Some of the first EVs in the American market featured some significant sacrifices. The cheapest battery electric cars had hard plastic interiors, limited ranges, slow charging times, and wobbly driving dynamics. Compared to gas cars, they were not convincing consumer products. But recently, the market has changed.

Some automakers are proving that you don’t need to spend luxury brand money to get a refined, feature-packed electric SUV. Entry-level electric cars are reaching dealership lots with exciting features and great styling. But even as the market improves, one crossover is a money-saver and a deluxe daily driver.

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Driven: 10 Things You Need To Know About The Hyundai Ioniq 5

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The Hyundai Ioniq 5’s Head-Turning Design And Practical Interior

Like luxury cars, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 doesn’t look like anything else on the road. Hyundai took America’s best-selling car category — the crossover SUV — and somehow whipped up an exciting design. Despite its visual ingenuity, the Ioniq 5 won’t break the bank. Base models of the crossover start at $42,600 and jump to the high $50,000 price range on fully-equipped models.

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Trim And Price

Also, customers shouldn’t expect significant price shocks from the Trump administration’s vehicle tariffs. Hyundai has invested billions of dollars in manufacturing plants throughout the US to supply steel, batteries, and interior parts to final assembly plants in Georgia. Hyundai has announced that the Ioniq 5 will benefit from those investments.

Innovative And Supple Interior

The Ioniq 5’s interior is similarly modern and functional. Hyundai pairs squishy, eight-way adjustable power driver’s seats with a blend of soft-touch materials (only the N-Line trim doesn’t come standard with power seats). The cabin feels roomy, with a flat floor, a sliding center console, and a pass-through section in the front row. Even small details, like the haptic climate controls and soft-touch surfaces, give the cabin a new-age feel. However, some drivers have complained that the digital buttons are difficult to use while the car is in motion.

The Ioniq 5’s dash is dominated by a standard 12.3-inch infotainment system and an accompanying digital gauge cluster. Both feature responsive digital interfaces and many safety features with high-level camera details. However, the Ioniq 5’s gauge cluster puts the odometer readings close to the steering wheel, making them hard to find, especially when the car is in motion.

Exterior’s Modern Take On Retro Aesthetics

The Ioniq 5 is a head-turner, blending unorthodox modernity with nostalgia. Body panels feature sharp zigzag lines, headlights use pixelated LEDs shaped like halogen headlights, and a clamshell hood finishes the concept-car-like exterior. Somehow, these elements coordinate seamlessly.

The Ioniq 5 also fixes some of the worst design qualities of other EVs. For example, the door handles are easy to use. Other EVs — like the Tesla Model 3, Lucid Air, or Ford Mustang Mach-E — replaced handles with complicated buttons and futuristic pulls. While the flush options made the cars more efficient, they also complicated one of the simplest tasks for passengers: opening a door. The Ioniq 5’s door achieves both flush aerodynamics and easy-to-understand pulls.

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Performance That Defies Expectations

Nearly every model in the Ioniq 5 lineup packs a serious athletic punch and excellent handling. The low-slung SUV takes advantage of its instant torque, making the car quick off its feet. It is also plenty grippy in and out of corners.

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 Performance Specs

Drivers who are looking for adrenaline-inducing speed can opt for the N-Line. The hot hatch is more expensive and reduces the EV’s driving range. But fun-loving drivers are treated to a bevy of fun design features, including badged seats, new exterior paint colors, and a new bumper. Plus, the battery is optimized for manic speed: it’s faster than several Porsche 911 models. (And it sounds pretty cool, too.)

“Hyundai Now Knows How To Make A Car Handle”

TopSpeed’s Editor-At-Large, Will Clavey, recently took the Ioniq 5 XRT for a spin off the pavement. The XRT is the Ioniq 5’s new trim for the 2025 lineup that includes knobbier tires, metal bumpers, and a “terrain mode” for drivers who like to play in the dirt. Clavey gave the EV off-roader high praise, saying the car was worthy of 10-out-of-10 stars.

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The Ioniq 5 Delivers Tech That Impresses

The Ioniq 5 doesn’t just run on electricity — it’s wired with a new philosophy of how drivers and machines should interact. Inside, sleek displays and responsive tech create a cabin that feels like a concept car brought to life, but without the cold detachment of a rolling smartphone.

There are still plenty of buttons and dials for audio volume and a separate screen for climate controls. Altogether, Hyundai struck a balance with the crossover that many other OEMs have struggled to find: It’s digital without being distracting and modern in a way that feels almost underpriced.

Infotainment and Gauge Cluster Have Great Tech Advances

For 2025, Hyundai is revamping the systems that power its digital screens. The company uses improved processors capable of sharper image displays and faster reactions in the 2025 model.

But even before improving the computer chips, the Ioniq 5’s system was impressive. The EV features standard voice controls, navigation with real-time updates, and Bluetooth, capable of handling multiple phones. The company’s navigation guidance is invaluable for extended trips: the maps communicate with the battery, suggesting charging stops if the car believes it will run out of charge before reaching the destination. The Ioniq 5 will precondition the battery when the outside temperature is too hot or cold to ensure faster charging speeds.

Cutting-Edge Driver Assistance Features

The Ioniq 5 has a boatload of driver-focused tech features. The car comes with standard blind spot and parking assist features. Hyundai’s parking cameras give drivers a 360-degree view of the vehicle with estimated distances from objects near the car. The car is also extremely helpful on the highway, with lane-keeping assistance and driver attention warnings. Altogether, the Ioniq 5 offers an impressive package of safety-focused tech features that are helpful in nearly every driving situation. Best of all, the car still doesn’t break the bank.

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Value Proposition: Luxury Features At An Accessible Price

The Ioniq 5 delivers the kind of comfort and tech typically reserved for luxury badges — panoramic screens, reclining seats, ambient lighting — all without thousand-dollar markups. Materials and design feel upscale for any car under fifty grand. And now, it is set to become even more convenient for owners: Hyundai is launching all 2025 Ioniq 5s with NACS charging ports, allowing the cars to plug into Tesla’s Supercharger network. The advancement gives Hyundai access to the largest EV charging company in the US. Hyundai didn’t just build an electric car with modern features; it built a compelling argument that futuristic doesn’t have to mean expensive.

Competitive Pricing Beats The Market

There are plenty of other new EVs that offer slightly lower base prices. But drivers will have to deal with some battery issues. The Nissan Ariya, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Volkswagen ID. 4 are a bit less expensive than the Ioniq 5, with MSRPs under $40,000. However, the VW and Ford take at least 30 minutes to get from 10 to 80 percent on a fast charger, while the Nissan base models only have a range of 205 miles.

Vehicles that are more competitive with Hyundai’s charging time and features are more expensive. The Tesla Model Y — which has comparable charging speeds, range, and Supercharger access — starts at $44,990. The EV with the best price-to-range ratio is the Chevy Equinox EV, with a base MSRP of $33,600 and a range of 285 miles. However, cars built in Mexico are subject to 25 percent tariffs. The other competitive option is Hyundai’s Ioniq sibling: the funky-looking Ioniq 6 sedan.