Hyundai IONIQ 5 2025 Review

Prices are up across the board (circa $2500 depending on the model grade).

Therefore, the two-wheel-drive Standard Range variant of the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 we’re testing here now starts at $69,800 before on-road costs (ORCs).

If the base 63kWh specification suits you fine, but you’re after greater flexibility, then the bigger 84kWh lithium-ion battery found in the Extended Range is worth considering for the extra $6000.

In total, 11 different specifications comprise the IONIQ 5 line-up with configurations including single and dual e-motors as well as rear- or all-wheel drive. The refresh also ushers in the $2500 N-Line option pack for Dynamic and Epiq model grades.

The praised $111,000 IONIQ 5 N remains the crown jewel of ‘affordable’ EV performance.

A change made in mid 2024 now allows you to purchase an IONIQ 5 from specific Hyundai dealers, instead of clicking away at a fixed price on the company’s website. Supply has also mercifully increased since launch.

In terms of rivals, the IONIQ 5 Standard Range has its sights set on conquering the significantly cheaper Tesla Model Y. Other credible considerations are the Kia EV5, Polestar 2 and Skoda Enyaq to name a few.

The IONIQ 5 is covered by Hyundai iCare with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty and an eight-year/160,000km warranty on the high-voltage battery pack.

Servicing is every 24 months or 30,000km (whichever comes first) and you can pre-purchase the first two dealer visits for $1220 in total.

The updated 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 gains redesigned bumpers and a V-shaped LED garnish up front. Both the new rear spoiler and 19-inch alloy wheels are designed to aid aerodynamic efficiency.

An odd previous omission has been rectified with the rear windscreen now being fitted with a wiper, while there’s LED projector headlights and LED combination taillights – all welcome features for the ‘base’ model.

Inside the seats are covered in wool yarn and eco-processed leather. The driver’s pew gains 10-way power adjustment with two-way lumber support and the passenger is afforded six-way manual adjustment.

Power door handles flip out when you unlock the car (including keyless entry with push button start), while other goodies are dual-zone climate control, heated and power-folding side mirrors, rain-sensing wipers and ambient lighting.

A few party tricks include the remote smart parking assist 2, which allows you to move the car externally via the key fob, while the IONIQ 5 supports vehicle to load technology. There’s a three-pin outlet located in the back.

The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 holds a five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2021.

Bolstering the package is the latest version of the Korean marque’s SmartSense safety suite with forward collision avoidance 2 that adds automatic evasive steering. It’s a form of autonomous emergency braking (AEB) and includes car, pedestrian and cyclist detection.

Other highlights are the navigation-based smart cruise control (NSCC) with stop/go function, highway driving assist 2, blind-spot monitoring (with Hyundai’s live camera feed), lane departure warning, lane-keep assist, driver attention warning, road sign detection, rear cross-traffic alert, 3D surround view monitor and parking sensors.

There are seven airbags, dual ISOFIX points and three top-tether anchorages in the back.

Like most modern offerings, the integration of the active safety kit can be annoying. You’re faced with audible warnings every time you enter a new speed zone or breach the posted limit by even a kilometre.

Thankfully, Hyundai offers a shortcut on the steering wheel via a favourites button, but it still requires a few taps of the infotainment screen to disable – and it must be done every time you ‘start’ the car.

While you’ll need cables to charge the car, you now don’t need them to connect Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5.

Dual 12.3-inch screens mimic one oversized panel. The instrument cluster is clear and offers themes to choose from. The infotainment touchscreen is responsive and well laid out thanks to the fresh Connected Car Next-Generation (CCNC) operating system, which also supports over-the-air updates (OTA).

Elsewhere there’s a wireless charging pad, Bluetooth, DAB+ digital radio, voice control, a six-speaker audio system as well as four USB-C ports and a five-year subscription to Bluelink.

Bluelink allows you to control certain features of the car via an app while you aren’t inside it. Being able to cool or heat the cabin for up to 15 minutes before you get inside is an appreciated feature considering Australia’s weather extremes. You can even send routes to the native sat-nav system or use the parental controls.

Just be mindful that the free subscription has a five-year duration and that signing up to the app can expose your data.

The Standard Range 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is powered by a 125kW and 350Nm rear-mounted permanent magnet synchronous electric motor. It sends that energy to the back axle through a single-speed reduction gear (also located within the e-motor housing to save weight).

While 125kW might sound a little meek, it’s accompanied by 350Nm of torque. And given that Newton count comes on board instantly thanks to the EV drivetrain, the IONIQ 5 feels far perkier out in the hustle and bustle of the traffic-light grand prix.

It’s also ‘light’ for an EV, with a kerb weight of 1960kg. Nipping in and out of gaps is a breeze and the setup does its best work within city limits. Highway on-ramps are delt with easily, too.

The only situation in which you’ll be left wanting more oomph is overtaking at speed on a single-lane carriageway.

Living with the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 for two weeks throughout the Christmas festive season proved a great test for the car’s range. Especially given the circa 1300km we covered predominately centred around long stints on the Hume highway in hot temperatures.

Hyundai claims the 63kWh lithium-ion battery pack is good for a WLTP-rated 440km on a single charge with an average energy consumption of 15.58kWh/100km. However, with scarcely any kilometres covered at slow speeds within the confines of a big city, the Standard Range IONIQ 5 struggled to achieve anything close to that efficiency.

