Korea’s first mass-produced and exported car was the Hyundai Pony, a compact hatchback that spanned the entire 1980s. The humble little car was based on a wedgy 1975 two-door concept penned by Giorgetto Giugiaro, who also designed the similarly edgy DeLorean DMC-12, Volkswagen Rabbit, Lotus Esprit, and BMW M1. It’s a significant car in Hyundai history and a worthy place to begin in designing the 2025 IONIQ 5 XRT electric crossover.
Of course, this crossover’s style is considerably more advanced than the old Pony. It looks small in photos, but is tall and wide with a longer wheelbase than the full-size Palisade SUV. There’s more dimension too with LED headlamps, origami side creases, and full-width pixilated taillights. XRT versions with a slightly increased ride height hint at off-road capability with red tow hooks, 18” black alloy wheels, all-terrain tires, and “digital camo” black body cladding.
Returning to the ‘80s again, proportions remind me very much of the original Chrysler mini-vans. You step in at a comfortable height, the floor is wide and flat, and there’s good visibility all around. Of course, Hyundai stepped it up a bit with twin infotainment screens, wireless phone connections, and phone charging pad on the utility pod between front passengers. USBs are seemingly everywhere and there’s a 120v household outlet for second row voyagers.
Beyond technology that would have astounded 1980s technophiles, the IONIQ 5 impresses with luxuries like heated front and rear seats, heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, and Bose audio. Hi-Tex seating surfaces look and feel like leather, but are easily washable synthetic. There’s too much hard plastic on the doors and dash, but it looks good. Loading up a week’s worth of luggage is as easy as swiping open the power hatch. Rear seats fold for bicycles and larger gear, but in their up position, lend rear passengers stretch-out legroom.
Given a stated – and very conservative – range of 259 miles, you can drive as far as you want on- or off-trail. I often saw closer to 300 miles coming off the charger… Typical of Hyundai, charging times are quite quick, allowing 10-80% in 20 minutes on a DC fast charger or about 7.5 hours for a full recharge on 240 volts at home. It’s now NACS-compatible, for easy access to Tesla Superchargers, but you’ll need an adaptor for OG chargers.
Fully stoked, the IONIQ 5 XRT is one of my favorite EVs to drive. Dual-motor all-wheel-drive system makes swift use of 320 horsepower and 446 lb.-ft. of torque to whisk the heavy EV 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds. It’s smooth and quiet, able to slip through tight downtown streets or soak up long highway miles, but unlike many EVs with tight suspensions and low-resistance tires, the XRT’s fat rubber and suspension lift soak up chock-marked city pavement with utter calm.
And safety, knowing everybody is protected by automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane keep assist, and rear cross traffic alert. Side exit assist keeps passengers from stepping into traffic. All great, but I’d also add a head-up display and hands-off cruise to fortify the car’s technology suite.
In a modern world where classic Korean cars are largely unknown, it’s nice to see Hyundai acknowledging its roots as it challenges the world automakers for an electric future. As an ‘80s kid, I get all of the styling references and period vibe, but appreciate how every inch of the IONIQ 5 amasses a car right for this decade. A base price of $42,600, or $57,085 for our XRT, puts it against the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Nissan Ariya, Chevy Equinox EV and Tesla Model Y.
Storm Forward!
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