First drive in the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5: A familiar model with some choice upgrades

As we get able to exit month two of 2025, the alternatives to check drive model-year BEVs are beginning to come up. The latest was a visit to Palm Springs, California, to check out the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5. This flagship BEV noticed a mid- refresh for 2025, so I didn’t expertise essentially the most drastic of modifications in comparison with earlier variations. Within the locations the place Hyundai did enhance the IONIQ 5, nonetheless, I observed savvy upgrades that took buyer suggestions into consideration and made an already high-quality BEV even higher.

Background on the Hyundai IONIQ 5 as we enter 2025

Whereas the IONIQ 5 is just not Hyundai’s first BEV, it’ll definitely go down because the flagship mannequin of its bonafide transition into a completely electrical model. The IONIQ 5 was the primary mannequin from Hyundai Motor Group to reach on its spectacular E-GMP platform, that includes 800V structure. Even simply 4 years in the past, in 2021, when the IONIQ 5 debuted, 800V expertise appeared like overkill, as most public chargers couldn’t ship that stage of energy.

Nevertheless, Hyundai’s resolution to spend money on higher expertise from the beginning and ship it to the lots at an affordable worth has paid dividends for its different manufacturers, like Kia and Genesis. For instance, HMG bought 742,000 automobiles within the US in 2024 and held 8.3% of EV market share within the US. It’s now the second highest-selling EV model within the US, behind longtime chief Tesla. The South Korean model has additionally seen file automobile gross sales for 4 consecutive years.

Getting into 2025, the IONIQ 5 has been a star in Hyundai’s lineup, attaining 44,000 items bought in 2024, up 93% from its 2022 launch and 31% year-over-year in comparison with 2023. I’ve personally been an enormous fan of the IONIQ 5 since I first bought eyes on it, and my love solely grew once I bought to do my first detailed walkthrough with the debut mannequin at Hyundai’s US headquarters in Fountain Valley, California (try that hair!)

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Practically 4 years later, Hyundai has delivered the 2025 IONIQ 5 as a mid-cycle refresh. The modifications aren’t drastic, however they’re sufficient to garner a report again to you loyal readers to know what’s totally different. Final week, I ventured out to Palm Springs, California, to take the 2025 IONIQ 5 and the brand new IONIQ 5 XRT out on the roads (and dust) to see the way it rides. I’ve shared my ideas beneath.

The 2025 IONIQ 5 drives the identical, which continues to be a win

As I discussed above, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is just not that totally different on paper, however the automaker made some refined modifications that merely bolster an already spectacular all-electric mannequin. Just like the variations that preceded it, the main focus of the 2025 IONIQ 5 was a continued pattern of revolutionary design, superior capabilities led by new applied sciences, and uncompromising security (HMG acquired the very best honors from the 2024 IIHS Awards with the Most Prime Security Decide and TSP+ titles of any auto producer).

Hyundai’s head of exterior design, Brad Arnold, walked us across the exterior of the brand new IONIQ 5, which, in keeping with Arnold, had beforehand acquired a lot reward about its design that his group didn’t change that a lot.

For instance, the Hyundai design group enhanced the entrance, rear, and wheels to seem extra strong and ship extra of a “CRV” look. This included a bigger offset to the entrance and rear fascias (seen above). You prospects spoke up and Hyundai heard you – the 2025 IONIQ 5 fashions now include a rear wiper normal!

Final however not least, Hyundai added the NACS port to its 2025 mannequin. That is the primary non-Tesla mannequin to hit the market with NACS, which has change into the brand new US normal in charging ports. In case your closest public charger solely gives CCS, you’re nonetheless in luck, as Hyundai will present prospects with a complimentary adapter.

The remainder of the modifications pertain to the inside and the EV’s efficiency, so let’s make a journey inside.

2025 fashions ship simplified inside, higher efficiency

Shifting inward, the middle console options extra bodily buttons, together with controls for elements like heated seats and parking help (see above). The HVAC controls have been simplified and Hyundai added two dials to the dashboard show for tuning and quantity.

