Hyundai Ioniq 5 updated in Korea with more range and a rear wiper

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has been out for a couple of years now, so it’s time for a mid-cycle refresh to keep it competitive with an increasingly tough field of alternatives. Updates have been expected for a while, and spy shots caught a prototype testing last year, so it’s not surprising to see the new model appear on Hyundai’s Korean website.

Before getting too far, it’s important to note that we’re talking only about the Korean version of the Ioniq 5 here so far, as the American site hasn’t gotten the same updates. There will almost certainly be some differences when it reaches our shores, but the major themes of the refresh will likely carry over.

Hyundai offers a few new colors for the updated EV, and the front end now features a more prominent pixel design. The Ioniq 5 also gets a redesigned rear spoiler and gains almost an inch in length overall, thanks to revised bumpers. Koreans also get side mirror cameras, but they are not yet street-legal here. Hyundai also gave the Ioniq 5 a rear wiper, a welcome change for those of us living in places with questionable year-round weather.

The bigger story with this refresh comes with the battery capacity, where Hyundai boosted the 77.4 kilowatt-hour pack to 84 kWh. That brings the Korean version’s range up to 301 miles from 285 miles, which should increase our big-battery versions’ ranges beyond their current 260-mile (AWD) and and 303-mile (RWD) ratings.

Interior updates include a new steering wheel with four indicator lights to show the state of charge or warnings about driver assistance features. The center console is revised with USB-C ports and a different wireless charging pad design. Hyundai also thoughtfully included physical buttons for features like the heated and ventilated seats and heated steering wheel. The Ioniq 5’s software got a glow-up with Hyundai’s Connected Car Navigation Cockpit system, bringing over-the-air updates.

We’ll have to wait a while to see how many of these changes make it to the United States. The good news, at least for Korean buyers, is that Hyundai held the price flat, which bodes well for the pricing of the updated model when it arrives.