Hyundai has been producing plug-in hybrids for a while now, but the Ioniq 5 was its first attempt at a fully electric car when it was unveiled.
It shares much of its DNA with the Kia EV6 – a car that has garnered rave reviews.
There are a bunch of trim levels, but it’s the Ultimate grade focused on for this assessment. In this guise, the Ioniq 5 has features such as 20-inch wheels, leather-faced powered seats, a Bose speaker system with a subwoofer and a head-up display.
An assortment of powertrains is available, and all are quick off the line. Furthermore, the Ioniq 5 handles well, feeling nimble around twisty corners, thanks to a firm suspension setup that provides stability without making the ride uncomfortable.
The selectable driving settings make a difference, too. For example, Sport mode packs a punch, Eco conserves battery life, and Normal mode bridges the gap. You get a Snow setting as well.
The interior is impressive, with a minimalist design. You get two screens sitting next to each other in a single unit, with the infotainment screen crystal clear and intuitive.
Separate climate control buttons are available, but they’re touch-sensitive, so they aren’t the most convenient.
Nevertheless, the Ioniq 5 is roomy in the front and back, and the rear seats can slide to adjust the available legroom. Mind you, headroom in the back might reach its limit if you’re very tall.
Boot space is 527 litres, expanding to 1,587 litres with the rear seats folded in a 60:40 split.
The Ioniq 5 earned a five-year safety rating from Euro NCAP, with safety systems including adaptive cruise control, forward collision avoidance, and intelligent speed limit assist.
Overall, the Ioniq 5 is a cracker: tech-laden, practical, roomy, and quick, and it handles well, too.
If you want a sports car, a Kia EV6 will suit you better, but the Ioniq 5 is much the same vehicle with some added convenience.
Fast Facts – Hyundai Ioniq 5 (73kWh, Ultimate RWD) as tested:
Max speed: 115 mph
0-62 mph: 7.4 secs
Range: 298 miles
Powertrain layout: single electric motor with 73kWh battery
Good stress is short-term and motivates you. Bad stress, however, is the kind that wears you out. Fortunately, the best remedy has no unwanted side-effects.
After any adventure, rest is often the thing we need most. It’s the same with life: when we’re caught up in difficult seasons where we need a constant supply of resilience and persistence.
Psalm 121 was written for all the weary among us, the stressed, all of those who’ve been running on fumes for far too long. It’s a beautiful psalm that speaks of the Lord’s protection over our lives.
“He will not let your foot slip … The Lord will keep you from all harm … The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore.” Psalm 121:3-8
You know what I love most about it? It starts with the psalmist searching for answers. He was at the end of his rope, scanning the skies, wondering, “Where does my help come from?” (v.1). It takes courage to admit that we need help, but it’s vital to our survival.
Once he admitted that he needed help, the psalmist could move on and remind himself of the answer: “My strength comes from God, who made heaven, and earth, and mountains. He won’t let you stumble, your Guardian God won’t fall asleep. Not on your life!” vs 2-4 MSG
The next time you feel like you’re too long in the storm, read this psalm. It’s okay to need help, it’s good to take time away, and it’s strong to look up. Christ will always be with us – and will always protect us.
Extract taken from Soul Fuel by Bear Grylls, published by Zondervan in the US and Hodder Faith in the UK.
In the ‘now’ culture, we often expect quick results. But real change, that lasts, takes time.
In my last job, I was praying about and preparing what I might say at a parliamentary launch, and the phrase, “They came expecting fireworks” dropped into my mind. It seemed appropriate for an event happening in the Houses of Parliament on the 5th of November! I resisted the temptation to arrive in a Guy Fawkes costume.
It’s in the nature of a launch – with a new website with thousands of hits, a storm of positive Twitter messages and huge amounts of enthusiasm (140 people squeezed into a room designed for half that) – to expect some fireworks and glitz. Energy was high.
So I pointed out that …
In first-century Palestine, they also came looking for fireworks. An oppressed people were looking for liberation and they wanted it now. They were hoping for a mighty explosion of energy and light to restore their status as God’s chosen people, back in charge of their own destiny. Some were looking for a military extravaganza. And it looked like this carpenter of Nazareth might just light the touchpaper.
