The electric Hyundai Ioniq 5 was one of the best and best-looking EVs when it came out in 2022 with a sporty hatchback body with a midsize SUV interior. It also won several awards here at Newsweek. To keep the momentum going Hyundai just refreshed the Ioniq 5 for the 2025 model year. It comes with more range and a new off-road focused XRT trim with more ground clearance.
A North American Charging Standard (NACS) port is now standard on the Ioniq 5, allowing owners access to almost 20,000 Tesla Superchargers dotting the landscape. The most important change might be the location of production, which moves to the United States, qualifying the new Ioniq 5 for half ($3,750) of the federal EV tax credit when purchasing.
Starting with those range improvements, the all-wheel drive 2025 Ioniq 5 Limited, XRT, SE and SEL can now go up to 280 miles on a charge depending on tire, wheel and trim. The rear-drive SE Standard Ranges goes up from 220 to 240 miles while the SE, SEL and Limited range grows to 310 miles from 303. Those aren’t huge changes, but extra is always appreciated.
Exterior changes for the regular model including restyled front and rear bumpers, a new rear spoiler, more aerodynamic wheels and available roof side rails. It comes in new exterior colors too with options for Atlas White Matte, Ecotronic Gray Matte and Celadon Gray Matte.
“The minor update to the Ioniq 5 for the 2025 model year address areas that are likely to resonate with consumers: making controls easier to use and extending the range are changes that impact directly on driver interaction with the vehicle on a daily basis,” Stephanie Brinley, principal automotive analyst at S&P Global Mobility told Newsweek.
Hyundai Motor America
Hyundai Motor America
The XRT trim, which shares some of its style with the new Hyundai Santa Fe XRT, comes with an extra inch of suspension lift, unique wheels with all-terrain tires, dark digital camouflage front and rear fascias and black trim all around.
The style continues to the inside with XRT badged all-weather floor mats, a black headliner, and special XRT seats. Approach angle and departure angles are also improved. Approach is now 19.8 degrees, up from 17.5 and departure is 30.0 degrees, up from 25.4 degrees on non-XRTs. Those angles are a measure of how steep an incline the vehicle can approach and still clear it.
“Adding the XRT trim should expand the customer base for the Ioniq 5, by delivering the adventurous look that resonates with many utility vehicle buyers. Though many vehicle buyers appreciate a more-sophisticated, urban style, offering the choice between personalities has been a successful strategy for internal combustion engine (ICE) utility vehicles and should work well for the Ioniq 5 EV,” said Brinley.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 interior. The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 comes with a new 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Hyundai Motor America
There are a handful of interior updates like redesigned climate controls, a new steering wheel design and heated rear seats on higher trims. A 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system is standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Also like the Santa Fe, and the recently revealed 2025 Hyundai Tucson SUV, the Ioniq 5 offers a digital key that works several ways (NFC, Bluetooth Low Energy and UWB) to unlock the vehicle without taking your phone out of your pocket. That is available on SEL and above trims. There are several new charging points, front and rear.
Hyundai reinforced the body, front and rear doors, and B-pillar parts for side collision protection. All of the safety features return in one trim or another including blind spot warning, forward attention warning parking sensors and rear occupant alert. New for 2025 is the rear windshield wiper, which the Ioniq 5 was sorely lacking. Remote Smart Parking Assist 2 is offered on the XRT and Limited.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 keeps its current competitors including the Tesla Model Y and Ford Mustang Mach-E. The sister Kia EV6 and recently updated Volkswagen ID.4 are also electric midsize options.
