Acquainted EV with selection 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 trim 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 adjustments in comparison with earlier variations. Within the locations the place Hyundai did enhance the IONIQ 5, nonetheless, I seen 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 is going to actually 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 degree of energy.

Nonetheless, Hyundai’s choice to put money into higher expertise from the beginning and ship it to the lots at an inexpensive worth has paid dividends for its different manufacturers, like Kia and Genesis. For instance, HMG offered 742,000 autos 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,the behind longtime chief Tesla. The South Korean model has additionally seen report car gross sales for 4 consecutive years.

Coming into 2025, the IONIQ 5 has been a star in Hyundai’s lineup, attaining 44,000 models offered 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 obtained eyes on it, and my love solely grew after I obtained to do my first detailed walkthrough with the debut mannequin at Hyundai’s US headquarters in Fountain Valley, California (take a look at that hair!)

Almost 4 years later, Hyundai has delivered the 2025 IONIQ 5 as a mid-cycle refresh. The adjustments 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 filth) 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 adjustments 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 development of progressive 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 High Security Choose and TSP+ titles of any auto producer).

Hyundai’s head of exterior design, Brad Arnold, walked us across the outdoors of the brand new IONIQ 5, which, in response to 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 look extra strong and ship extra of a “CRV” look. This included a bigger offset to the entrance and rear fascias (seen above). You clients 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 develop into the brand new US normal in charging ports. In case your closest public charger solely provides CCS, you’re nonetheless in luck, as Hyundai will present clients with a complimentary adapter.

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

2025 fashions ship simplified inside, higher efficiency

Transferring 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 better GPS accuracy. The inside cabin additionally options wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities, WiFi hotspot, and USB-C shops.

2025 IONIQ 5 homeowners cal additionally make the most of Hyundai Pay, which has been added to the infotainment and allows drivers to hyperlink a bank card to extra seamlessly pay for issues like parking and charging, all from the car’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 optionally available warning alerts. All that apart, a extra notable improve within the 2025 IONIQ 5 fashions within the enhance in vary on all trims, due to bigger battery packs and improved cell chemistry. See beneath:

The 2025 mannequin 12 months variations of the IONIQ 5 additionally supply 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 homeowners might want to use the Tesla app with a view to reap the benefits of such public charging choices; the automaker instructed 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 allows even sooner cost charges, at the least 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 supply peak charges of 135 kW, however ought to enhance with the V4 chargers.

The 2025 IONIQ 5 is a well-recognized buddy

Not like most of my first-drive opinions, I don’t have that a lot to say concerning the general drive of the 2025 model-year IONIQ 5 as a result of it’s just about 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 after I obtained behind the wheel. Should 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.

Slicing 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 really like that. Hyundai has additionally applied a brand new characteristic known as Sensible Regen System 2, which will be activated by holding the appropriate paddle on the steering wheel and might robotically modify regen ranges utilizing a radar sensor on the car’s entrance.

Aside from that, the 2025 IONIQ 5 stays a homerun of a BEV choice with its E-GMP platform, an enormous wheelbase (longer than the Hyundai Palisade) which provides a sneaky quantity of inside house, and a easy AWD experience. It’s not essentially the most nimble of BEVs, nevertheless it’s’ nonetheless a blast to speed up with and hit some winding curves at any time when 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 incredible choice within the IONIQ lineup. Total, a lot 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 enough and may 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 accessible now and begins at an MSRP of $42,500 earlier than taxes and costs.