Off-road-focused Hyundai Ioniq 5 in the Works, Spotted with Blacked-out Wheels, All-Terrain Tyres and More

Hyundai recently gave a facelift to the Ioniq 5 that dates back to the 2021 model year. Now, the EV SUV – which has a rugged-looking appearance – has been spotted testing abroad. Likely to be a part of the company's XRT range that includes the Santa Fe, Tucson, Palisade SUVs, and the Santa Cruz pickup, the off-road version of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 seems to have a more robust and sturdier exterior compared to its standard counterpart. While a large part of the test model is camouflaged, a close look reveals that it gets roof rails, black plastic body cladding, and blacked-out 18-inch wheels shod with chunky, all-terrain tyres. Compared to the normal version, the ride height is a bit higher, and there appears to be a redesigned bumper on either end. Other changes expected include skid plates as well as a revised interior theme.   

Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT: Drivetrain

While we do not yet know the battery and motor specifications, we expect the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT to get a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup. For your reference, the standard Ioniq 5 AWD makes 321bhp and 604Nm of peak torque. 

Like the recently refreshed Ioniq 5, the off-road-focused derivative could feature an 84kWh battery pack with a range higher than the current model’s ARAI-rated 631 kilometres. Or else, it could use a smaller 77.4kWh battery pack yielding a range of about 418 kilometres.

In India, Hyundai offers the Ioniq 5 in a rear-wheel-drive guise. The Ioniq 5 comes equipped with a 72.6kWh battery and a permanent magnet synchronous motor with 214bhp and 350Nm of torque. The manufacturer claims that the Ioniq 5 has an ARAI-certified range of 631 kilometres on a single charge. The vehicle can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes, using a 350 kW DC fast charger; however, only a few of these chargers are available across India. Additionally, the Ioniq 5 also includes Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) technology allowing the car to deliver up to 3.6kW of power output.

Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT: Availability

According to some market reports, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT could make its global debut later this year. It will likely go on sale in the US first, followed by the European market. As far as our market goes, the Ioniq 5 XRT's launch will take time. 

Hyundai Creta EV Spied Again

In other EV-related news, the Hyundai Creta EV – based on the facelifted Creta – was spotted in South Korea, over a month after the SUV was caught testing in India. Though completely disguised, the test mule showed certain EV-specific design elements such as a blanked-off grille and a pair of new 17-inch aero-optimised wheels. 

However, expect other elements – quad beam LED headlamps with new LED daytime running lights, LED sequential turn signals, and a full-width LED light bar with connected LED tail lamps – to be carried over from the regular Creta.

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