Hyundai’s adventure-ready take on the Ioniq 5 just picked up not one but two honors at NWAPA’s 2025 Mudfest: Best Electrified Activity Vehicle and Best Two-Row Family SUV. Over two days at The Ridge Motorsports Park, 19 auto journalists put 21 crossovers, SUVs and pickups through their paces on pavement and dirt. The Ioniq 5 XRT stood out thanks to its extra inch of lift, all-terrain tires and beefed-up suspension—which helped it tackle rocky trails—while still feeling nimble cruising city streets.
Built at Hyundai’s new Metaplant America facility in Georgia, the 2025 XRT edition adds rugged bumpers, side cladding and unique 18-inch wheels to the familiar Ioniq 5 shape. Underneath, revised springs and shocks raise ground clearance and sharpen off-road poise, but the dual-purpose EV doesn’t sacrifice its electric DNA: fast charging, solid range and smooth on-road manners all played a role in the XRT’s dual victory.
“NWAPA wanted a vehicle that handles both the great outdoors and daily driving,” said Mudfest organizer Tom Voelk. “The Ioniq 5 XRT delivers on both fronts.” Hyundai’s Ricky Lao adds that this award validates the brand’s push to make its EVs as capable off the beaten path as they are on it—proof that electric adventure is no longer just a concept.