The infotainment has additionally been bolstered with sooner CPU processing speeds and higher GPS accuracy. The inside cabin additionally options wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities, WiFi hotspot, and USB-C shops.

2025 IONIQ 5 house owners cal additionally make the most of Hyundai Pay, which has been added to the infotainment and permits drivers to hyperlink a bank card to extra seamlessly pay for issues like parking and charging, all from the automobile’s system. The brand new 2025 mannequin additionally comes with Hyundai’s Digital Key 2 capabilities, which make the most of Bluetooth along with beforehand geared up RFID expertise.

There have been additionally a number of additions to the 5’s ADAS, together with haptic suggestions, driver consideration warnings, and a few non-obligatory warning alerts. All that apart, a extra notable improve within the 2025 IONIQ 5 fashions is the rise in vary on all trims, because of bigger battery packs and improved cell chemistry. See beneath:

The 2025 mannequin 12 months variations of the IONIQ 5 additionally provide some charging perks for future drivers, together with the beforehand talked about NACS plus, providing simpler entry to Tesla’s Supercharger community of over 17,000 plugs throughout the US. To start, IONIQ 5 house owners might want to use the Tesla app so as to reap the benefits of such public charging choices; the automaker informed us that Plug & Cost capabilities are within the works to reach “within the coming quarters.”

Regardless of the 2025 fashions having bigger packs, Hyundai’s improved battery chemistry permits even sooner cost charges, not less than for CCS plugs. For instance, the 2025 IONIQ 5 can attain a peak fee of 257 kW at a the 350 kW charger, an enchancment from 233 kW in earlier mannequin years.

Whereas entry to the Tesla community is a welcomed addition, these cost charges will initially dip compared as a result of Tesla’s V3 Superchargers solely provide peak charges of 135 kW, however ought to enhance with the V4 chargers.

The 2025 IONIQ 5 is a well-recognized good friend

In contrast to most of my first-drive opinions, I don’t have that a lot to say in regards to the total drive of the 2025 model-year IONIQ 5 as a result of it’s nearly the identical BEV by way of efficiency as a 12 months in the past, simply with higher vary and probably sooner CCS charging speeds.

The IONIQ 5 was a well-recognized and welcomed experience once I bought behind the wheel. In the event you’ve learn my driving impressions earlier than, you’ll know I’m a stickler for regenerative braking and it’s one pedal driving all day for me. Hyundai’s i-Pedal at all times delivers the stiffness I would like.

Chopping up and round at elevation above Palm Springs, I solely needed to hit the brake pedal as soon as (I got here in a bit too sizzling following a straightaway). I like that. Hyundai has additionally applied a brand new function referred to as Sensible Regen System 2, which will be activated by holding the appropriate paddle on the steering wheel and may robotically alter regen ranges utilizing a radar sensor on the automobile’s entrance.

Aside from that, the 2025 IONIQ 5 stays a homerun of a BEV possibility with its E-GMP platform, an enormous wheelbase (longer than the Hyundai Palisade) which gives a sneaky quantity of inside house, and a clean AWD experience. It’s not essentially the most nimble of BEVs, but it surely’s’ nonetheless a blast to speed up with and hit some winding curves each time attainable. It nonetheless handles fairly effectively and helps you stay in management.

Typically, I want it was tuned a bit higher, however Hyundai put all that effort into the IONIQ 5 N, one other unbelievable possibility within the IONIQ lineup. General, many of the updates to the 2025 IONIQ are beauty or embrace enhancements to the battery. Nonetheless, for a mid-cycle refresh, its enhancements are greater than satisfactory and will assist this mannequin proceed as a best-seller, furthering Hyundai’s clout as a blossoming chief in tech-forward BEVs whereas remaining comparatively inexpensive.

The 2025 IONIQ 5 is on the market now and begins at an MSRP of $42,500 earlier than taxes and charges.