THROTTLE IN THE VERY SPORTS-LUXURY PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO GT... AND KEEPING IT PINNED AS WE GO "OVER THE EDGE" FOR AN AUTOCROSS ADVENTURE... WE'LL BRING IT BACK FOR A LOOK AT A BRITISH SPORTS CAR LEGEND... THEN, RETURN TO THE PRESENT FOR HYUNDAI'S ALL-ELECTRIC IONIQ 5...

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

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FIRST, THERE WAS THE WHEEL.

THEN, THE TIRE.

"WE'LL CALL IT TIRE RACK."

FORTY YEARS LATER, WE'RE NOT SLOWING DOWN.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES, AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

John: WE'VE DRIVEN QUITE A FEW PERFORMANCE SUVs OVER THE YEARS, BUT NOTHING QUITE LIKE THIS: THE PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO GT.

SURE, YOU COULD QUESTION WHY A 630 HORSEPOWER SUV THAT PRIORITIZES LAP TIMES OVER TOW RATINGS NEEDS TO EXIST, BUT THAT'S FOR ANOTHER DAY.

TODAY...WE JUST DRIVE!

* SOMETIMES IN LIFE, IT'S BEST NOT TO ASK TOO MANY QUESTIONS AND JUST LET YOURSELF GET CAUGHT UP IN THE MOMENT.

FOR US, THAT MOMENT IS THIS 2022 PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO GT.

FOR A UTILITY VEHICLE THAT'S WELL-PAST THE SIX-FIGURE MARK, IT DOESN'T HAVE THE LUXURY OF A BENTLEY OR THE TERRAIN CONQUERING POSH OF A G-WAGON, BUT SPEND SOME TIME LEAVING PEOPLE IN THE DUST IN A REMOTE CALIFORNIA CANYON OR BLOWING BY SPORT SEDANS AT A TRACK DAY, AND IT STARTS TO MAKE SENSE.

IT ALSO HELPS IF YOU THINK OF IT LESS AS A SOUPED-UP CAYENNE, AND MORE AS AN SUV VERSION OF A 911 GT3.

DESPITE NOT BEING A COUPE; THE TURBO GT IS AVAILABLE ONLY IN THE CAYENNE COUPE BODY STYLE.

RIDE HEIGHT IS 17MM LOWER THAN THE CAYENNE TURBO, WITH SUSPENSION, CHASSIS CONTROL, AND STEERING ALL BEING RETUNED.

THE REAR SPLITTER AND ROOF ARE MADE OF CARBON-FIBER, THERE'S AN AERO-OPTIMIZED FRONT FASCIA, BLACK FENDER FLARES, A BIG WING WITH SIDE PLATES ADDED TO THE LARGER ACTIVE REAR SPOILER, AND PLENTY MORE GO-FAST GOODIES.

OPINIONS WERE MIXED ON THE NEODYME 22 INCH WHEELS; BUT, THEY'RE QUITE EFFECTIVE AT REINFORCING THE POINT THAT THIS NOT YOUR ORDINARY UTILITY VEHICLE.

THE TURBO'S 4.0 LITER TWIN-TURBO V8 GETS CRANKED UP BY 90 HORSEPOWER, NOW OUTPUTTING 631 HORSEPOWER AND 626 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

MOST OF THE MOVING INTERNALS ARE UPGRADED, TURBOS DIALED UP, FUEL DELIVERY AND COOLING SYSTEMS ALL RECALIBRATED.

THE RESULT IS 0-60s OF UNDER 3.0 SECONDS IN A VEHICLE YOU CAN PERFORM CARPOOL DUTY WITH; THOUGH NO TOWING DUE TO THE CENTRAL-MOUNTED TITANIUM EXHAUST WHICH SHAVES 40 POUNDS OF WEIGHT AND SOUNDS AMAZING.

NEEDLESS TO SAY, WE MADE IT TO MASON DIXON DRAGWAY IN RECORD TIME, TO GET SOME OF OUR OWN TIMES... FOR THE RECORD.

NO PDK HERE, AS THE CAYENNE WORKS WITH PORSCHE'S TIPTRONIC S; SO, IT DOESN'T EXPLODE OFF OF THE LINE WITH PDK BRUTALITY, BUT STILL BLASTS TO 60 IN JUST 2.8 SECONDS.

