These two Korean EV cousins represent the very best in electric cars from mainstream brands, but can the new Kia EV6 outclass our reigning carsales Car of the Year – the Hyundai IONIQ 5?
Close relations
The 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 is a hugely impressive vehicle – nothing less than a game-changer when it comes to electric cars.
Recently named 2022 World Car of the Year, the IONIQ 5 also stood aloft as carsales’ Car of the Year for 2021, where it amply demonstrated just how good EVs from mass-market brands can be in terms of design, packaging and zero-emissions performance.
It doesn’t come cheap, but its value for money is undeniable given the advances brought with a dedicated EV platform that’s the most up-to-date we’ve seen from a non-luxury brand.
Enter the 2022 Kia EV6, a car that’s closely related to the IONIQ 5 and, unsurprisingly, stands as the toughest competitor yet for the reigning COTY.
Beneath the very different skins – one retro-infused and chunky, the other swoopy, modern and with whiffs of EV practicality – are two very similar machines.
Like the Hyundai IONIQ 5, the Kia EV6 utilises the Korean auto giant’s E-GMP electrical architecture, which includes 800V charging capability – double the voltage of most electric cars.
Spacing front and rear wheels further apart, the platform enables both vehicles to be designed from the outset with batteries and electric motors in mind rather than filling the voids where an internal combustion engine and gearbox once resided.
Each is available with a single electric motor powering the rear wheels or a dual-motor set-up driving all four.
It’s the single-motor/rear-drive models we’ve selected for this comparison, purely in the name of saving a few shekels and playing in the sweet spot of the EV market that is fast gathering pace.
So, does the newcomer, which only weeks ago was named European Car of the Year, have what it takes to dethrone the most impressive new model to arrive in Australia last year? Or can the game-changer hold on to its crown?
We took each on an extensive drive through the suburbs, on freeways and down wonderfully potholed country roads to find out…
Paying up
The 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 may come from value-focused brands, but there are no bargain-basement deals in the world of cutting-edge EVs.
That’s part of the reason we’ve started at the bottom, choosing the most affordable version of each.
For the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 2WD that means $71,900 plus on-road costs. The dual-motor model sets you back another $4000 and comes with identical equipment but an extra electric motor for more power and all-wheel drive traction.
The 2022 Kia EV6 undercuts the IONIQ 5 at $67,990 plus ORCs for the Air model we’ve got here. Those wanting the full fruit can choose a more healthily-specified GT-Line at $74,990 plus ORCs.
While it doesn’t quite match the Hyundai’s dizzying array of gear (we’ll get to that), the EV6 Air does carry most of the big-ticket items, and some of the things missing are unlikely to be high on the wish list of prospective buyers.
From there, though, the step to the dual-motor AWD GT-Line EV6 takes the price to a hefty $82,990 plus ORCs.
So, while it’s easy to justify the dual-motor step in the Hyundai, it arguably makes more sense to stick with rear-drive in the Kia.
There’s one more win to the Kia: servicing. Both require the same maintenance but servicing the EV6 for five years or 75,000km costs $1089 whereas the IONIQ 5 will set you back $1684.
Of course, there’s a big challenge with either of these models, and that’s getting hold of them.
Australian supply is ludicrously limited, averaging out to about 10 cars per week throughout 2022 for each brand. Given the stratospheric demand – Kia stopped taking expressions of interest once it amassed details from 25,000 people – there’s no chance of a discount.
With Hyundai that lack of discount is locked in because you’re buying the car online directly from head office.
Kia is sticking to a more traditional model and going through its dealer network with the EV6, although with people pounding the door down to get hold of them it’s difficult to imagine a dealer eating into their margin when (or if) you’re one of the chosen few who can sign on the dotted line.
Disappointingly, due to their pricing, both vehicles miss out on the $3000 EV rebates available in NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. However, those in NSW should be able to get a stamp duty rebate worth around $2400.
Loading in
So, yes, there’s a price shock – and waiting list – getting into the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6, but at least each car comes loaded with kit.
