The Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT Makes One Of The Coolest EVs Even Cooler

We like the Hyundai Ioniq 5. In its regular guise, it’s one of the most characterful electric cars around, and in 641bhp N form, it’s the first electric performance car we’ve been genuinely convinced by (and then some).

We’re about to like it even more because Hyundai’s just unveiled a jacked-up, knobbly-tyred version of the Ioniq 5 that looks like it’s ready for a moderate amount of muddy fun – but there’s no word on whether it’s coming to Europe.

Announced by Hyundai’s North American division as part of a 2025 model range update for the Ioniq 5, it’s called the XRT and brings a host of changes to the boxy, retrofuturist EV that should make it more amenable to being slung down a dirt road.

These include suspension lifted by 23mm and with a specific off-road setup, as well as new bumpers front and rear. This gives an approach angle of 19.8 degrees and a departure angle of 30.0 degrees – up by 2.3 and 4.6 degrees respectively over the regular Ioniq 5. It’s hardly a Jeep Wrangler, then, but it shouldn’t have any issue with a particularly nasty gravel track.

Also contributing to that are standard fit all-terrain tyres, which encase XRT-specific 18-inch wheels. That Audi Allroad-esque body cladding, meanwhile, features an etched digital camouflage pattern so you can live out your fantasies of living in a futuristic cyberpunk wilderness. Sort of. Oh, and if you do get a bit out of your depth, those front tow hooks aren’t just for show – they’re fully functional, and can handle over 2600kg.

Inside, the XRT gets all-weather floormats and Hyundai’s H-Tex synthetic leather seats with a new pattern.

Sensibly, it’s only available as a trim on the dual-motor, all-wheel drive Ioniq 5, and while there’s no quoted range yet, expect the off-roady bits to knock a few miles off the 250 to 280 miles the 2025 model is targeting.

It all sounds rather appealing to us, but so far, the XRT has only been confirmed for North America, where it’ll also be built at Hyundai’s plant in Georgia. We reached out to Hyundai UK, who said that “we don’t have any information” on whether it’s set to come here. We’ll be keeping our fingers crossed while we imagine it combined with the Ioniq 5 N’s powertrain…