Auto review: Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT sports all-terrain tires, NACS charging
FRANKLIN, Michigan - With its raccoon-like black details, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT is instantly recognizable as a new, 2025 off-road trim for the brand's electric hatchback. It sports a black mask, black wheels, black wheel arches etched with "digital camouflage" graphic, and black mirrors. XRT for Xtra Raccoon Trim.
But what many drivers will really appreciate about the latest member of the I5 family is its Tesla-like NACS charging port and all-terrain tires.
"WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMPA! WHUMP WHUMP!" we went across 14 Mile's pothole-pocked dirt road, one of many across Metro Detroit. These dirt roads are bad enough in summer but come spring they are really fraught after a harsh winter, particularly in premium vehicles with low-profile tires like the standard 19-inch-wheel Ioniq 5.
Residents along these roads are best served by rugged mules like pickups, Jeeps, Broncos and other off-roaders. For EV fans, the I5 XRT allows them to pair battery and brawn. Just choose the ALL-TERRAIN button on the steering wheel spoke to soften the ride. "WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMPA! WHUMP!" The high-profile Continental CrossContact ATR tires cushioned the blows as I weaved my way west ...
... toward a Tesla Supercharger station.
Tesla, of course, has won the charging wars, defeating the industry-favored standard for bulky, five-prong CCS charging ports with its leaner, two-prong so-called North American Standard (NACS for short) plug. Combined with the Texas automaker's ubiquitous reliable network of fast chargers, it has forced competitors to reluctantly succumb to consumer preference. NACS it is.
With customers screaming about fickle third-party DC chargers, EV makers have rushed to buy access to Tesla's reliable network and Hyundai is one of the first automakers to - not just enable access to Superchargers for its clients - but also to equip their cars with NACS ports just like a Tesla.
Hyundai NACS has its hiccups, however. I was unable to connect to the 240-volt Tesla charger in my garage (I own a Model 3) because it was a 2018 NACS, which doesn't sync with the Hyundai's 2025 NACS plug. Something about software.
Neither could the Hyundai charge on my 240-volt, J1772 Juicebox garage charger that I use to charge non-Tesla EVs with CCS/J1772 ports. If this sounds complicated to folks used to simply stuffing a nozzle into a fuel filler, it is. And it is a reason EVs have proved to be niche vehicles in the U.S. market.
Stymied at home, I used I5's native navigation system to locate the nearest Tesla Supercharger in Northville 12 miles away. I'd been before, the last time in June 2024 with a Ford Mustang Mach-E (Ford being the first automaker to gain access to Tesla's network).
The Ioniq 5 was much easier to fill. And not just because it has a NACS port that the Tesla cable slipped into as easily as, well, a Tesla.
Hyundai also had the good sense to locate its NACS charging port on the rear corner of the vehicle like Tesla (right rear for I5, left rear for Tesla), meaning I simply backed the XRT up to the charger and connected the port. The Mach-E, like most EVs, locates its charging port behind the left front wheel, meaning I had to park the 'Stang against the curb for the cord to reach. Combined with the bulky CCS/NACS adapter required for the Ford, it takes effort.
You don't need an adapter to charge the 2025 Hyundai, but you need a Tesla app. Download it. Add the Hyundai to its vehicle list. Then locate the Supercharger where you want to charge. Not all Tesla chargers are available to non-Tesla customers, but the Northville charger was, happily.
I plugged in, and my steed slurped electrons.
Northville is one of the busiest chargers in Metro Detroit, evidence that Tesla's open-charger policy is catching on. Eight of the nine stalls were occupied on a Tuesday afternoon, with EVs including a Mustang Mach-E and Rivian R1S as well as the usual assortment of Tesla Cybertrucks, Model 3s, Ys and Ss.
Hyundai has upped the range on AWD models for 2025 to 290 miles (XRT clocks in at 259 with its all-terrain tires). That's plenty for metro travel, but having the option of more chargers (like more gas stations for an internal combustion-vehicle) makes road trips less stressful.
On a recent road trip to two-hours-from-anywhere - Sebring, Florida, for example - the only charging station in town was a Tesla Supercharger.
Hyundai, of course, does not have the cachet of the Tesla brand, and two friends recently opted to buy Model 3s as their first EVs. If you're shelling out $50K for a car, brand matters.
But for those who want something different, my $56K XRT tester is a shockingly sophisticated (pun intended) EV. It's roomy, utilitarian ... and quick. (For $10K less, its I5 siblings begin at $46K and offer many of the same attributes.)
Merging onto I-696 on my way home, I dialed the steering wheel drive button (like a Porsche) to SPORT and buried my right foot. ZOT!
Acceleration is, well, bioniq. Car and Driver clocks its 0-60 mph sprint at 4 seconds. Settling into the drive, I told the Ioniq to detour to Popeyes for lunch, and directions quickly appeared on the big, hoodless 24.6-inch jumbotron in front of me.
Where Hyundai comes up short is in hands-free driving, where Tesla and General Motors lead the way. Set a destination on a Tesla and it will self-drive there. It's a feature prized by my pals. A Caddy EV, too, will go hands-free on most divided highways. Not Ioniq 5.
My XRT's adaptive cruise control system automatically changed lanes (like its EV competitors) when I tugged on the turn stalk - but otherwise required I keep a hand on the wheel. Worse, it nannied me constantly to watch the road even when my eyes had never left it. Sheesh, take a valium.
But that camera watching me suggests Hyundai plans over-the-air updates and Ioniq 5 should get more capable with time. High 5.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5
Vehicle type: Battery-powered, rear- and all-wheel-drive, five-passenger hatchback
Price: $44,075, including $1,495 destination fee ($56,875 XRT as tested)
Powerplant: 63 kWh or 84 kWh lithium-ion battery with single or dual-electric-motor drive
Power: 225 horsepower, 258 pound-feet of torque (RWD); 325 horsepower, 446 pound-feet of torque (AWD)
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Performance: 0-60 mph, 4.5 seconds (Car and Driver, AWD as tested); top speed, 115 mph
Weight: 4,707 pounds (XRT as tested)
Fuel economy: EPA range: 245-318 miles (259 miles, XRT as tested)
Report card
Highs: NACS charge port; Michigan-friendly XRT trim
Lows: Pricey; hands-free driving, please
Overall: 3 stars
____
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