• by Tanya Gazdik , Staff Writer, February 24, 2025

Editor's Note: This story ran in an earlier edition.

Who says electric vehicles can’t handle rugged terrain? 

Hyundai’s new Ioniq 5 XRT is plenty adventure-ready. I recently had the opportunity to do some mild off-roading in the new model and it held up well to rough trails and deep sandy ruts. 

The vehicle, which starts at $55,400, is designed to appeal to customers who want to play in the dirt and have all-electric adventures, according to the automaker. It was designed to offer more protection and functionality. 

“These will be hallmarks of our XRT models going forward,” said Brad Arnold, senior design manager of exteriors, Hyundai Design North America. “The digital camo pattern was created using our Ioniq pixel as the building block. The matte-black 18-inch wheels also display the same Ioniq pixel theme while providing strength and cooling.”

XRT stands for “Extreme Rugged Terrain.” The vehicle boasts a more aggressive front and rear design with unique bumpers, side skirts, and 18-inch aluminum wheels. These features emphasize the model’s heightened off-road capability.

Exclusive XRT model features include a "terrain" driving mode, functional tow hooks and an increased ground clearance of seven inches compared to 6.1 inches on the standard Ioniq 5. 

Also improved is the approach angle — 19.8 degrees compared to 17.5 degrees on the standard Ioniq 5. The departure angle is 30.0 degrees vs. 25.4 degrees on the standard Ioniq 5.

The company has also made some mid-cycle improvements to the standard Ioniq 5, which starts at $42,500, including the addition of a knob for radio tuning and volume, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity and a standard rear window wiper/washer.

Ioniq 5 is the first Hyundai model to come equipped with the Tesla North American Charging Standard (NACS) port, which opens up 17,000 chargers on Tesla’s Supercharger network without using an adapter.

Meanwhile, the automaker has been on a roll with amusing advertisements that play up its relationship with the ecommerce company Amazon. 

One spot reminds viewers that they can purchase a Hyundai at the same place where they buy dinosaur balloons and roller skates, all from the comfort of their homes.

“Add to Cart” is set at an Amazon warehouse. It has a very '80s vibe, featuring the instantly recognizable music of the TV show “Knight Rider”  along with toys that kids growing up in that decade will recognize, like Care Bears. 

Another spot for the partnership is “Boomer Alert” which features a snarky dad using terminology that his annoyed teenagers don’t think he should know. The spot reminds viewers that in the amount of time it takes you to master slang, you could have bought a Hyundai on Amazon.