It won’t be long before there are as many stylized Hyundai Ioniq 5 variants as Barbie dolls. For the 2025 model year, the Ioniq 5 is getting an off-road rally model. It will also be the first non-Tesla electric vehicle (EV) to carry the Tesla charging port.
The original is a fantastic car. Our 2024 Best Buy Award winner among electric vehicles, the Ioniq 5 is a delight to drive. Our editors love its spacious interior, long range, quick charging, and the way its drive modes change it from a comfortable commuter to a genuinely fun car to drive. Kelley Blue Book expert test driver Eric Brandt says, “While some electrified cars require compromises on interior space, performance, or range, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is one EV that does almost everything well.”
Hyundai hasn’t revealed pricing for 2025. But it has given other details on the updated model for the new model year.
Ioniq 5 N Track Toy, XRT Dirt Racer
For 2025, Hyundai has already added to the Ioniq 5 range with the extraordinary Ioniq 5 N, a high-performance version with a 3-second zero-to-60 mph time and a drift mode. Call it Track Day Barbie. Our Mike Danger and Lyn Woodward took that one to the track recently and walked away smiling.
Now, a second variant is on the way. Dirt Road Barbie.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT sits 0.9 inches higher than the standard model and rides on all-terrain tires. It’s based on the dual-motor variant, giving it 320 horsepower.
Visually, you’ll know the XRT Ioniq 5 variant by its slightly raised ride height, black trim all around, available roof rails, and unique front and rear bumpers that slightly improve approach and departure angles for the trail. It doesn’t have the dimensions of a serious off-roader, nor skid plates to protect the underbody, though. So think of it as a dirty rally racer, not something to take to Moab.
Inside, XRT buyers get H-Tex faux leather seating, all-weather floor mats, and XRT badging throughout.
Tesla Charging, Bigger Batteries
All 2025 Ioniq 5 models get an important update: they’ll be the first non-Tesla vehicles equipped with Tesla’s North American Charging Standard port. This should allow them to charge at Tesla Superchargers – America’s most extensive EV charging system.
They’ll need an adapter to charge at non-Tesla chargers, but Hyundai says one will come with every car.
Most automakers and most companies that operate charging systems have agreed to switch to the NACS port. Over the next few years, standardizing the country on one charger should help smooth EV adoption. However, experts say the switch to the Tesla system is going slowly.
Tesla fans will be chagrined to see, however, that the charging port is not located in the same spot it’s found on Tesla cars. That could lead to drivers jockeying for position like drivers of gas cars trying to coordinate filling from the left and right sides at gas pumps.
Other updates include increased battery capacities. Standard range models in 2024 come with a 58-kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery. In 2025, they’ll get a 63 kWh model. Long-range models see their batteries go from 77.4 to 84 kWh.
Hyundai hasn’t revealed final EPA range figures, but says it targets a range of over 310 miles instead of today’s 303 maximum.
A Few Requested Updates
Every 2025 Ioniq 5 gains two things buyers of 2024 models asked for — a rear windshield wiper and wireless, instead of wired, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Physical buttons now turn on the heated seats, so passengers don’t have to use touchscreen menus for that.
Hyundai says it expects to begin building the cars in Georgia sometime during the 2025 model year. When that starts, the company says, purchased vehicles could qualify for $3,750 in federal EV tax incentives. Lessees continue to be eligible for the full $7,500 federal rebate.
