Looks like Hyundai, bless its ambitious heart, is playing a desperate game of catch-up, and the target is none other than Elon’s empire. Just when we thought the Hyundai IONIQ 5 was settling into its “popular EV” groove, it seems the Koreans got cold feet. Apparently, selling a good car isn’t enough, you have to be Tesla.
Fresh off a 2025 model year refresh that finally gave it a proper 84 kWh battery and a slightly boosted 318-mile EPA range, Hyundai is already back at the drawing board. A mysterious IONIQ 5 prototype has been spotted, and if the spy shots from The Korean Car Blog are any indication, someone at HQ is having a serious identity crisis.
Externally, it’s still the same quirky, retro-futuristic box we know. But inside? It’s a full-blown Tesla tribute band. Gone are the dual 12.3″ screens that at least gave the driver some dedicated real estate. Now, like a moth to a digital flame, Hyundai is reportedly cramming everything onto a single, oversized central infotainment screen. As we all know, nothing says “premium user experience” like fumbling through menus to adjust the climate control while driving.
And the homage doesn’t stop there. The central console and steering wheel are redesigned, too. The steering wheel now features those oh-so-intuitive scroll buttons on either side, a feature pioneered by a certain other EV maker. Even the electronic door buttons, usually reserved for the likes of a Genesis G90, are making an appearance.
This sudden pivot towards a “Pleos” infotainment system, which suspiciously mirrors Tesla’s UI, coupled with the relentless rumors of a redesigned Tesla Model Y, makes one thing abundantly clear: Hyundai is running scared.
They’re dumping R&D into a rumored 2027 or 2028 next-gen IONIQ 5 before the current one even has a chance to fully mature. It’s a classic case of chasing the shiny object, rather than trusting their own path. Let’s just hope they don’t lose sight of what made the original IONIQ 5 actually good.