THAT TIPTRONIC HAS BEEN MODIFIED TO DELIVER QUICKER SHIFTS, AND THEY'RE THE ONLY MINOR INTERRUPTIONS TO THE UNRELENTING POWER DELIVERY.

AFTER CLEARING THE QUARTER-MILE IN 11.2 SECONDS AT 123 MILES PER HOUR, THE TURBO GT FEELS LIKE IT'S JUST GETTING STARTED; DEFINITELY NEED MORE RUNWAY FOR THIS ONE TO TRULY TAKE FLIGHT.

THAT'S INSANELY FAST FOR ANY VEHICLE, MUCH LESS AN SUV.

AND WHEN IT COMES TO HANDLING, YOU REALLY HAVE TO PUT ASIDE ALL OF YOUR NORMAL SUV CUES AND JUST HAMMER DOWN TO GET THE BEST OUT OF IT.

THAT LOWERED SUSPENSION IS STIFFER BY 15 PERCENT, AND VIRTUALLY ELIMINATES BODY ROLL.

GRIP FROM THE SPECIALLY MADE 22 INCH PIRELLI P ZERO CORSA TIRES IS IMMENSE, AND MEANS STABILITY MANAGEMENT, TORQUE VECTORING PLUS, AND EVEN REAR-WHEEL STEERING ALL NEEDED RECALIBRATING.

AND JUST TO DRIVE THE POINT HOME, THOSE FRONT TIRES ARE 1.0 INCH WIDER THAN THE STANDARD TURBO, AND HAVE SOME SERIOUS NEGATIVE CAMBER DIALED IN.

THIS THING FLAT OUT TURNS IN, STICKS LIKE CRAZY, AND BEGS FOR MORE.

CERAMIC BRAKES?

YEP, GOT THOSE, TOO, STOPPING 5,000 POUNDS OF LUXURY TRANSPORTATION IN JUST 90 FEET.

THERE MAY NOT BE ENOUGH TECH FOR SOME, BUT WHILE PERFORMANCE IS TRULY THE PRIORITY, IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT NUMBERS AND LAP TIMES HERE.

IT'S CERTAINLY NOT THE MOST PRACTICAL OF ALL SUVs, BUT THERE'S ENOUGH CARGO SPACE FOR MOST PEOPLE.

AND IT COMES WITH AN UPGRADED MULTIMEDIA INTERFACE FOR ALL OF YOUR SMARTPHONE INTEGRATION NEEDS, AS WELL AS 4 GT SPORT SEATS, LOTS OF CARBON FIBER AND ALCANTARA MATERIAL.

SAME GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS AS THE CAYENNE TURBO; 14-CITY, 19-HIGHWAY, AND 16-COMBINED.

WE AVERAGED 15.7 MILES PER GALLON OF PREMIUM.

THAT'S A MUCH WORSE THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 18.6 BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, WITH 9.2 TONS OF CO2 EMISSIONS.

AND FOR THE REALLY SAD NEWS, YOU'LL NEED AT LEAST $190,150 TO OWN THIS HYPER PERFORMANCE UTILITY.

SO, WE'RE NOT ENTIRELY SURE WHO'S BUYING ONE, BUT WE SURE DO WANT TO HANG OUT WITH THEM WHENEVER POSSIBLE.

SO, WITH THE 2022 PORSCHE CAYENNE TURBO GT, PORSCHE HAS DONE MUCH MORE THAN JUST CREATE ANOTHER REALLY FAST SUV, THEY'VE SET A WHOLE NEW STANDARD BY WHICH ALL PERFORMANCE SUVs WILL NOW BE MEASURED.

LET'S HOPE THE LUCKY FEW WHO ARE ABLE TO OBTAIN ONE ACTUALLY SAFELY EXPERIENCE IT TO ITS FULLEST POTENTIAL.

* WHEN IT COMES TO SPORTS, MANY FANS DON'T JUST WATCH, THEY PLAY.

OF COURSE, FOR SOMETHING LIKE SOCCER, ALL YOU NEED IS A FEW FRIENDS AND A GRASSY FIELD.

BUT FOR MOTORSPORT FANS IT'S NOT THAT EASY.

WELL, THIS WEEK GREG CARLOSS GOES "OVER THE EDGE" WITH A LOCAL CAR CLUB THAT HAS A FIRM GRIP ON RECREATIONAL DRIVING.