They wanted fireworks, but what they got was a bloke talking about a mustard seed; a story about something practically invisible. He said, “This isn’t necessarily going to be fast. This might be slow.” He said, “This isn’t going to start huge; it’s going to start infinitesimally small.”
The Japanese theologian Kosuke Koyama wrote a book about this kingdom called Three Mile an Hour God. Our God seems to move slowly. For him ends never justify means. For him it is about people, and he cares as much about the journey as the destination. You could say that the ‘how’ is as important as the ‘what’. He wants people to get to know him, as well as for his ways to shape the structures of our world. That is why, in politics especially, we must be in it for the long haul ~ because we care about people, not just ideas.
We must not get sucked into the instant culture of the 21st century, where so much is about overnight sensations and the ‘next big thing’. We must be prepared to do the hard yards of building relationships. Change in political thinking and practice is rarely fast, but we must believe that the mustard seed will produce fruit. There is also something of sacrifice and death about that seed. We will not necessarily be lauded for what we do, but we can still prepare the ground.
SEAT’s Ateca was the Spanish manufacturer’s first-ever SUV.
Quite an entrance it made, too, getting impressive reviews when it was launched – and, several years on, it’s still going strong.
It is no surprise, though, as SEAT is part of the Volkswagen group. So, it’s based on the same platform as the Skoda Karoq and VW’s Tiguan, which are also highly regarded.
There are many trims, but the Xperience version is tested here. It includes 18-inch alloys, front comfort seats in Microsuede, a heated windscreen and a rear-view camera.
There are a few engines to choose from in the Ateca range, but I drove the 1.5-litre petrol. You can choose an automatic or a six-speed manual transmission.
It is arguably the best engine in the line-up, providing a lovely blend of performance and value for money. Although not lightning quick, the 1.5-litre makes good progress with a thick dollop of low-end performance, which helps you move away without delay.
It returns 42.2mpg with the automatic, as driven for this review, producing 151g/km of CO2.
The ride is comfortable but firmer than its nearest rivals, but the stiffer setup means it handles very well for a taller car. It is responsive when chucked into a bend, and it’s pretty fun to drive.
Inside, the Ateca impresses, with lots of silver trim brightening things up. The SEAT is roomy in the front and back, too.
The infotainment system has a high resolution, and it’s nice to look at. But some of the icons on the screen are on the small side, so they’re tricky to operate unless you’re stationary.
Boot capacity is 510 litres, expanding to 1,604 litres with the rear seats down, which fold away in a 60/40 split.
The Ateca was awarded a five-star rating by Euro NCAP, with safety systems including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, traction control, a driver tiredness alert, traffic sign recognition and rain-sensing wipers.
Overall, the Ateca is an excellent all-rounder, offering sharp handling, good equipment levels and all the practicality you need in an SUV.
The Xperience trim is quite expensive, but if you’re after a small SUV, the Ateca deserves serious consideration.
Fast Facts – SEAT Ateca (Xperience trim, 1.5 TSI, 7-speed Auto) as tested:
Digital Editor’s Note: It is with great delight that I welcome Louise Jane, the CEO of the prestigious Christlit Book Awards as a Sorted Magazine Guest Writer. My little book Notes from the North End of Nowhere was shortlisted for the Creative Future Writers’ Award, it has also won a Christlit Book Award and The Christlit Book of The Year 2024 Award. Louise has very kindly written this lovely endorsement. It’s very humbling to see my work standing alongside authors I admire, such as Joyce Meyer and Louie Giglio.
Louise writes: Val Fraser’s Notes from the North End of Nowhere is a brilliant concept for a book that feels refreshingly original. I honestly didn’t know what to expect when I picked it up, but I found myself laughing out loud more than I ever have with any other book!
The warmth and familiarity of the narrative enveloped me, making it the ideal companion for a laid-back weekend spent on the couch with a hot brew in hand. It’s the type of book that draws you in so completely that you lose all sense of time and space. As I read, I often found myself wishing I could sit down with the author to discuss her intriguing and inventive thoughts. Her unfiltered, candid writing style makes the reading experience feel so intimate and engaging.