In the IONIQ 5 you get a very long list of equipment that would embarrass many luxury cars at twice the price. It starts with 20-inch alloy wheels and also includes flush door handles that automatically pop out when you approach with the smart key.
Leather upholstery teams with sustainable finishes to create a brave, modern look inside while ambient lighting highlights things at night. There’s a panoramic sunroof and dual 12.3-inch screens look after the instrument cluster and central infotainment.
Plus, there’s punchy Bose audio, satellite navigation and a wireless phone charger. Seats are heated front and rear and ventilated up front, plus there’s electric adjustment for all seats.
Other nice-to-haves include a powered tailgate, rear side blinds and a 360-degree camera.
Other than a wireless phone charger and sat-nav, the EV6 Air misses out on most of that gear. You’re adjusting the seat yourself, manually lifting the tailgate and doing without the freshness of sunlight from above.
That leaves the highlights as dual digital displays and some fake leather and suede that are part of a suite of sustainable materials; yep, the Air rams home its green credentials way beyond its electric drive system.
Its audio system also has nothing like the wow factor of the Hyundai’s, lacking depth and clarity; the GT-Line gets a far better 14-speaker Meridian system, but in the Air the sound is thinner and colder.
The main equipment advantage for the EV6 over the IONIQ 5 is Exit Assist, which works when parked to warn of a car approaching so you don’t open the door on it. It’s a minor consolation given the shortfall on some big-ticket items.
Plus, while each car has a vehicle-to-load function (V2L) – allowing owners to power things such as camp gear or laptops – with the Hyundai you have to plug an adaptor into the exterior charge port whereas with the Kia it’s a power point in the base of the back seat.
The Kia gets more kilometres between charges, too, courtesy of a bigger battery pack. The claimed WLTP driving range is 528km versus 451km for the Hyundai, so if you want to be plugging in less it’s got a clear advantage.
The Kia also gets a seven-year warranty, adding two years to the coverage of the Hyundai.
However, the most expensive component in the car – the lithium-ion battery pack – gets the same seven-year coverage, whereas in the IONIQ 5 that single component is covered for eight years. Both guarantee 70 per cent of the original state of charge over their respective warranty period.
There’s one big omission in both models: remote connectivity that allows data visibility and some functionality from a smartphone.
Tesla set the template for it and even Polestar has jumped in, but Hyundai and Kia are currently off the pace. It’s available overseas but hasn’t yet made it Down Under, although it is apparently coming for both, likely by 2023.
Spreading out
While the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 may fool some into thinking the brand has created a chunky-looking hatch, its dimensions tell another story.
Externally, it’s similar in size to the Hyundai Tucson and its 3000mm wheelbase outstretches a 300 Series Toyota LandCruiser.
At first glance, the 2022 Kia EV6 looks more spacious but actually sits on a wheelbase that’s 100mm shorter (still longer than the LandCruiser’s 2850mm).
Not that it makes a big difference to occupant space. In either vehicle, rear occupants are welcomed with lashings of legroom, even if their knees may be a tad higher than is natural; blame it on the battery pack that forms the basis of the flat floor.
The IONIQ 5’s 527-litre rear luggage area outdoes its Kia rival (490L), and it’s a similar story in the trunk up front (57L versus 52L), although at first glance the lidded plastic boxes under the bonnet look the same.
Whereas there’s a sense of normality to the EV6’s layout – with switches and dials similar to those on other Kia models, most notably the new Sportage – the IONIQ 5 is very different. You twist a stalk on the steering wheel to select forward or reverse (you’re guaranteed to get it wrong at least once!) and there’s a mix of colours and contrasting seat piping, as well as alloy pedals.
That differentiation flows through to the driving position, too. The IONIQ 5 has those up front perched higher and is somehow harder to get the steering wheel in an ideal position whereas the EV6 keeps things more SUV-like in its poise.