* (REVVING ENGINE NOISE) Greg Carloss: DO YOU HAVE A LICENSE?

DO YOU HAVE A CAR?

DO YOU LIKE DRIVING FAST?

IF YOU ANSWERED YES TO ALL THREE OF THESE QUESTIONS, I'M DOING SOMETHING YOU MIGHT JUST BE INTERESTED IN.

LET'S FACE IT: DRIVING FAST IS FUN, BUT THERE AREN'T MANY WAYS TO DO IT SAFELY, LET ALONE LEGALLY.

AND THAT IS WHERE AUTOCROSS COMES IN.

Frank Privatera: TODAY, WE'RE OUT HERE AT AN AUTOCROSS EVENT THAT OUR CLUB PUTS ON TWICE A YEAR AT SUMMIT POINT RACEWAY.

AND IT ALLOWS US TO GET NOVICE AND EXPERIENCED DRIVERS TO GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO PUSH THEIR CARS TO THE LIMIT IN A SAFE, LOW-CONSEQUENCE WAY.

Greg: THE BASICS OF AUTOCROSS ARE, WELL, BASIC.

A COURSE IS SET UP IN A PARKING LOT OR IN THIS CASE A SKID PAD, AND THE OBJECT IS TO DRIVE IT AS FAST AS YOU CAN WHILE HITTING AS FEW CONES AS POSSIBLE.

Frank: WHAT YOU GET HERE IS YOU GET A LOT OF EXPERIENCE; MANY, MANY CORNERS.

VERY TIGHTLY CONTROLLED AND NO REAL CHANCE OF INJURING YOUR CAR OTHER THAN MAYBE RUNNING OVER A CONE.

Greg: STILL, SAFETY IS PARAMOUNT AT ANY MOTORSPORTS EVENT, WHICH IS WHY THIS ONE STARTS WITH A BRISK TRACK WALK, FOLLOWED BY A DRIVER'S MEETING.

Instructor: IN A VEHICLE, WRISTBAND AND A HELMET ON... Greg: FINALLY, IT'S TIME TO BURN SOME RUBBER.

Frank: SO, AN EVENT LIKE THIS THERE'S A WIDE VARIATION OF SKILL LEVELS.

TODAY, WE HAD A GROUP OF ABOUT 20 DRIVERS THAT THIS IS THEIR FIRST TIME AT ANY KIND OF A TRACK EVENT WHERE THEY'VE DRIVEN THEIR CAR IN ANY KIND OF ANGER.

Tim Schmidt: SO, I'VE NEVER AUTOCROSSED.

I'VE GOTTEN BEHIND THE WHEEL OF RACECARS BEFORE...

IT'S A LITTLE NERVE WRACKING, BUT IT'S LIKE ANYTHING ELSE.

ESPECIALLY, WITH THE CAR.

YOU HAVE TO TAKE SOME TIME.

THERE'S A LEARNING CURVE.

Greg: AND FOR SOME, LEARNING CURVES CAN BE ADDICTIVE.

Indy Jabble: I HAD MY FIRST SCHOOL ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO AND THEN IT'S BEEN ON AND OFF.

AND THEN, THE PAST TWO YEARS I'VE BEEN DOING IT ON A REGULAR.

I LOVE THE CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT THAT WE'RE IN.

I CAN PUSH MY CAR TO ITS LIMITS AND LEARN A LOT ABOUT MY CAR AS WELL.

OCCASIONALLY, BRAG TO THE GUYS AS WELL.

Greg: THE UNIQUE THING ABOUT AUTOCROSS IS THE COMPACT COURSES LEVEL THE PLAYING FIELD.

SO, A HIGH HORSEPOWER CAR ISN'T NEARLY AS IMPORTANT AS DRIVER SKILL.

WHICH IS WHY I WAS ABLE TO TAKE THIS 2022 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GLI AND KEEP PACE WITH SOME OF THE FERRARIS.

Frank: ON A DAY LIKE TODAY THERE'S A GREAT VARIATION OF CARS.

I MEAN, WE HAVE EVERYTHING FROM PORSCHES TO BMWS, CORVETTES, ALL THE WAY UP TO MY 488 PISTA.

Tim: IT'S LIKE A CAR AND COFFEE.

YOU GET TO SEE SOME AMAZING VEHICLES AND YOU GET TO DRIVE.

