Hyundai Ioniq 5 With Heavy Camouflage Signals Upcoming Facelift

The Hyundai Ioniq 5, wrapped in heavy camouflage, has been spotted in South Korea, suggesting a refreshed version of the EV is getting ready to meet the world. The camouflaged vehicle was caught being driven near Hyundai's research and development center in Namyang, South Korea.

The vehicle in question doesn't reveal much in the photos shared by Korean Car Blog, but the overall shape, LED daytime running lights, and the parametric pixel design theme on the taillights are giveaways that the masked vehicle is an Ioniq 5.

The camouflage makes it impossible to see the design updates integrated into the vehicle. However, we've noticed that the prototype has roof rails, which are not present in the current Ioniq 5.

The recently-revealed Ioniq 5 N could also provide some influence here, as that car was revealed with a rear wiper, something brand bosses said was about giving the customer what they wanted to make the car's experience better. As such, we wouldn't be surprised to see that update on the regular model, too.

Whether the interior will be revamped remains unknown at this stage, but if the cabin of the Ioniq 5 N is our reference, the refreshed Ioniq 5 could have an updated center console design.

The camouflaged prototype could suggest that the updated Ioniq 5 is at its early stage of development. Of note, the EV made its global debut in 2021, and mid-cycle refreshes often happen about three or four years after that.

Another update could be the Ioniq 5's battery. It currently has a 77.4 kWh unit that offers a range of up to 303 miles, while the Ioniq 5 N has an 84 kWh capacity pack.

In 2022, Hyundai reportedly talked with Chinese tech company CATL, which supplies batteries to Tesla, about possibly using its 'cell-to-pack' (CTP) battery technology named Qilin. This tech is said to boast up to 621 miles of range on a single charge, notably on the CLTC test cycle, meaning a direct comparison with the US specs isn't possible.

Much of this is speculation, and we'll have to wait for Hyundai to confirm details in due course. Considering the timeline, though, the Korean automaker might release the refreshed Ioniq 5 sometime in 2024, with its arrival in the US for 2025. We also hope that Hyundai has already fixed the Ioniq 5's sudden power loss issue by then.