With a remarkable ability to weave beautiful metaphors, Fraser showcases a talent for imaginative and thought-provoking writing. While I was engaged with the text, I also found myself longing for the magnificent northern landscapes, like those in Wales and the Lake District, as each description stirred a deep appreciation for the beauty of our planet.
One part that particularly stood out to me was the brilliantly written Notes on Noticing, which made me chuckle more than a few times. Val cleverly weaves together religious themes and humour, using sheep as a metaphor to demonstrate how Christianity can be a force for good, all while keeping that classic Northern wit. I couldn’t resist sharing some quotes with my Northerner pals, who enjoyed the humour just as much as I did. Additionally, the author’s references to TV shows like The Repair Shop and Gardeners’ World not only piqued my interest in watching them but also highlighted her ability to draw connections between everyday life and faith.
Altogether, this unique and brilliant book is a must-read! And I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone seeking a delightful literary experience.
Research carried out by www.hampers.com revealed that 61% of working adults consider at least one co-worker as a close friend. These investigations were carried out as part of an ongoing study into happiness in the workplace, following on from a study in September 2020.
The study initially found that 90% of respondents are close enough to at least one of their co-workers to consider them a friend (up from 87% in 2020). What’s more, three fifths went as far as saying they’d class at least one co-worker as a close friend, if not one of their best friends (61%), up from 52% in 2020. According to this study the top five reasons colleagues were thought of as close friends are:
1. We tell each other everything: 68%
2. We’ve got a lot of shared experiences: 63%
3. I enjoy spending time with them outside of work: 50%
4. We’re always talking on the phone (texting or calling): 49%
5. I feel they truly care about me: 37%
Over three quarters of those who stated they spend time together outside of work said they have introduced their work place best friend to their partner, family or other close friends (76%). Almost all respondents (95%) stated that getting on well with their colleagues and having friends (close or not) helps contribute to their overall happiness in the workplace. In fact, workplace friendships are considered one of the key factors why UK adults would be hesitant to leave the company and get a job elsewhere (71%).
Patrick Gore, Managing Director of www.hampers.com said: “The findings of this study were incredibly interesting, largely because we have data from just two years ago to compare it to. More UK adults than two years ago have someone they consider a friend, if not a close friend, in the workplace and this really can make the world of difference. There have been a lot of changes over the last few years as a result of the covid pandemic, with people made to work from home during the numerous lockdowns and feeling isolated as a result. It’s no wonder people are yearning for human interaction, even those who may still be working in a hybrid capacity. If we all took one thing away from the pandemic, it’s that relationships are incredibly important for our happiness and mental health.”
Digital Editor’s Note: I’m delighted to re-discover and re-publish this book extract from our Guest Writer, Katy Canty. As of May 27th 2022, the UK prison population was 80,200. As of March 2019, the total number of employed prison chaplains was 474. Katy Canty spent many years working as a prison chaplain. In the recently-published Heartbreak, Hope and Holy Moments she shares some of her experiences and insights, to try to help others understand more fully what prison is really like, and who prisoners really are.
Katy writes: We’ve all seen prison dramas, and prison comedies, but what is life inside really like? Much grittier and more desolate than we could imagine. Prison chaplains, of many faiths, are there to offer support to all, from shoplifters to killers.
Care and Separation Unit (CSU) used to be called ‘Segregation’ or ‘the Block’, but its name was changed to give it a more therapeutic overtone. At the same time, the place itself was repainted from grey to brighter colours, and prisoners’ works of art were displayed, which gave it the appearance of a slightly deserted gallery. Prisoners who end up being sent here will be those who have infringed prison rules, such as being involved in fights or assaults, being found in possession of drugs or phones or generally exhibiting behaviour that is too volatile or unpredictable to be sustained on a regular Unit. Increasingly we are seeing prisoners who have taken Spice (Mamba) and who are therefore often violent and unpredictable. Every day there are adjudications and prisoners are transferred back to normal locations when they have served their allotted time of separation. However, some men do remain in CSU for a while, often awaiting transfer to another prison.
