The Hyundai Group is pressing the accelerator to the floor on EV development while rivals hesitate and retrench, with a raft of upgrades to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 that make the car even more attractive than before.

As a member of Hyundai’s E-GMP EV product family, changes to the Ioniq 5 preview other future EV models and improvements to existing vehicles. These vehicles will arrive via Hyundai’s Savannah, Georgia Metaplant, which will assemble EVs for delivery to customers this fall, with eligibility for half of the $7,500 federal tax credit.

The key technical changes to Hyundai’s popular EV are increases in battery pack capacity, from 58.0 kilowatt-hours to 63.0 kWh for the standard-range models and from 77.4 kWh to 84 kWh for the long-range models.

Maximum driving range depends on the specific wheel/tire combination, but the maximum distance for the standard-range battery grows from 260 miles to more than 280 miles. The long-range pack goes from 303 miles to more than 310 miles.

As it is doing in many respects, Hyundai is leading legacy automakers in adopting Tesla's North American Charging System connector design. HYUNDAI MOTORS

Range doesn’t matter as much when you have access to a speedy, reliable DC fast-charging network, so Hyundai has made the 2025 Ioniq 5 the first non-Tesla to come to market with that company’s North American Charging Standard (NACS) port built into the car in place of the clunky old SAE Combined Charging System port that depended on unreliable public charging networks. This provides access to more than 17,000 Tesla Superchargers nationwide, while an included adapter will let drivers also connect to the SAE CCS charger networks if needed.

Related:Hyundai Develops Automatic Snow Chain Tech

Pragmatism rules at Hyundai, even if it is belatedly, as the company has added physical controls for radio tuning and for front seat heaters in response to unrelenting customer insistence that these functions need to be simple and they need to be available from when the car is switched on, without waiting for the infotainment system to boot or being pre-empted on-screen by a backup camera. The climate control interface remains capacitive touch, but it is simplified for improved useability.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq has a physical rotary knob on the left for volume and on the right for tuning, just as there should be. HYUNDAI MOTORS

The infotainment display is now 12.3 inches and the system includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard equipment. The car also gains Hyundai Digital Key 2 phone-as-key, over-the-air update capability, and upgraded Smart Cruise Control. SEL and higher trim levels have blind spot collision avoidance technology and radar-based rear-seat occupant alert to prevent children from being accidentally left in cars.

If the safety gadgets aren’t enough and there is a collision, Hyundai has reinforced the Ioniq 5’s doors and B-pillar to improve protection in side impacts.

Related:2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6 Delivers EV Value

Maybe rear wipers don't ruin EV aerodynamics or their styling after all, so 2025 Ioniq 5 drivers will be able to clear the car's rear window. HYUNDAI MOTORS

In another triumph of practical customer demand over impractical over-reaching design, Hyundai has added a widow wiper and washer to the Ioniq 5’s rear hatch in response to specific requests for that normal component to be included.

In addition to those practical additions of buttons, knobs, and wipers that customers like, they also like to pretend that they are rugged, desert-bashing, trail-crawling outdoors people. Enter the Ioniq 5 XRT, an off-road-themed version of the EV that has a 23-mm suspension lift, 18-inch all-terrain wheels and tires, all-weather floormats, and front tow hooks to create the appearance of an SUV.

The XRT is available only in dual-motor, all-wheel-drive configuration with the 84 kWh long-range battery pack.

“We’re continuing to give customers more of what they want by expanding the Ioniq 5 lineup with a dedicated off-road-capable XRT model, NACS port, design upgrades, and a long list of features developed with customers in mind,” remarked president and global COO of Hyundai Motor Company and president and CEO of Hyundai Motor North America José Muñoz.