I MEAN, YOU GET TO DRIVE AS QUICKLY AS YOU CAN.

ME, I'M NOT SO GREAT, BUT SOME OF THESE FOLKS, THEY ARE VERY-- IT'S INCREDIBLE WHAT THEY CAN DO WITH THEIR VEHICLES.

Indy: I THINK, THE CLUB'S GREAT.

I THINK, YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY'S VERY LIKE-MINDED IN WHAT THEY WANT TO DO.

YOU KNOW, EVERYBODY WANTS TO PUSH THEIR CARS TO THE LIMITS AND EVERYBODY IS JUST GREAT.

YOU CAN SIT WITH ANYBODY, DRIVE WITH ANYBODY AS WELL, YOU KNOW?

THEY'RE ALL REALLY-- IT'S A COOL GROUP.

Frank: I'LL TELL YA, THERE'S LOTS OF DIFFERENT WAYS TO GET INTO AUTOCROSSING.

IN PARTICULAR IN THIS AREA MOSTLY IT'S THROUGH THE CAR CLUBS.

BUT WITH OUR CAR CLUB, IT'S THE FERRARI CLUB OF AMERICA, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO OWN A FERRARI TO BE A MEMBER AND WE WELCOME ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO GET INVOLVED.

Greg: SO, WHETHER YOU'RE SEEKING A SOCIAL HOBBY OR JUST WANT TO EXERCISE YOUR RIGHT FOOT, MAYBE IT'S TIME TO GIVE AUTOCROSS A TRY.

John: HIT START AND GO: ONE OF OUR FAVORITE PHRASES, AND THE ONLY WAY TO ENJOY MORE QUICKSPINS!

* WHEN IT COMES TO FUN, SPIRITED AND CONNECTED DRIVING, WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND THE MAZDA MX-5 MIATA.

IT'S BEEN A STAPLE OF THE ENTHUSIAST'S PLAYBOOK SINCE ITS 1990 DEBUT; BUT HOW WELL DOES IT LIVE UP TO THAT REPUTATION MORE THAN 30 YEARS LATER?

IN SHORT: VERY WELL INDEED.

IT'S STILL LIGHT ON ITS FEET AND ABOUT AS PURE A SPORTS CAR EXPERIENCE AS YOU CAN GET FROM A STREET MACHINE.

IT FLOATS LIKE A BUTTERFLY AND DOESN'T QUITE STING LIKE A BEE; BUT BIG POWER WAS NEVER REQUIRED FOR THIS HUMBLE TWO-SEATER, NOR SHOULD IT BE.

THE MX-5'S 2.0 LITER INLINE-4 YIELDS 181 HORSEPOWER AND 151 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE TO THE REAR WHEELS.

THAT'S A SLIGHT INCREASE, WE FIRST EXPERIENCED IN 2019 AND GREATLY APPRECIATED THEN AND NOW.

IN OUR CASE, POWER IS SENT TO A 6-SPEED MANUAL TRANSMISSION.

THERE IS AN AUTOMATIC AVAILABLE ON THE TOP-TRIM "GRAND TOURING" MODEL, BUT WE THINK THREE PEDALS IS THE WAY TO GO.

OUR "CLUB" TRIMMED MX-5 CAME OUTFITTED WITH THE BREMBO/BBS/RECARO PACKAGE.

AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, YOU'LL GET HEATED RECARO SPORT SEATS, BLACK 17 INCH BBS WHEELS, AND FRONT BREMBO CALIPERS.

AN INCLUDED AERO KIT EXTENDS THE SIDE SILLS AND ADDS A BLACK REAR BUMPER SKIRT.

ALL THIS ADDED TOGETHER MAKES FOR AN IN-TUNE DRIVER'S PACKAGE WITH FEW FRILLS, BUT ALL THRILLS.

Alexander Kellum: THIS IS A PURE DRIVER'S EXPERIENCE.

CLICH� AS IT MAY SOUND, IT'S SO EASY TO SYNC UP TO.

THE SUSPENSION FEELS THE ROAD.

THE STEERING IS PRECISE.

THE SHIFTS ARE SHORT AND NOTCHY, AND THEY'RE TETHERED TO A CLUTCH THAT HAS VERY LITTLE AMBIGUITY.

IT'S SO RECEPTIVE TO MY INPUTS.

