Our favorite EV goes Mad Max: The 2025 Ioniq 5 XRT
Hyundai provided flights from Washington, DC to Palm Springs and accommodation so Ars could drive the new Ioniq 5. Ars does not accept paid editorial content.
PALM SPRINGS, Calif.—After a very pleasant morning getting acquainted with the model year 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5, it was time to meet the new addition to the range: the $55,400 Ioniq 5 XRT. It’s the latest example of an automotive trend that’s been bubbling away in the background for years before getting a lot bolder where a carmaker takes something that’s normally meant to be driven on the road and makes it a bit more… rugged.
No, it’s not a new idea—Audi Allroads and Volvo Cross Countries have played this game for years and years. More recently, it’s been the turn of companies like Porsche and Lamborghini have gotten into the act, creating supercars with six-figure price tags that aren’t fazed by a little sand or snow.
But the Ioniq 5 isn’t a supercar—it’s just a super car. The XRT treatment was done by Hyundai’s California design team, and it involves new, more protective cladding at the front and rear. The black plastic looks at first glance like it might be forged carbon—in fact it’s a pixelated camo pattern that calls out to the “Parametric Pixel” design language that underpins the Ioniq 5’s blocky look. The twin red-accented tow hooks are almost whimsical.
