Hyundai Ioniq 5 ‘XRT’ predecessor sets impressive off-road record
- The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has set a new off-road record
- It reached the greatest altitude change by an electric vehicle
- The feat comes as its successor, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 ‘XRT’ drops
Published on Jan 09, 2025 at 7:57 PM (UTC+4)
by Amelia Jean Hershman-Jones
Last updated on Jan 10, 2025 at 12:19 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
Not to be overshadowed by its successor, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 ‘XRT’, the Ioniq 5 has set a new off-road record.
The record attempt took place in Leh Ladakh, India in December.
It came hot on the heels of the XRT hitting roads in the US.
The record? The greatest altitude change by an electric vehicle – and the views from icy mountain passes to India’s coastal plains were incredible.
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The Hyundai off-road record
Reaching new heights just as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 ‘XRT’ EV hit the road, the Ioniq 5 set a Guinness World Record.
It reached the greatest altitude change by an EV over 19,000 feet.
The journey set out from Umling La, which is the highest driveable road globally.
The trip covered a massive 3,080 miles in 14 days.
It’s a testament to the car’s resilience in extreme conditions amd wouldn’t have been possible without the latest Ioniq 5 models’ƒ two battery options.
There’s a 63 kWh standard range option and a long-range version boasting 84 kWh.
The top-tier version provides up to 273 miles and 354 miles of range, respectively.
What’s more, the long-range all-wheel-drive variant is capable of achieving 0-97km/h/0-60mph in approximately 5.1 seconds.
It supports ultra-fast charging from 10-80 percent in just 18 minutes when connected to a 350 kW DC fast charger.
2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 ‘XRT’ EV
This is certainly an achievement for the all-rounder, but many have questioned why Hyundai didn’t use its rugged Ioniq 5 XRT.
To make it go smooth on harsh terrain, the XRT trim gets a suspension lift and sits 0.9 inches higher than the standard version.
Although the extra height will help, its ground clearance is still lower than some of the best off-roaders out there.
Regardless, the suspension lift should certainly be able to conquer a great deal of bumpy roads.
The new Ioniq 5 XRT also has a bright red front hook and a 2.6-tonne (5,834-pound) towing capacity.
An off-roader isn’t truly an off-roader without an appropriate set of tires, which is why the carmaker put in 18-inch wheels wrapped around all-terrain tires.
The world-first showcased the Ioniq 5’s durability, versatility, and technological capabilities.
The upgraded model starts at $42,500, while the long-range version costs just under $50,000 and both are already rolling off the South Korean brand’s Georgia, US, production line.
All Supercar Blondie contributors undergo editorial review and fact-checking to ensure accuracy and authority in automotive journalism. After gaining her BA Hons in French and English at the University of Nottingham, Amelia embarked on a vocational diploma from the National Council for the Training of Journalists (NCTJ). This led to numerous opportunities, from interning at Vogue to being on the small team that launched Women’s Health magazine in the UK, which was named the PPA Consumer magazine of the year for three years running. As Health, Beauty and Fitness editor, Amelia personally received a Johnson & Johnson Award and was shortlisted for both PPA and BSME titles. Since then, Amelia has created content for numerous titles and brands, including the Telegraph, 111 Skin, Waitrose, Red magazine, Stylist, and Elle, as well as being Head of Content at Vitality and Editor in Chief at INLondon magazine. “My superpower is translating technical jargon about the mechanical workings of a supercar into a relatable story you’ll want to share with your friends after you’ve read it.” After joining the SB Media family as a senior journalist in September of 2023, Amelia’s role has evolved to see her heading up the SEO output of the editorial team. From researching the most ‘Google-able’ key terms to producing evergreen content - it’s been a time of hard work, growth, and success for the editorial team and the Supercar Blondie website. “I like to think of myself as a ‘method journalist’. In other words: I live and breathe whatever I am writing about. When writing about fitness, I trained as a personal trainer, and as a beauty editor, I completed an ‘expert’ in scent diploma with the Fragrance Foundation. “During my tenure at Supercar Blondie, however, I did something I never thought possible: I passed my driving test at the age of 36. One day I’d love to train as a mechanic to better understand what happens under the hood, too. “My sweet spot is providing readers with a ‘takeaway’ (read: something new they didn’t know before) after reading every one of my stories. While I don’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, I know the experts and bodies in the field to rely on to provide our readers with an informative and thought-provoking story every time they visit the site.”