AND LIKEWISE, I'M RECEPTIVE TO WHAT THE MX-5 WANTS TO DO.

IT ALL ADDS UP TO A COMPLETE DRIVER'S PACKAGE THAT I THINK ANYBODY CAN HOP INTO AND JUST ENJOY.

John: SO, YES.

THE 2022 MAZDA MX-5 REMAINS AN OUTSTANDING CHOICE FOR ENTHUSIASTS EVERYWHERE.

OUR TESTER PRICED OUT JUST UNDER $37,000, BUT A BASE "SPORT" MX-5 CAN BE HAD FOR JUST UNDER $30,000, MAKING THIS A GREAT OPTION FOR THOSE LOOKING FOR SOMETHING TO LIVEN UP THEIR DRIVES AND LIVES.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICKSPINS, SOON!

FOR NEARLY 30 YEARS, THE LOTUS ESPRIT WAS A STAPLE OF THE MID-ENGINE SPORTS CAR WORLD.

IT WAS AT THE START, AND REMAINS, A BARGAIN COMPARED TO CLASSIC EXOTICS FROM FERRARI AND LAMBORGHINI.

WITH THIS IN MIND, OUR ROGER MECCA WANTED TO DISCOVER FOR HIMSELF, IF THIS BRITISH-BUILT ESPRIT REALLY IS WORTHY OF THE SAME ATTENTION AS ITS CLASSMATES FROM ITALY.

* Roger Mecca: FROM THE MOMENT, IT DEBUTED AT THE 1975 PARIS AUTO SHOW, THE LOTUS ESPRIT HAS BEEN TURNING HEADS AND MAKING HEARTS RACE.

THE STUNNING GIUGIARO-STYLED BODY WAS AN INSTANT HIT, AND FOR THE NEXT THREE DECADES THE ESPRIT DEVELOPED A LOYAL FOLLOWING.

AND FOR GOOD REASON.

DESPITE HAVING LESS POWER AND FEWER CYLINDERS AS MANY OF ITS CONTEMPORARIES, FOR AS LONG AS THE ESPRIT WAS IN PRODUCTION, IT WAS CONSIDERED ONE OF THE BEST HANDLING AND MOST EXCITING SUPERCARS EVER MADE.

Jeff Wong: JUST GETTING INTO IT, JUST PUTS ME IN, YOU KNOW, THE BEST PLACE I COULD POSSIBLY BE IN.

IT'S EVERY-- EVERY SECOND I'M DRIVING IT IS JUST PURE JOY AND I NEVER GET TIRED OF DRIVING IT.

THE SORT OF IMMEDIATE THROTTLE RESPONSE, THE IMMEDIATE STEERING RESPONSE, THE IMMEDIATE BRAKING RESPONSE, ALL OF THAT JUST MAKES-MAKES IT SUCH A PLEASURE TO DRIVE.

Roger: FOR 22 YEARS, JEFF WONG HAS BEEN THE OWNER OF THIS 1987 LOTUS ESPRIT TURBO HCI.

KNOWN AS THE SERIES 3, OR S3, THIS ITERATION WAS THE LAST TO RETAIN THE TIMELESS STYLING BY THE LEGENDARY ITALIAN CAR DESIGNER GIORGETTO GIUGIARO.

SO, WHILE THE ESPRIT WAS CREATED TO GO HEAD-TO-HEAD WITH THE ITALIANS, IT CERTAINLY LOOKED LIKE SOMETHING THAT HAD ROLLED OUT OF A FACTORY IN MARANELLO.

BUT THE NEXT YEAR, BRITISH DESIGNER PETER STEVENS, WHO WOULD LATER DESIGN THE LEGENDARY MCLAREN F1, REDID THE ESPRIT'S EXTERIOR, SOFTENING CLASSIC WEDGE STYLING.

SO FOR MANY LOTUS FANS, JEFF INCLUDED, THE S3 MARKS THE HIGH POINT OF THE ESPRIT'S ILLUSTRIOUS LIFE.

Jeff: TO ME THE, UH, ESPECIALLY THE SERIES 3 ESPRITS, ARE THE PINNACLE OF THE DESIGN FOR THE SORT OF PURE SPORTS CAR BECAUSE THERE WAS NO POWER BRAKES, THERE'S NO POWER STEERING.

