Business as usual. That's what I tell my friends when they ask me about my recent drive to Kuala Lumpur with the made-in-Singapore Hyundai Ioniq 6 EVs. "Oh, but did you all have to make many stops to recharge the cars along the way?", most would follow up, with what they really wanted to know: Are EVs a pain to drive on long distance road trips out of Singapore?
I can get that out of the way now - even the 53kWh Ioniq 6 (the Cat A variant with the smallest battery pack) managed a real-world range of well over 300km - but there's so much more to this road trip than just a range-test. Read on, and I'll tell you all about our three-day experience with the Ioniq 6 in Malaysia.
Sophisticated highway cruisers
The most direct way to drive from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia would consist of plenty of expressway driving, and that is exactly what transpired on this trip. Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre Singapore prepared three Ioniq 6 variants for a bunch of us to drive to KL - these include the 53kWh RWD Cat A Prestige, the 77kWh RWD Prestige, and the 77kWh AWD Inspiration variants.
Granted, the real-world ranges, especially when going at speed on the expressways with these cars, were easily 100-150km shorter than what's specified on paper. But even so, they could all get you from Singapore to KL (our journey from Hyundai's Alexandra showroom to W Hotel in Kuala Lumpur was a 363km journey) without much fuss. Even with the 53kWh battery-equipped Prestige variant, all that's needed was a quick charge along the way to put any range anxiety at bay.
The thing about EVs is the inherent weight penalty that a hefty battery pack brings about. However, the rigid chassis and well sorted suspension system of the E-GMP platform that the Ioniq 6 is built upon has resulted in a stately and comfortable ride at expressway speeds. If anything, the added weight had possibly contributed to the stable feeling of the car.
The immediate torque delivery also overcomes the heft of the cars, allowing breezy overtaking manoeuvres. These cars sure made quick work of the entire expressway drive.Â
(Not) All those who wander are lost
Despite what someone who has never driven to KL would probably assume, the toughest part isn't the 300+km drive to KL. Instead, the most challenging thing is navigating the capital of Malaysia.
With exits that fork out to even more exits, along with multiple tiers of expressways intertwining one another, KL is built like an urban maze. Aggravating the issue is the perpetually gridlocked traffic situation - not only would you be driving at a snail's pace, there's also little room for you to change lanes and get to the correct exit. The problem is compounded when you aren't a local who's intrinsically familiar with the local roads.
Well, manoeuvring around the tight spaces was made easier thanks to the blind-spot cameras that the Ioniq 6 are equipped with. But when it comes to navigating the concrete maze… let's just say that even though we were driving in convoy, following the lead of the well-experienced team from Pitcrew Events, I still managed to make a wrong turn on two separate occasions while driving in KL.
Luckily, I had the foresight to connect my phone to the car, and with Android Auto running, I was able to rendezvous with the convoy with the guidance of Google Maps.
Why the obsession with Kuala Lumpur?
It's far from Singapore, the city is gridlocked and difficult to navigate, so why then do we still bother driving to KL?
Well, KL offers plenty: If you are a shopaholic, there are many shopping malls with top-tier brands for you to choose from.
If you are a foodie, well there aren't many places better than Kuala Lumpur, where you can find a diverse mix of international cuisine, local street food and stylish cafes.
In fact, one of the highlights of this trip were the places that we dined at, including an unforgettable dinner at a rooftop restaurant located on the 23rd floor of an office building that overlooks the beautiful Kuala Lumpur skyline.
Food aside, being a highly developed urban jungle also means that there are plenty of activities to partake in - we visited an art studio for a tufting workshop as well!
Of course, what's a drive in Malaysia without some enthusiastic driving on mountainous roads. There are many such roads in the vicinity of KL, and this time round we drove up Berjaya Hills for a tea break at a scenic resort. This mountainous area is just within earshot from Genting Highlands, but I've never driven here prior to this trip.
While one might think that an EV with considerable weight wouldn't be the best choice for tackling tight mountain roads, the Ioniq 6 is agile and stable enough to offer an engaging and fun driving experience!
EV or internal combustion engine, it's all business as usual
Our trip to Kuala Lumpur with the Ioniq 6 was fun filled, but what really stood out to me was how normal this "EV drive" felt. Throughout the drive, I was never concerned about the drive range, or keeping to an atrociously low speed. In fact, we were all driving at speeds that were in line with the other cars on the expressway, sometimes even a fair bit quicker than others.
While we did give the cars a recharge during our lunch stop, it wasn't like we had to go out of our way - everything fell nicely in place and felt like business as usual, and there's no added hassle with an EV on a road trip.