Those chasing somewhere to store things will appreciate the IONIQ 5’s sliding centre console that allows you to relocate that giant compartment between the front and rear pews. The EV6’s may be fixed but it’s still tailor-made for swallowing everything from small bags to keys.
In either, having the speedo off to the left of the instrument display can occasionally leave it hidden by the steering wheel. We’d also love the option to more dramatically alter the layout rather than just changing colours when you select drive modes.
Each of our contenders pushes the boundaries on materials, although again it’s the Hyundai that’s further out there. Prominent air vents sweep across the dash and the paper-like trim on the doors demonstrates that Hyundai isn’t afraid to go bold.
Oh, and the IONIQ doesn’t bother with a Hyundai badge inside, instead applying four subtle dots to the centre of the steering wheel. Perhaps Hyundai thinks some people splashing out this much cash may not want to be staring at a Hyundai logo…?
The EV6 looks more formal and has darker finishes. There’s an emphasis on sustainability, although with some surfaces it comes at the expense of tactility, hard surfaces short of the price tag.
At least the driver’s seat has you feeling more at one with the car rather than sitting atop it.
Staying safe
There’s very little to separate the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 on the safety front.
Both get autonomous emergency braking (AEB), speed limit recognition, blind spot warning, parking sensors at either end, a driver attention monitor, tyre pressure monitors and rear cross traffic alert.
The Hyundai gets a 360-degree camera whereas the Kia fights back with Side Exit warning, which as we mentioned earlier is a handy extra that utilises the rear-facing camera to potentially stop an opening door being collected by another car.
Only the IONIQ 5 has received a safety rating from ANCAP to date, achieving the maximum five stars last year. Given their close connections, we’d expect the EV6 to achieve a comparable rating.
Up to speed
Both the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6 the same single electric motor powering the rear wheels. And while each produces the same 350Nm of torque, the Kia ekes out a fraction more power: 168kW versus 160kW for the Hyundai.
Combined with a slightly lighter body – 20kg extra for the Hyundai – it helps explain why the IONIQ 5 is marginally slower from 0-100km/h.
The official claim has just 0.1 seconds between them. But our independent testing had the EV6 beating its 7.3sec claim by 0.1sec while the IONIQ 5 lagged its 7.4sec claim by three-tenths. So the Kia took 7.2sec to 100km/h whereas the Hyundai was a more leisurely 7.7sec.
Not that the differences are as stark in everyday driving. Sure, the Kia has a tad more enthusiasm, but both pull strongly from standstill and maintain that effortless urge into triple figures.
While there are dual-motor versions of the IONIQ 5 and EV6 – each bringing hot hatch levels of acceleration – most people will find plenty on offer in these single-motor models.
There’s loads to play with in the suburbs and enough in reserve for a country road overtake or a zap along your favourite strip of blacktop.
Hyundai and Kia have the same philosophy with their regenerative braking: you can dial up the level that suits your driving, from nothing (pure coasting) to more aggressive resistance.
Paddles on the steering wheel that would usually shift ratios on an auto transmission instead adjust between the various regen options.
Out on the range
A glance at the tyres suggests Hyundai has taken a more proactive approach to dynamic ability. The 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 rides on 20-inch Michelin rubber with a relatively low 45-series aspect ratio.
The 2022 Kia EV6 Air gets more mundane Nexen tyres (some are also fitted with Kumho hoops), with a taller 55-series profile and 20mm less width (235mm in total).
But once underway, the ledger fast swings the other way.
Where the Hyundai bounces and bounds, the Kia glides and settles, better controlling body movement over bumps. It’s a marked difference that turns country roads into a relaxed drive rather than an up-and-down affair.
On the limit the Hyundai’s more aggressive rubber ultimately gives it an edge on grip, but the Kia has ample to explore the talents of the chassis.
Even around town the Kia’s dynamic maturity gives it an edge, especially if you’re tackling speed humps. There’s better poise and a more relaxed nature, whereas the IONIQ 5 can kick and overreact.
Blame it on local tuning. Kia took the knife to what was available overseas and instead developed its own Aussie tune for the EV6. Hyundai instead took a global suspension set-up, something that detracts from its driving manners.