I FEEL TOTALLY IN TOUCH WITH THE ROAD MORE THAN ANY OTHER CAR I'VE EVER DRIVEN.

Roger: BACK IN THE LATE '80s FERRARIS, LAMBORGHINIS AND PORSCHES WERE GETTING ALL OF THE ATTENTION.

BUT IN MANY WAYS, THE ESPRIT IS ACTUALLY THE BETTER CAR.

IT'S JUST AS FAST AS A FERRARI 328, IT HANDLES BETTER THAN A 911, AND IS WAY MORE PRACTICAL EASIER TO DRIVE THAN A COUNTACH.

SO, IT WAS EVERYTHING YOU WANTED OUT OF A SUPER CAR, ALL IN A BEAUTIFUL PACKAGE.

BUT BY TODAY'S STANDARDS, THE S3 ESPRIT'S NUMBERS DON'T SEEM PARTICULARLY IMPRESSIVE.

YOU'LL HIT 60 IN ABOUT FIVE-AND-HALF SECONDS, IT WILL TAKE YOU 14 SECONDS TO HIT THE QUARTER MILE, AND ON A LONG ENOUGH ROAD, YOU COULD REACH 150.

BUT THIS IS A CAR WHERE THE NUMBERS DON'T TELL THE WHOLE STORY.

DESPITE THIS CAR ONLY HAVING 215 HORSEPOWER FROM IT'S 2.2 LITER ENGINE, IT IS SURPRISINGLY FAST.

AND THE ACCELERATION IS JUST SO SMOOTH.

I KNOW IT'S A TURBO, BUT THERE'S ALMOST NO LAG AT ALL.

BUT THE REAL ACE IN THE HOLE OF THE ESPRIT ALL COMES DOWN TO THE WEIGHT.

LOTUS ENGINEERS HAD A MANTRA: PERFORMANCE THROUGH LIGHT WEIGHT.

WHICH IS A SIMPLE IDEA: THE LESS A CAR WEIGHS, THE MORE NIMBLE, RESPONSIVE AND FASTER IT CAN BE- EVEN WITHOUT A BIG EIGHT OR TWELVE-CYLINDER ENGINE.

COMBINED WITH A TURBO THAT PROVIDES A WONDERFUL FLOOD OF TORQUE, A LACK OF WEIGHT IS A MAJOR REASON THE S3 ESPRIT STILL CARRIERS THE REPUTATION AS BEING ONE OF THE BEST HANDLING SPORTS CAR TO EVER GRACE A CURVY ROAD.

BUT SOME OF THAT POISE WAS LOST IN 1988, WHEN THE PETER STEVENS-DESIGN ADDED MORE THAN 300 POUNDS TO MEET US SAFETY STANDARDS.

AS MOTORWEEK DISCOVERED IN A ROAD TEST OF THAT VERSION, IT WAS STILL IMPRESSIVE, BUT MANY FANS SAY IT JUST WASN'T QUITE THE SAME.

BUT ONE THING THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN TRUE OF THE ESPRIT IS JUST HOW CIVILIZED AND COMFORTABLE IT IS TO LIVE WITH.

UNLIKE MANY OF ITS RIVALS, YOU CAN CRUISE IN THE S3 FOR HOURS ON END, EATING UP MILE AFTER MILE.

IT'S EASY TO SEE OUT OF, THE LEATHER SEATS ARE PERFECTLY SUPPORTIVE, THE RIDE IS SMOOTH AND EVERYTHING IS IN EASY REACH.

AND THOUGH IT DOESN'T LIKE TO BE RUSHED, THE TRANSMISSION SHORT THROWS AND SLICK TRANSITIONS BECOME SECOND NATURE.

THERE'S NO POWER STEERING, A FEATURE OFFERED IN THE SUBSEQUENT MODEL, BUT IT QUICKLY LIGHTENS UP ONCE YOU START DRIVING.

AND EVEN SITTING STILL, IT'S FAR LIGHTER THAN MANY OF ITS ITALIAN PEERS.

AND WHILE, IT'S ITALIAN COUSINS MAY HAVE BEEN FIGHTING FOR THE SPOTLIGHT, THE ESPRIT WAS HAPPY TO BE ON A QUIET STRETCH OF TWISTING ROAD, PUTTING SMILES ON THE FACES OF EVERYONE WHO WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET BEHIND THE WHEEL.

