Made in America: The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 RWD Limited

The last time I reviewed the Hyundai IONIQ 5, almost two years ago, it was a Korean car. And that was posing a problem because specific domestic content and point of assembly rules on electric vehicles had kicked in, affecting the IONIQ 5's ability to qualify for $7,500 EV tax credits.

For 2025, the IONIQ 5 is now an American-built car, coming from a plant in Ellabell, Georgia, about 30 miles east of Savannah. Which, in terms of EV tax credits, appears to have bought Hyundai only until the end of this year. And it's only $3,750, not the full $7,500, if you're buying. Leased IONIQ 5s are eligible for the full $7,500 rebate.

So, what else is new? Quite a lot, actually. The 2025 model is the first refresh for the IONIQ 5, which was good enough that job one was "don't screw it up". This year, the front and rear bumpers are new, as is the rear spoiler. The wheels are re-designed and are more aerodynamic, and there's an off-road capable XRT trim level available this year.

Under the hood, there are just enough components to keep it from being a full-sized front trunk ("frunk"), but a smaller, closable, latchable compartment can hold a few things. And this year, the IONIQ 5 comes with an NACS charging port, allowing charging at Tesla Superchargers (there are adaptors for other charger types).

Those charging stops are relatively few and far between with the RWD Limited (our tester), which has 225 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, can hit 60 from a standing start in 7.4 seconds and has an EPA-estimated range of 318 miles per charge.

There's 26.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear seats in place, 58.5 with them folded down.

Rear seat passengers get a generous 39.4 inches of legroom.

The IONIQ 5 interior gets some tweaks for 2025, as well, with redesigned climate controls, a new center console with physical buttons for heated and ventilated seats, standard heated seats on SEL trim and above, a new steering wheel design, an updated 12.3-inch touchscreen, standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, an updated smart cruise control and a switch to all USB-C ports.

The base price of the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ5 RWD Limited is $54,200 ($55,675 including destination). As of this writing, the tariff picture remains unclear. While the IONIQ 5 is assembled in the USA, 29% of its parts come from South Korea and 33% come from Hungary. The price at your dealer could be significantly higher (or not) by the time you read this.

There's a ton of standard equipment beyond what we've already talked about in this trim level, including a comprehensive suite of active safety features, 19-inch alloy wheels, a fixed-glass panoramic sunroof with power sunshade, automatic LED headlights, daytime running lights and taillights, roof side rails, proximity key, pushbutton start, hands-free smart power liftgate with auto open, H-Tex (synthetic leather) seating surfaces, heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, integrated memory driver's seat with relaxation function, a heated steering wheel, remote smart parking assist, dual automatic temperature control with rear vents, head-up display, digital rearview mirror with HomeLink, rain-sensing wipers, ambient interior lighting, a sliding center console, rear side window sunshades, a Bose premium audio system with a 90-day trial of SiriusXM satellite radio, a wireless phone charger, Bluelink+ connected services and a wi-fi hotspot trial.

There are only two extra-cost options on this vehicle---the Gravity Gold Matte paint (I know, it looks silver) for $1,000 and the carpeted floormats at $210. That puts the bottom line on the window sticker at $56,885.

That is a chunk of change, but this is a top-of-the-line trim level. There are three RWD trim levels below, starting $11,700 below our tester's starting price.

Since the first one I drove three years ago, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 has been at the top of my list of recommended EVs. It's still the one I'd buy with my own money.