Our daily rounds are of a routine nature, and we are aware that many of the men do not wish to engage in long or deep conversations with a Chaplain, especially one they see day after day! But our presence is understood and I remember one man completely humbling me when he met me on a Unit one day saying, ‘You came to visit me when I was in Seg.’ I felt dreadful as I had no recollection of him and had probably only asked if he was ‘OK’, and yet the presence of a caring face must have made such an impression on him. And the fact that we visit them means that we are there if they need us; sometimes a man would ask me to bless him or, more often to come and light a candle with him on an anniversary, since it would be difficult for them to come over to the chapel as they are on restricted conditions.
Probably the most memorable visit was when I was asked to light a candle with a very unstable and disturbed man. In fact, he was considered so dangerous that he was a ‘five-man unlock’ – something I have never seen before or since. Some of the men can have their doors opened by a single officer or most when two officers are present. If someone is particularly difficult, three men are required, but five men obviously indicated a very violent man. In addition to that, these officers were dressed in riot gear in case the man ‘kicked off’ and they had to come and rescue me. I remember being extremely nervous as I waited to go in to the cell, and with the usual sense that of myself I had nothing to give. However, when I entered the cell the prisoner was very polite and respectful, and we lit the candle and I prayed with him. It was an odd situation as I realised I stood as a woman with him alone while outside there were five hefty men poised to defend! I have to admit I did not prolong the encounter and escaped as soon as I could!
Because men in CSU have broken prison rules, they are often denied privileges. If their behaviour is very poor they lose everything including their personal possessions for the time they are there. However, they are allowed to have a Bible (or Qur’an) if they require one, and we are also allowed to give them faith literature. In actual fact, many of the prisoners asked for Bibles whilst they were in CSU. There were probably many and varied reasons for this. The small Testaments provided by the Gideons were just the right size to act as Rizla papers for their ’smokes’. If they had no tobacco because they had lost their right to buy it, they might smoke their tea bags! We only hoped that maybe some of them might get to read the ‘holy’ Rizla paper as they rolled it! Many lads did read the Bible whilst in CSU as it was something to do. They also devoured Christian books that we gave to them, stories of other men who had got it all wrong, been to prison and found God and a new way of life.
It was to CSU that they brought Daniel. He was in a terrible state, deeply distressed and suicidal. He had taken a life, and felt so guilty and remorseful that he felt that his own life was not worth living. He had a chequered background, had struggled with education and had been bullied all his life. Now he had got into trouble in prison, hence his arrival in CSU. He was so profoundly suicidal that they took the ultimate step of putting him in ‘strips’ (a gown that is made of very tough fabric so that it cannot be torn into ligatures). He was put into the special cell which contains no fixtures or fittings to which ligatures could be attached. In essence, it contains a low-level concrete block and nothing else. Through his tears, Daniel cried that prison officers had taken away his rosary beads and that he needed them to sleep at night. The officers had removed them because the string of beads might also be used as a ligature. What I did bring him was a small card with a picture of the cross on it which we give to prisoners when they visit chapel for a bereavement. It had a bright blue background and Daniel attached it to the wall, possibly with toothpaste. In that dark grey cell, it was the only thing there and it seemed to me that it almost ‘glowed’ on the wall. I prayed with him and carried on praying that he would not attempt to take his own life. Years later, he told me that at the time he had had razor blades on him, but that after our prayer he had not used them and the picture ‘got him through the night’. He has gone from strength to strength with therapeutic help.
The Healthcare Unit in prison contains twelve beds and is usually fully occupied. Here we tend to those who are ill physically and mentally. The pressure on accommodation here is enormous. Those who are physically ill do not remain here long, unless they are terminally ill or in the last stages. Many in the Unit are those with acute mental health issues. Ideally, they would not remain here long either, but the sad fact is that there is a massive waiting time to get anyone into more suitable outside institutions. And so we tend to those who are sick in so many different ways, and Chaplains make a daily visit to speak to each of these men.
We see some amazingly bad injuries that have often occurred before the men come into prison. Bones are broken when unsuccessful burglars really do fall off drainpipes! I remember one lad who told me he was running away from the police and jumped into what he thought was a canal to escape from them, but unfortunately it turned out to be the railway track and he had completely shattered most of his leg bones.