John: THE HYUNDAI IONIQ BURST ONTO THE SCENE FOR 2017 AS THE BRAND'S PRIUS-FIGHTING HYBRID.

BUT QUICKLY, A PLUG-IN AND EVEN AN ALL-ELECTRIC VERSION ARRIVED TO SHOW HYUNDAI HAD MUCH BIGGER THINGS IN MIND.

AND THAT WAS TO EVENTUALLY SPIN IONIQ OFF AS HYUNDAI'S ALL-ELECTRIC SUB-BRAND.

AND NOW, WE'RE DRIVING ITS INITIAL OFFERING, THE IONIQ 5 SUV.

* AS UNIQUE AS IT APPEARS, THIS 2022 HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 IS CLEARLY A GLIMPSE AT THE FUTURE OF THE HYUNDAI BRAND.

BUILT UPON HYUNDAI/KIA'S NEW EV-SPECIFIC E-GMP PLATFORM, WHICH IS DESIGNED TO MAXIMIZE INTERIOR VOLUME, AS WELL AS COMPLETELY EXPLOIT THE LOW CENTER OF GRAVITY AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE; THE IONIQ 5 COMBINES MIDSIZE SUV-LIKE SPACE AND HOT HATCH-LIKE HANDLING IN A COMPACT SUV.

MAX RANGE IS 303 MILES, IF YOU STICK WITH THE STANDARD 225 HORSEPOWER, 2-WHEEL-REAR-DRIVE, SINGLE MOTOR POWERTRAIN.

ADDING A SECOND MOTOR TO THE FRONT AXLE MEANS ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE AND A BOOST TO 320 HORSEPOWER AND 446 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, BUT DROPS THE RANGE TO 256 MILES.

IN OUR TEST ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE IONIQ 5, WE OBSERVED A REAL-WORLD RANGE IN MIXED DRIVING OF 244 MILES WHILE IN ECO MODE WITH REGEN BRAKING AT ITS MOST AGGRESSIVE SETTING.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY MPGE RATINGS ARE 110-CITY, 87-HIGHWAY, AND 98-COMBINED; WITH A GOOD EFFICIENCY RATING OF 34 KILOWATT HOUR/100 MILES.

BUT ECO MODE DOES SEEM TO ROB SOME POWER, AND ONLY ADDS ANOTHER 10 MILES OR SO OF ADDITIONAL RANGE; SO, WE PREFER THE ADDITIONAL URGENCY OF NORMAL MODE, AS IT DELIVERS A MORE BALANCED DRIVING EXPERIENCE.

IN ADDITION TO MAXIMIZING RANGE, SPEEDING UP CHARGE TIMES IS WHERE A LOT OF ADVANCES ARE TAKING PLACE THESE DAYS.

THE IONIQ 5s 800 VOLT MULTI-CHARGING SYSTEM CAN GET THE 77.4 KILOWATT HOUR BATTERY TO 80 PERCENT IN UNDER 20 MINUTES.

JUST ENOUGH TIME FOR COFFEE AND DONUTS.

AND IF YOU'VE SEEN ANY OF THE HYUNDAI IONIQ 5 ADVERTISEMENTS, THEY ARE CLEARLY TOUTING THE FACT THAT SINCE, YOU'RE ESSENTIALLY DRIVING AROUND A HUGE RECHARGEABLE BATTERY, YOU CAN USE IT TO CHARGE AND POWER LOTS OF THINGS OTHER THAN JUST YOUR COMMUTE.

THERE ARE PLENTY OF ECO-FRIENDLY MATERIALS IN THE CABIN, AS WELL AS NATURE-INSPIRED COLORS LIKE OBSIDIAN, PEBBLE, AND DOVE GRAY.

PLUS, WE TRULY LOVE THE LARGE AMOUNT OF SPACE THAT'S FREED UP IN FRONT WITHOUT A BULKY CENTER FLOOR CONSOLE.

AND THERE IS A LOT OF FLOORSPACE, AS DESPITE ITS SMALL STATURE, THE IONIQ 5 BOASTS A LONGER WHEELBASE THAN ANY OTHER VEHICLE IN THEIR LINEUP, AT 118.1 INCHES.

