“Fortunate me,” I believed as I navigated the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 into the final spot of a Tesla Supercharging station in Palm Springs.
The EV didn’t actually need any juice. However this refreshed compact all-electric SUV comes geared up with Tesla’s North American Charging Customary port; it was time to check out how nicely Hyundai would match up with the Tesla Supercharging community.
The expertise uncovered a niche — within the literal sense. And whereas Hyundai shouldn’t shoulder all of the blame, it did illustrate how a seemingly good concept doesn’t all the time translate in the true world.
For instance, I reversed into the parking spot, opened the cost port on the passenger-rear quarter panel, and grabbed the charging wire, nestled within the cupboard sitting all the best way over on the motive force’s facet of the automotive.
Uh, Hyundai, now we have an issue. It didn’t attain.
I might wait for an additional Tesla to vacate its area and use that charging cable, primarily taking on two areas, or I might use the in-car navigation to discover a CCS-equipped charging station and use the adapter that comes with the automotive.
I selected to toddle on with my day as I had loads of battery, however others won’t be so fortunate.
CCS, or Mixed Charging System, was the usual in North America and utilized by each automaker apart from Tesla, which developed its personal port and charging station referred to as the North American Charging Customary, or NACS.
Automakers started to shift to NACS in Might 2023 after Ford reached an settlement that may give house owners of its EV entry to greater than 12,000 Tesla Superchargers throughout the U.S. and Canada. GM adopted and inside six months almost each automaker had struck an identical cope with Tesla. Entry would initially be achieved with a Tesla adapter, however most of those automakers — Hyundai and Kia included — additionally agreed to combine the NACS charging tech into their future EVs.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is certainly one of these.
After all, not all of that is Hyundai’s fault. The Ioniq 5 has all the time had its charging port on the rear passenger facet, and transferring it will be a spendy proposition. And Tesla says the issue needs to be solved with the rollout of its V4 charging stations with longer cables, though its web site says, “we encourage all automobile producers to standardize cost port areas to the rear driver facet or entrance passenger facet.”
Consumers of the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 can have higher luck discovering a CCS station and utilizing the adapter. Hyundai says the Ioniq 5 can go from 10% to 80% of cost in about 20 minutes at a CCS charger. The identical fill-up will price you as much as half-hour at an NACS charger.
Hyundai makes it a bit simpler along with your alternative of a $400 charging credit score or a free ChargePoint dwelling charger with the acquisition of an Ioniq 5 and people with an older Hyundai EV with a local CCS port can get a free NACS adapter via the MyHyundai proprietor portal beginning in March.
Hyundai house owners may even have entry to the deliberate Ionna charging community. The Ionna community, which is predicted to have 30,000 NACS and CCS charging factors by 2030, is a collaboration between BMW, Common Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Mercedes-Benz, Kia, Stellantis, and Toyota.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5: Larger batteries, extra vary, new trim
The 2025 Ioniq 5, which can are available SE, SEL, XRT, and Restricted trims in rear- or all-wheel drive, might seem like its earlier mannequin years. However there are some key variations, beginning with the battery measurement.
The usual vary battery ratchets up 5 kWh to 63 kWh, whereas the prolonged vary sits at 84 kWh, a rise of 6.6 kWh. Relying on the mixture of drivetrain, battery, and trim, anticipate to see 245 miles of vary on the low finish and as much as 318 miles of vary for a rear-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 with the bigger battery.
Energy output varies, too, beginning with 168 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, rising to 225 ponies within the prolonged vary battery. Probably the most highly effective setup settles in at 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque for all-wheel-drive automobiles with the larger battery.
Tech upgrades
The 2025 Ioniq 5 has some new parlor methods too.
The digital key perform now works along with your cellphone inside a pocket or purse, a pleasant improve for if you’re juggling youngsters, groceries, and a drink.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are actually wi-fi and all fashions have over-the-air updates.
Moreover, Hyundai Pay permits house owners so as to add their bank card to the infotainment system to pay for reserved off-street parking mechanically. Drivers additionally get up to date blind-spot collision avoidance and parking help.
Let’s get soiled
For these wanting a bit extra journey with their electrical SUV, the Ioniq 5 now comes within the XRT trim.
This mannequin is designed for venturing off the trail only a bit due to a one-inch raise and 29-inch Continental CrossContact ATR tires for higher efficiency within the dust and over gravel. This mannequin additionally will get a Terrain button on the steering wheel that provides up modes for Snow, Mud, and Sand.
Hyundai let me free on a enjoyable dust loop and I discovered that the automotive has sufficient playfulness in it to induce a smile. Sand mode doesn’t flip the traction management all the best way off — it’s important to manually push the traction management button to do this. It does regulate the brake regen properties so the automobile doesn’t mechanically begin to decelerate if you raise. It additionally splits the torque 50/50 for optimum traction.
It’s enjoyable to toss it into corners and get just a little slidey, however the ABS system — whereas nice on pavement — can intervene with traction and off-road stopping distances by not permitting any dust to construct up in entrance of the tire.
It will be nice if the drive modes additionally tweaked this technique. Nonetheless, the moment electrical torque means it’s straightforward to get on the throttle and energy out of a flip and scream towards the subsequent one, slinging dust rooster tails within the course of.
The XRT will not be some form of rock crawler. The full floor clearance is simply seven inches — that’s two inches lower than a Subaru Forester Wilderness. The off-road geometry, whereas higher than the Toyota RAV4 Woodland Version, is supposed extra for small obstacles and undulations.
I discovered the restrict of the 19.8-degree strategy angle on my drive and returned with a part of the XRT-exclusive entrance fascia tworked only a bit. There isn’t any particular underbody safety for the battery within the XRT, however the departure angle is a wholesome 30 levels and the automotive comes geared up with two entrance tow hooks.
The place the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 shines
On the pavement, the Ioniq 5 is simply as pleasurable because it ever was, with zippy acceleration, well-balanced dealing with, and a snug journey.
A part of my first drive took me to greater elevations the place the all-season tires had been put to the slushy snow check. The automotive by no means misplaced grip, inspiring confidence on this desert dweller.
The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 begins at $43,975, together with the vacation spot charge for a base SE mannequin in rear-wheel drive with the usual battery. The off-roady XRT might be had for $56,875 whereas a high Restricted trim in all-wheel drive will set you again $59,575.
You may get a Ford Mustang Mach-E at a decrease beginning value and comparable vary, and all Mach-E automobiles are normal geared up with the hands-free/eyes-up BlueCruise freeway driving help. You’ll pay a subscription charge to make use of the expertise, however Hyundai doesn’t supply something prefer it.
For those who’re into futuristic appears to be like, the Kia EV6 is a worthy competitor, particularly when you’re searching for efficiency. The GT AWD trim nets 576 ponies and 545 pound-feet of torque. Yowza.
It’s powerful to seek out fault with the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5. This refreshed Ioniq 5 maintains its pavement poise and provides a little bit of journey thrills with the brand new XRT trim. However house owners might discover themselves avoiding Tesla Superchargers regardless of that built-in NACS port.