My first glimpse of Peter was a terrible sight. It was his first time in prison, and he was devastated at having committed a crime. He had decided to kill himself with a gun and had aimed it at his face. He arrived in prison with his jaw blown apart under his ear and in a state of deep shock. I felt great sympathy for him and said that I would ring his wife to reassure her that he was OK, Daniel was now very concerned about how she would be coping. Peter went through extensive bone surgery, with grafts being taken from his leg, and I often had a chat with him as he remained in Healthcare for months. I rejoiced with him when at last he was able relocate into a normal Unit when his treatment was complete. A year or so later, he was pleased to tell me that he was imminently being released and he just wanted to say thank you to me because I had rung his wife when he first arrived in prison. Again, this was something that had not really remained in my memory, but was another example of a fleeting action which meant so much to a prisoner.
Another badly fractured jaw belonged to a very sad man called Andrew. He had been in prison before and we had had a lot to do with him. First time round, he told us he was a Roman Catholic by background, and he began to attend Mass at the chapel. So faithful was he, that eventually he was baptised in prison by the priest so that he could receive Mass. He also came to our Bible study group and we spent time having conversations with him. He talked about his broken relationship with his girlfriend and the children that he loved so deeply. He appeared to want to make something of his life, hence his commitment to chapel, and he told me that he had tried to take his life on more than one occasion on the outside, but each time it had failed. I remember that he told me he tried to hang himself from a tree but the branch snapped. We thought he would make something of himself as he left prison but, in a few months’ time, he was back.
When I saw him I was absolutely shocked. Like Peter, Andrew’s jaw was round the side of his ear, and his face was black and blue. It transpired that he had been in a fight, and his opponent had actually stamped on his face. His physical injuries were treated and his body recovered fairly speedily, but it seemed that his inner self had given up the fight. He stopped coming to chapel and we saw little of him. When we did speak to him, he was always ready to talk, mainly about his children, but a few months after he left prison he at last succeeded in what he had set out to do, he hanged himself to escape from all his inner turmoil and pain. I still have a poem that he wrote for the chapel.
The other aspect of Healthcare is that here we visit prisoners who are terminally ill and may be dying. I think of Jack, a young lad in his twenties, who was dying of a brain tumour. As far as I recall, he had no friends or family, and he never caused any problems, he was always quiet and respectful. As his condition deteriorated, he became almost blind and staff had to put a large sign on his door so he could make out which was his cell. He went downhill quite fast but was cared for so compassionately by the Healthcare staff. When he died, we had a memorial service for him in the chapel and the staff who had cared for him in Healthcare came and wept; touched at the sadness of the loss of such a young life, whatever his offence.
With an aging population, in prison we are seeing more and more elderly men who will die while they are with us. Although his background was Roman Catholic, Frank preferred to attend Church of England services, and was a regular chapel attender. He was a historic sex offender and had a fairly lengthy sentence. He also came to the Discovery Group that I held on his Vulnerable Prisoner Unit. For a long time, he said very little but seemed to be growing in faith and was reading his Bible and praying. In the group, we study different courses and had used the Alpha course.
As Frank was in prison for so long, he was still there when I went to repeat Alpha. One evening at the end of the session he quietly shared with the group that on the previous run-through of the course he had prayed the prayer that Nicky Gumbel spoke on the video, and he felt he could ‘let go’ of his past and had found ‘real peace within’. This was borne out by his attitude to life and other prisoners, by whom he was loved and respected. His health gradually faded and he came to Healthcare. I was able to pray with him and he passed away peacefully. He had a Catholic funeral on the outside. We had a memorial service inside, which was well attended by his fellow prisoners, and the accolades he received from them were very touching. Undoubtedly, his quiet presence and kindness had spoken to many of them and he had found peace deep within, despite his surroundings.
Take a look at this quick guide to maintaining your vehicle in the colder months from the motoring experts at Mitchell Group.
De-icing your vehicle
Plan ahead – it could take time to defrost your car.
Take care to defrost all the windows and not just the windscreen.