A PAIR OF 12 INCH WIDESCREENS ARE HOUSED SIDE-BY-SIDE IN A SINGLE DASH-TOP ENCLOSURE; THE ONE ON THE RIGHT, A TOUCHSCREEN FOR INFOTAINMENT, WHILE BEHIND THE STEERING WHEEL IS THE CONFIGURABLE DIGITAL GAUGE SETUP.

IT IS DEFINITELY UNIQUE LOOKING OUTSIDE, AND WE'RE NOT JUST TALKING ABOUT THOSE 20 INCH PARAMETRIC PIXEL-INSPIRED WHEELS.

THE SLEEK FACE FEATURES PLENTY OF EYE-CATCHING LIGHTING ELEMENTS.

WHILE, BODYSIDES DISPLAY AN EXAGGERATED DIAGONAL SLASH POINTING FROM THE BASE OF THE A-PILLARS TO THE REAR WHEELS.

FLUSH DOOR HANDLES, SMOOTH SURFACES, AND AN EXPRESSIVE REAR, ALL PROVIDE A VERY SOPHISTICATED VIBE.

AND THERE'S ROOM FOR 27.2 CUBIC-FEET OF CARGO BEHIND THE REAR SEATS, 59.3 WITH SEATBACKS FOLDED.

SO, WE LOADED UP OUR TEST GEAR, AND HAD MORE THAN ENOUGH RANGE FOR A FULL SLATE OF TESTING AT MASON DIXON DRAGWAY... ...WHERE IT LAUNCHED LIKE A BAT OUT OF HADES.

TIRES CHIRP BRIEFLY, BUT THERE'S PLENTY OF GRIP TO PUT SOME SERIOUS POWER DOWN AND HIT 60 IN JUST 4.6 SECONDS.

BUT, LIKE SOME OTHER EVs WE'VE TESTED RECENTLY, AFTER THAT INITIAL EXHILARATING PULL TO 60, POWER SEEMS TO TAPER OFF AS YOU BUILD SPEED.

A 13.4 SECOND QUARTER-MILE TIME IS CERTAINLY DECENT, BUT WE WERE TRAVELLING AT JUST 102 MILES PER HOUR WHEN WE TRIPPED THE LIGHTS.

TOP SPEED IS LIMITED TO 115 MILES PER HOUR, AND HYUNDAI CLAIMS YOU CAN ALSO TOW UP TO 2,000 POUNDS.

THE IONIQ 5 FELT SMOOTH, STABLE, AND QUITE FUN THROUGH OUR HANDLING COURSE.

NICE DIRECT STEERING AND GOOD AMOUNTS OF GRIP GAVE US CONFIDENCE TO PUSH FAIRLY HARD THROUGH THE CONES; WHERE WE FOUND ONLY MODERATE BODY ROLL, AND JUST THE SLIGHTEST AMOUNT OF UNDERSTEER.

PRICING STARTS AT $44,895 FOR A REAR-WHEEL-DRIVE SE; SELS BEGIN AT $47,145, TOP LIMITED GOING FOR $51,845.

THE COST FOR ADDING DUAL-MOTOR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE VARIES WITH TRIM LEVEL.

THE 2022 IONIQ 5 IS INDEED VERY IMPRESSIVE AND IS THE FIRST VEHICLE FROM WHAT WILL SOON BE AN ENTIRE FAMILY OF IONIQ EVs FROM HYUNDAI.

AND AS WE'VE COME TO EXPECT, THEY'VE CLEARLY DONE THEIR HOMEWORK, AS WELL AS PUT IN AN EXTRAORDINARY AMOUNT OF R&D TIME THAT HAS THEM WELL-POSITIONED TO BE LEADERS IN THE ELECTRIC VEHICLE FIELD FOR YEARS TO COME.

WELL, THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW, FOR MORE MOTORWEEK , INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN WE CHECK OUT THE ELECTRIC BUZZ ON BMW'S I4 GRAN COUPE, THEN, RECHARGE FOR KIA'S EV6 GT-LINE.

UNTIL THEN, I'M JOHN DAVIS.

WE'LL SEE YOU RIGHT HERE ON MOTORWEEK !

Announcer: TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE, VISIT... MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... FOR MORE THAN 30 YEARS LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS HAS HELPED PEOPLE TACKLE MECHANICAL PROBLEMS IN THE AUTOMOTIVE, MARINE, AND INDUSTRIAL FIELDS.

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[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] * YOUR WATCHING PBS.