Hyundai Goes Off-Road With Ioniq 5 XRTHyundai Goes Off-Road With Ioniq 5 XRT

PALM SPRINGS, CA – Few owners are going to power slide their battery-electric CUV through a rutted, sandy two-track in the desert, but it’s good to know Hyundai’s latest addition to its XRT stable is up to the task, whether in sand, or more likely snow or mud.

“EVs can be used as off-road vehicles,” says John Shon, senior group manager-product planning. The 2025 Ioniq 5 XRT is the first BEV to join the automaker’s off-road lineup that includes the Palisade XRT, Santa Cruz XRT and Tucson XRT.

Our short off-road tour in the Ioniq 5 XRT is enlightening as the higher-riding version of the South Korean automaker’s BEV easily tackles rough trails and deep sandy ruts.

My co-driver here on the test drive suggests the all-wheel-drive BEV needs to be driven like a personal watercraft – that is, with steady power to keep the wheels churning so the vehicle doesn’t lose its steering control and stays on course.

Despite the XRT’s extra 0.9 in. (23 mm) of suspension lift providing 7.0 ins. (178 mm) of ground clearance (vs. 6.0 ins. [152 mm] for non-XRTs), we encounter some dips that push the limits of the suspension, hitting bump stops, but the undercarriage never scrapes. That’s good, because while XRT stands for “Extreme Rugged Terrain,” there are no extra skid plates to provide underbody protection.

What XRT buyers do get, in addition to the higher ground clearance, is an added Terrain mode (with Snow, Mud and Sand options), all-terrain tires on black 18-in. wheels, protective cladding, significantly improved approach and departure angles, functional tow hooks and some cool pixelated trim elements on the wheel-well cladding and fascias.

Pixel pattern in wheel arches, fascias, wheels.

The 2025 Ioniq 5’s propulsion system uses the automaker’s E-GMP BEV platform shared with the Ioniq 6 and Ioniq 9 but gains 9-30 miles (14-48 km) of added range for 2025 thanks to a 5-kWh boost to 63 kWh in the standard battery and a 6.6-kWh increase to 84 kWh in the long-range battery pack. Depending on trim, powertrain (RWD or AWD) and battery size, the Ioniq 5 can travel 245-318 miles (394-512 km) on a charge. The XRT AWD model offers 259 miles (417 km) of range, 10 miles (16 km) off the Ioniq 5 Limited AWD range. We note consumption of 3.1 mi./kWh, which is reasonable for our active drive route and while carrying three passengers.

Hyundai says the extra power comes from a proprietary update to battery chemistry and a larger battery that is now capable of accepting up to 257-kW charging from a 350-kW outlet. The company notes the Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai model able to access Tesla’s NACS chargers.

Output is unchanged from 2024, with AWD models powered by a 165-kW (165-hp) rear motor and a 74-kW (99-hp) front motor; RWD standard range models get a 125-kW (168-hp) motor while long-range versions jump to a 168-kW (225-hp) motor.

During our test drive we also sample the refreshed, fully loaded Ioniq 5 Limited and find it continues to provide solid performance and great driving dynamics, even as some wet and snowy conditions on the winding Palms to Pines Scenic Byway tempered our usual, more enthusiastic driving style.

Revamped UX gets physical volume and tuning knobs.

We appreciate the midcycle upgrades, including the addition of physical volume and tuning knobs for the audio system (yes, knobs!), wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity, revised HVAC controls and a new wide 12.3-in. (31-cm) infotainment screen. Perhaps most welcome is a standard rear window wiper/washer that Shon says was added in response to consumer feedback.

Hyundai says the midcycle upgrades add about $700 to the sticker price across the model lineup, with the top-of-the-line Limited AWD priced at $58,100, XRT at $55,400, SEL AWD at $53,000 and the SE AWD at $50,050. The base SE RWD with a standard-range battery checks in at $42,500. Prices do not include $1,475 for delivery.

The Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai to be built at the Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America in Savannah, GA, which will also manufacture batteries for the BEV beginning in March.

The Ioniq 5 has earned numerous accolades as well as a 2022 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems trophy for the debut model and a 2024 Wards 10 Best Engines & Propulsion Systems award for the Ioniq 5 N.

Ioniq 5 Limited shows off buff new styling.