Boldly Going: The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 AWD XRT

It makes so much sense. The IONIQ 5 gets a refresh for 2025. The IONIQ 5 can be had in all-wheel-drive form. And Hyundai has a growing XRT trim line focused on the outdoors active lifestyle segment of the market.

And so we have the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 AWD XRT.

Its closest competitor in the outdoorsy EV segment, the Subaru Solterra, stumbled out of the gate, leaving the door wide open for the IONIQ 5, which got just about everything right from day one, to rush right in.

While XRT is an appearance package on the Tucson, some significant functionality comes with the IONIQ 5 AWD XRT. Ground clearance has been increased by 9/10ths of an inch to an even seven inches, front and rear fascia changes provide improved approach and departure angles, dedicated 18-inch aluminum wheels come wrapped in 235/60 R 18 Continental CrossContact all-terrain tires, and front recovery hooks are standard.

The hooks are purely a "just in case, peace of mind" bit of equipment, as the IONIQ 5 AWD XRT also comes with selectable terrain modes for snow, mud and sand.

Seven inches of ground clearance, all-wheel-drive and all-terrain tires do not a Rubicon-conquering off-roader make, but the IONIQ 5 AWD XRT is a capable and credible light adventurer.

There are also no compromises to on-pavement driving. In fact, the taller-sidewalled all-terrain tires give the IONIQ 5 AWD XRT a smoother, quieter ride than the non-XRT trims.

Beginning in 2025, IONIQ 5s come with an NACS charging port. Tesla developed it, and other automakers including Hyundai are contracting with Tesla and switching from CCS (Combined Charging System).

The 2025 IONIQ 5 is one of the first non-Tesla vehicles to have NACS as standard.

That move gives IONIQ 5 drivers a lot more flexibility in charging, allowing use of the 15,000 Tesla Supercharger locations nationwide.

However---the Hyundai IONIQ line (IONIQ 5, IONIQ 6 and IONIQ 9 as well as Genesis and Kia EVs) has an 800-volt charging architecture. It plays well with DC fast chargers, allowing 10%-80% recharges in under 25 minutes.

Tesla Superchargers are plentiful, convenient and considerably more reliable than the Electrify America, EVgo and ChargePoint DC fast chargers, but they are 400-volt and can't deliver power as quickly as the IONIQ 5 AWD XRT can take it. A 10%-80% recharge on a Supercharger can take 40 minutes or more.

And so, Hyundai, flipping the script on vehicles with CCS ports that offer an NACS adapter, ships the IONIQ 5 AWD XRT with NACS adaptors for CCS chargers, giving you the option (there's also an adaptor for home chargers).

The EPA says a full charge should get you 259 miles in the IONIQ 5 AWD XRT, with a 94 MPGe rating. There are two electric motors (one for each axle) and together, they make 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque. Hyundai says that's good for 0-60 sprints (on pavement) of 5.1 seconds.

The "pixel" theme in the IONIQ 5 taillights gets amplified in the XRT---with repeating patterns across the exterior surfaces:

Beyond that, what you have here is the same goodness as with any IONIQ 5.

That means 26.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, 58.5 with them folded down...

...and 39.4 inches of legroom for the rear seat passengers.

The base price of the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 AWD XRT is $55,400 ($56,875), and it comes with a lengthy list of standard features, including a comprehensive suite of active safety features, automatic LED headlights, taillights and daytime running lights, roof side rails, keyless entry and pushbutton start, a hands-free smart power liftgate, synthetic leather seating surfaces, power front seats, heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, smart cruise control, a surround-view monitor, remote smart parking assist, dual automatic temperature control with rear air vents, an auto-dimming rearview mirror with HomeLink, a sliding center console, front and rear USB ports, navigation, a Bose premium audio system with HDRadio, a 90-day trial subscription to SiriusXM satellite radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, Hyundai's Bluelink+ connected services and a Wi-Fi hotspot trial (both requiring enrollment).

And for '25, all IONIQ 5s also get something they should have had from day one---a rear washer/wiper.

Hyundai retains its one-price-per-trim-level pricing structure for the AWD XRT, meaning the only extra-cost option on our test vehicle was carpeted floormats ($210). And that puts the bottom line on the window sticker at $57,085.

With abundant power, traction and range per charge, the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 AWD XRT is a great way to venture off the beaten path without putting particles of tailpipe pollutants into the otherwise pristine air. And it's one hell of a lot of fun, besides.