At its worst while sitting on 110km/h with the air-con running consistently (and an air temperature of 36 degrees Celsius), the IONIQ 5 chugged volts at a rate of 20.5kWh/100km. At its best, while pootling around a country town, the average consumption dropped to 17.6kWh/100km.

Our final average energy consumption came to 19.4kWh/100km. As a result, our real-world range is closer to 300-350km given the conditions.

What about charging? Thanks to the 800V system, Hyundai claims you can achieve a 10-80 per cent charge in just 18 minutes when hooked up to a rapid DC 350kW station – if you can find one. That grows to 58 minutes when linking to a 50kW DC fast charger.

However, as we found with the typically poor public fast-charging infrastructure in country areas, you’re more than likely going to have to rely on home AC charging. And with a typical domestic three-pin plug input, you’re left waiting just shy of 25 hours to attain a 10-100 per cent charge in the Standard Range Hyundai IONIQ 5.

The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 didn’t just receive spec and visual updates in 2024. The suspension tune has also been overhauled with an added focus on stiffening the body for reduced levels of noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

In terms of dynamics, the base-model IONIQ 5 is tailored towards comfort and ease of use. And it achieves this with a mostly compliant ride despite running 19-inch alloys. It’s easy to place on the road (despite the deceivingly large dimensions) and on a smooth surface the cabin is impeccably quiet.

However, the lowest grade is the only IONIQ 5 to run Michelin Primacy 4 tyres instead of the Michelin Pilot Sport EV rubber found on most of the line-up. Low rolling resistance is favoured over ultimate grip, which results in early intervention from the stability and traction controls when you encounter potholed surfaces.

Additionally, with the focus on comfort more than sharp handling, the softer suspension tune and relaxed damping can chip away at the otherwise sound body control and increase the overzealous nature of the electronic aids. It’s only noticeable at higher speeds as the IONIQ 5 remains a solid performer around the city and suburbs.

The steering is very light to twirl around car parks and the regenerative braking (with four levels of application) affords true one-pedal driving – or iPedal in Hyundai-speak. And no, despite being underpinned by a rear-wheel-drive EV platform, don’t get too excited at the prospect of true dynamic verve. Step up to the new N Line or the full-fat N for that.

There are various driving modes to choose from (including Eco, Normal, Sport, My Drive and Snow), but it’s best to simply set it to Eco and forget about it.

The cabin of the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 isn’t as outlandish as the exterior styling, but it retains enough quirk and aesthetic appeal to render it an inviting place to be.

Yes, the leather is vegan-friendly, yet the materials used have an upmarket tactility. There’s a new centre island design that can slide forward and aft, while it also now incorporates the wireless charging pad.

Many manufacturers are currently failing at this, but the IONIQ straddles the line between analogue and digital well with enough physical buttons to ease the former and intuitive touch-based displays to satisfy the latter.

Some love the column-mounted gear lever, while others find it a bit of an ergonomic failure. You just have to remember to twist it in the way in which you wish to proceed.

Despite appearances, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 isn’t a small car. It’s 4655mm long, 1890mm wide and 1605mm tall, making it fit the medium SUV bill. Yet, it’s the 3000mm wheelbase in which the E-GMP battery-electric architecture is contained that is most noteworthy. It generates stretch-out levels of room.

Those in the back have little to complain about. Head, toe, shoulder and legroom are all generous. In terms of amenities, there are dual USB-C charging ports, a small storage compartment and bottle holders in the doors, air vents placed in the B-pillar, a central arm rest with cup holders and the seat itself reclines.

Cargo capacity is appreciably commodious – even though the rear-mounted e-motor means there’s no spare tyre of any kind and there is no underfloor storage. Still, the boot has a 520-litre load bay that expands to 1580 litres with the 60/40-split folding rear seats stowed. They also slide back and forward (and recline).

The IONIQ 5 also has a ‘frunk’. Lift the conventional bonnet to reveal an extra compartment underneath plastic that resembles an engine cover. It liberates an extra 57-litre compartment (24 litres for all-wheel-drive variants) and it’s a handy place to chuck in charging cables.

While the N version has gained most of the headlines, the more bread-and-butter version has an appeal all its own. The 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 makes a lot of sense as a practical and comfortable city-dwelling EV SUV.

If your lifestyle requires extensive highway driving, then opting for the Long Range or dual-motor variants will be a priority. Despite EV range improving dramatically, they still perform best as a city-dweller where the public-charging infrastructure is far more supported.

Hyundai also has a monetary battle on its hands with the likes of the Tesla Model Y and a slew of Chinese rivals.

Still, the Standard Range IONIQ 5 proves to be a proficient package. It looks ‘cool’, the interior is plush and it’s easy to drive daily. If you’re in the market for an accomplished EV, the IONIQ 5 should be on your shopping list.

2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 at a glance:
Price: $69,800 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Powertrain: Permanent magnet synchronous motor
Output: 125kW/350Nm
Transmission: Single-speed reduction gear
Battery: 63kWh lithium-ion
Range: 440km (WLTP)
Energy consumption: 15.58kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2021)

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