2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs 2024 Land Rover Defender

The 2024 Land Rover Defender presented a unique blend of classic and modern design elements. Its boxy profile and angular headlights paid homage to its rugged heritage while aligning with contemporary Land Rover aesthetics. Inside, the Defender's cabin was robust and adventure-ready, reminiscent of a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, yet it offered more refined materials. The Defender was available in three body styles: the two-door 90, the four-door 110, and the extended-wheelbase four-door 130, each with various trims. Our test drive of the Defender 110 S, featuring the County visual package, highlighted its retro appeal with white wheels and vintage graphics. Standard features included 19-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable heated front seats, partial leather upholstery, and a panoramic glass roof. The X-Dynamic SE and X trims added larger wheels and more luxurious touches, while the V8 and Carpathian Edition trims offered powerful engines and distinctive styling. The Outbound trim prioritized cargo space by removing the third row.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 maintained its distinctive appearance, drawing retro comparisons to the Lancia Delta while standing out on modern roads. The mid-cycle refresh introduced subtle changes to the front fascia, retaining the "Parametric Pixel" headlights and taillights, round wheel arches, and a high rear spoiler. The new XRT trim featured red tow hooks and black plastic bumper cladding with a digital camouflage pattern, along with exclusive colors like Ultimate Red and Cosmic Blue Pearl. The Ioniq 5's interior remained minimalistic and modern, with minor updates to the center console for improved functionality. The XRT trim leaned towards a rugged aesthetic with dark interiors and all-weather floor mats. The Ioniq 5's wheel designs were updated, with 19-inch wheels standard on SE and SEL trims, 20-inch on the Limited, and rally-style 18-inch wheels exclusive to the XRT. The interior offered an open and uncluttered space, with a focus on functionality and comfort.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender offered a range of powertrains, starting with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine in the P300, producing 296 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. Our P400 test model featured a mild-hybrid turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six, delivering 395 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque. The Defender also offered two supercharged 5.0-liter V8 engine options: the P500 with 493 hp and 450 lb-ft of torque, and the P525 with 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of torque. All engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and full-time active four-wheel drive. The Defender's towing capacity varied, with the six-cylinder and eight-cylinder powertrains capable of towing up to 7,716 pounds, while the four-cylinder version could tow up to 5,500 pounds. The Defender excelled in off-road capabilities, with features like adaptive air suspension, Terrain Response 2 system, electronic differential, and all-terrain progress control. Our P400 test model provided ample power for highway speeds and passing maneuvers, though there was a slight lurch at low speeds.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 XRT featured a Terrain Mode button on the steering wheel, offering Snow, Mud, and Sand modes that adjusted throttle mapping, wheel slip, power distribution, and regenerative braking. The XRT handled off-road conditions well, with all-wheel drive as standard. The Ioniq 5's battery capacity increased for 2025, extending its range to 318 miles in single-motor, rear-wheel-drive configuration, while the base trim had a 245-mile range. All-wheel drive reduced range slightly, with the XRT offering 259 miles. Power output varied with powertrain choice, with rear-wheel-drive models producing 168 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque with the standard-range battery, or 225 hp and 258 lb-ft with the long-range battery. All-wheel-drive models featured dual motors, delivering 320 hp and 446 lb-ft of torque. Despite its weight, the Ioniq 5 offered an engaging driving experience with instant electric torque.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender balanced luxury and functionality, featuring soft-touch materials, grip handles, rubberized floors, and ample cargo compartments. It accommodated between five and eight passengers, depending on the configuration. The Defender 110 offered an optional third row, best suited for children, while the Defender 130 provided three seats in the third row, increasing seating capacity to eight. Cargo capacity varied, with the Defender 130 offering 15.3 cubic feet behind the third row, 35.8 cubic feet behind the second row, and 76.1 cubic feet with all rear seats folded. The Defender 110's two-row version provided 34 cubic feet behind the second row and 78.8 cubic feet with the first row folded. The two-door Defender 90 offered 15.6 cubic feet behind the second row and up to 58.3 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 addressed previous complaints by adding a rear windshield wiper. The interior featured a movable center console with fore-and-aft cupholders, a wireless charging pad, and conveniently located controls for seat and steering wheel heating. Heated front seats were standard, with a heated steering wheel available from the SEL trim level. The Limited trim offered front seat ventilation and driver's seat memory, though heated rear seats were unavailable. Interior dimensions remained unchanged, with headroom measuring 39.1-39.8 inches in the front and 37.5-38.7 inches in the rear. Legroom was generous, with 41.7 inches in the front and 39.4 inches in the back seat. Cargo space measured 26.3 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 58.5 cubic feet with them folded, plus an additional .85 cubic feet in the frunk. The Ioniq 5 transitioned to the North American Charging System, allowing access to Tesla's Supercharger network, and included a Combined Charging System adapter for public and fast charging.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender featured a 12.3-inch fully digital instrument panel and an 11.4-inch touchscreen. While the touchscreen seemed small compared to competitors, it complemented the Defender's utilitarian persona. Standard features included navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, satellite radio, HD radio, and a 10-speaker Meridian stereo system. The straightforward setup provided a blend of refinement and utility, with home buttons for easy navigation of features like Apple CarPlay.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 retained its pair of 12.3-inch screens, offering improved functionality with faster processing speeds and enhanced GPS accuracy. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto became standard, replacing the previous wired connectivity. The Bose Premium Audio system, previously limited to the Limited trim, was now available on the XRT trim. SE and SEL trims featured a six-speaker sound system, with standard navigation, dynamic voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, and five USB-C ports. The Ioniq 5 included a head-up display on the Limited trim and a wireless charging pad starting at the SEL trim level.

The 2024 Land Rover Defender came with a comprehensive list of standard driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Additional safety tech included traffic sign recognition, automatic high beams, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and a 360-degree parking camera system. The lane-departure and lane-keeping assist features were somewhat intrusive but could be deactivated. As of this writing, the Defender had not been crash-tested by the IIHS or NHTSA.

The 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 maintained its high safety standards, earning a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and a five-star rating from the NHTSA. New standard safety features included an enhanced driver attention system with haptic steering wheel feedback, forward attention warning, and reverse and forward parking-distance warning. The Ioniq 5 XRT and Limited trims featured a surround-view monitor and blind-spot view monitor. Highway Driving Assist 1 and 2 were available, with HDA 2 offering lane-changing capability and machine learning for improved driving style approximation.