2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 AWD XRT – Review by David Colman +VIDEO

Its very good-looking, but a nagging backseat driver!

David Colman

Story and Photos by David Colman
Special Correspondent
THE AUTO CHANNEL

It's bad enough that my OLED TV harangues me for updates every time I turn it on. But now this week's test vehicle, a 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5, insists I submit to a lengthy download update every time I push its start button. This Hyundai is possessed by a need to nag. When I turn to look at my wife, its spy camera suggests I'm suffering from inattention and should "take a coffee break." When I want to change lanes quickly, it fights me for control of the steering wheel. And when traffic approaches from the rear, it incessantly beeps loudly enough to make me pull over and take that coffee break after all. In sum, the Ioniq displays an annoying tendency to "help" me at every turn in the road. If this is what driving has come to in 2026, I'd rather let Waymo deal with it.

Then, too, there's the issue of EV motive power. The all-electric "AWD XRT" professes to have off-road chops. That may be true, but I would question the sanity of anyone who would take an EV off-road for any appreciable distance from civilization. The only EV charging station I have ever seen in a wooded setting can be found in the parking lot of Muir Woods National Monument. There are only four chargers available and they're always booked. Would you seriously consider tackling the Rubicon Trail with an EV?

Still, Hyundai has kitted out the XRT to look like it's ready to tackle Baja. It's equipped with "18 inch XRT Exclusive Alloy Wheels," shod with knobby "All-Terrain" tires. Those blacked out rims look very butch. Ditto for the beefy 235/60R18 Continental CrossContact tires (TW 680) whose bulging sidewalls tout "Extra Load," and "ATR Traction Plus Technology." Up front, a pair of hard-to-miss international orange tow hooks stand ready for off-road salvage duty. The XRT's front and rear fascias, rocker panels and fender flares are all finished with matte black, cube-motif plastic material. The net effect is handsome and rather beguiling.

When you climb into the spacious cabin, you'll have to come to terms with the Ioniq's quirky gear shift mechanism. The learning experience involves twisting a small paddle affixed to a stalk attached to the steering wheel hub. I found myself continually needing to look at the lever to make sure I wasn't engaging Reverse when I wanted Drive, and vice versa. In order o save as much juice as possible for our week of driving, we selected the Eco drive mode from the choices available. We also never exceeded 70mph on the freeway, never fully depressed the throttle, and tried to do as much regenerative braking as possible to recharge the Ioniq's 84kWh liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack. As a result of our mileage minding persistence, we found that the Hyundai's predicated range exactly matched the actual mileage we covered.

This happy state of affairs was the first time we have ever driven an EV that didn't grossly overstate its predicted range. When it was delivered to our house, the Ioniq 5 indicated it could cover 246 miles. After driving it for a full day, over a 140-mile round trip of known length, we returned to our starting point with 120 miles still showing as the remaining range.

The only problem with making your EV tell the truth when it concerns range predictability is what it demands of you in terms of driving technique. Now, Hyundai might tell you that the 2026 Ioniq 5 XRT is wickedly quick. After all, it will do 0-60mph in 4.5 seconds, reach 100mph in 13.1 seconds, and crank off standing start quarter miles in 13.3 seconds at 101mph. That may all be true, but exercising this EV that strenuously will just about halve your predicted range. So take it from someone who doesn't have a home recharging station, you can kiss off all those impressive acceleration numbers if you want to get where you're going AND return home the same day without spending a couple of hours hooked to a (hopefully) operative pay box.

If you want a roomy, comfortable riding EV, the 2026 Ioniq 5 AWD XRT will fill the bill quite nicely, The seats are comfy, the split bench second row flips down to present 59 cubic feet of storage, and the XRT's seat and steering wheel heaters will melt your gloves and butt in no time. The cosmetic transformation of the base Ioniq to the trail buster XRT poseur we drove will impress the neighbors, even if you never see a dirt road once.

2026 HYUNDAI IONIQ

• MOTOR: Front (99hp) and Rear (221hp) permanent-magnet synchronous AC
• HORSEPOWER (Combined): 320hp
• TORQUE (Combined): 446lb.-ft.
• MPGe: 103 City, 85 Highway, 94 Combined
• PRICE AS TESTED: $57,085

HYPES: Handsome, Handy Interior

GRIPES: Don't buy the slippery $210 optional "Carpeted Floor Mats."

STAR RATING: 7 Stars out of 10

©2026 David E Colman