Check your wipers are not frozen to the windscreen by attempting to lift them up. Turning your wipers on when they are frozen could lead to burning out the motor.
Spray de-icer over all the frozen areas and clear with an ice scraper. Ensure you carry de-icer and a scraper with you for all onward journeys.
Never pour boiling water from the kettle on your car.
Top up your engine coolant with anti-freeze.
Anti-freeze is an essential component of engine coolant, which works to maintain the temperature of your engine. Ensure you maintain a ratio of 50% water to 50% anti-freeze.
Keep your car clean
Cold weather conditions will mean you need to clean your vehicle regularly. For optimum visibility ensure your lights are clean. It is required by law that your number plates are clean and visible.
Check your tyre pressure
Ensure you check your tyre pressure as a cold snap can reduce your PSI.
Refer to your owner’s manual for the correct PSI for your vehicle.
Check you are up to date with servicing
Ensure your vehicle is maintained and ready for the winter months by way of regular servicing. If you are unsure of when your next service is due Mitchell customers can call our customer care team on 0151 347 5555. Stay safe, we’re here for you and your car.
The best gift you could give yourself, your colleagues, and your family is the gift of completion. And it’s free!
Completion is the antidote to that feeling of being on a never-ending treadmill in life. We’re always rushing into the next thing without stopping to review what we learned and accomplished and how we feel about the past. We end up doing the next thing on top of all the incompletions, hastily rushing into the next planning sessions and big family decisions from a cluttered place.
This is crazy because we have all these emotions about things that didn’t go so well and perhaps even regret, but never discuss, take responsibility for, learn from, and let go. Conversely there’s things we’ve accomplished but haven’t celebrated. How many of my clients have had massive achievements and unless I remind them, they never celebrate? They’d just go on to the next thing as if their accomplishments are normal and not worth mentioning.
We cannot go on to what’s next in a clear and creative space when we’re dragging this ball and chain of the past around. Big organisations do this very badly. The most sophisticated have processes for lessons learned but they don’t go into how their people feel – proud, sad, angry?
There are four questions comprising completion:
What have I accomplished?
What do regret?
What did I not do I said I would?
What have I learned?
We need to say this in dialogue with other humans because we can’t think it. It only lives when the words are coming out of our mouths into someone’s listening. Saying it helps you let go.
So, what did I accomplish so far this year? It’s not about the things I did, all my activities, like 42 clients or 60 meetings or whatever. That’s not an accomplishment. For me my accomplishments are what my clients achieved out of the work we did together. Some took their businesses to new heights. Others made huge changes to their working and personal lives. For me those are huge accomplishments. I’m very proud of these guys and it’s good to write it down to savour.
Doing this exercise in conversation with my partner leaves me free of regret, and full of appreciation and gratitude. Please give yourself the gift of completion. You’ll have a clear space to create from!
Sometimes others inspire and motivate us to be better. They don’t necessarily know us and we don’t know them. They speak into our lives without any real depth of knowing. At other times we can be inspired by people who do know us and whom we know fairly well.
As I think about the people who’ve been an inspiration to me, I’m aware that I’ve sometimes made a judgement about them or felt envious of their achievements or wisdom. Sometimes it’s really difficult to be content with who you are and not make that comparison with others. There’s a fine line between being inspired by somebody and feeling envious of all that they seem to be. Many of us know that it’s easy to become discouraged and disillusioned when you compare yourself to others.
It’s totally different when someone who you know well, and who really knows you, speaks wisdom into your life. There can be inspiration or challenge without triggering comparison. You know that they are genuine and have your best interest at heart. It’s great when there is that depth of knowing between people and we don’t have to pretend to be somebody that we’re not.
Over the last fourteen years I’ve been involved in running a couple of small groups for blokes. These are a terrific source of inspiration and encouragement. Over time we have developed friendship, trust and security and can now be more open with each other and share how life really is, rather than glossing over things that we struggle with. I encourage you to choose a couple of Wing Men; trusted friends who will support and encourage you. Having friends who don’t judge you, are willing to meet regularly, willing to get beyond the banter to a place of honesty and authenticity are a treasure beyond price.
