Hyundai has upped the battery size on its Ioniq 5 from 72.6kWh to 77.4kWh and increased electric-motor output from 225kW to 239kW, making it 0.1sec faster to 100km/h (5.1sec). That's the good news.
The bad news is that you'll have to buy the flagship Ioniq 5 Limited AWD to get the upgrades, which sells at an increased price of $117,990. A Limited AWD version continues with the smaller battery and power output for $111,990; the same powertrain is also available in entry-level specification for $97,990.
The battery/power upgrade brings the Ioniq 5 into line with the sister (but still rival) Kia EV6, which was launched with the 77.4kWh unit from the start. The Kia costs $111,990 in top GT-Line trim.
The bigger battery is more about the extra power than increased range: the Ioniq 5 Limited AWD achieves 454km on the WLTP test cycle, 6km short of the smaller-battery version.
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The new top-model Ioniq 5 gets some extra kit to further justify the higher price. It now comes with a three-pin plug in the cabin to power electrical devices (again, matching the Kia) and a new heads-up display with augmented reality.
There are now three different battery sizes for Ioniq 5 buyers to choose from. Hyundai New Zealand has kept the entry 58kWh RWD model under $80,000 to qualify for the Government's $8625 Clean Car Discount (just, at $79,990), while the 72.6kWh RWD model is $89,990.