It helps that the Kia has some fancy dampers controlling things. The ZF Sachs shock absorbers have ‘sensitivity damping control’, which are designed to deal better with repeated small bumps while still controlling the big ones.
After about 700km on our test, we’re convinced they were a worthy investment.
Those looking to take more than the car can also tow up to 1600kg with a braked trailer in both the EV6 and IONIQ 5, in turn allowing the fitment of a tow ball for bike racks and other accessories.
Charging pace
The 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 2WD has a claimed battery capacity of 72.6kWh, of which only 70kWh is ‘usable’ (the amount of energy the car can actually draw on to get going). The 2022 Kia EV6 Air steps that up to 77.4kWh, with only 72.5kWh usable.
So the Kia gets about 3.5 per cent more capacity.
Combined with the lighter body of the Kia and tyres that have more of an emphasis on reducing rolling resistance, the EV6 arrives at this comparo with a big advantage in the claimed range between charges.
The Hyundai has an impressive WLTP-verified figure of 451km. But with less weight and less aggressive rubber, the EV6 is capable of 528km between charges.
So according to the raw numbers the Kia can travel 17 per cent further between charges despite having a useable battery capacity just 3.5 per cent higher.
Those differences played out during our testing.
After a couple of hundred kilometres of varied driving – including performance testing – the Hyundai was estimating 168km of range remaining, having consumed an average of 20.5kWh per 100km. The Kia still had 225km of range having returned better efficiency of 18.6kWh/100km.
When it comes time to charge, each can utilise the fastest 350kW DC chargers currently available in Australia. Each will only use up to 240kW of the available 350kW, but that’s still enough to get about 300km of range into it within about 18 minutes.
Again, the Kia’s lower energy use means it’ll add more kilometres of range for each minute it’s charging, all else being equal.
Slower AC charging can be done at up to 10.5kW, so you’d be able to do a full charge in around seven hours.
A car as an energy source is something that’s starting to gain momentum, even if the only EV currently configured to take advantage of so-called vehicle-to-grid (V2G) in Australia is the Nissan LEAF.
The Kia and Hyundai can’t power a house or feed back into the grid yet, but they do have a feature called vehicle-to-load (V2L).
In the Kia there’s a 230V power point under the back seat. If you need to power up a laptop or keep a camp fridge running it’s a nice back-up.
The Hyundai has the same functionality, but you need to plug an adaptor into the charge point, so everything is a bit more outdoors.
And the winner is…
The 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 may be the reigning carsales Car of the Year and one of the most impressive EVs going around, but the fresher 2022 Kia EV6 answers some of its questions, especially around dynamics.
As a result, the newcomer edges out its top-class cousin in this test, which sets the stage for an interesting challenge for 2022 COTY.
The EV6 is more affordable to get into, which at this end of the market with cars wearing badges better associated with budget motoring makes a difference.
Sure, you’re getting a lot less gear in the EV6, but some of the stuff you miss out on – heated and electrically adjustable back seats, for example – is unlikely to upset the EV interested.
Besides, if the additional trinkets are important to you then the EV6 GT-Line allows an easy step up. And the EV6 Air still has a suitable list of kit, especially on the safety front.
Crucially, it also gets a usefully longer driving range, better performance and a more relaxed and better-controlled ride.
The next challenge is getting hold of one. Like the Hyundai, the Kia is ridiculously short on supply.
So while the Korean EV contenders have placed a big stake in the emerging electric car turf, they’ve arguably stumbled at the final hurdle.
Hopefully that will be sorted soon.
How much does the 2022 Hyundai IONIQ 5 2WD cost?Price: $71,900 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowPowertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motorOutput: 160kW/350NmTransmission: Single-speed reduction gearBattery: 72.6kWh lithium-ion (70.0kWh usable)Range: 451km (WLTP)Energy consumption: 17.9kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2021)
How much does the 2022 Kia EV6 Air cost?Price: $67,990 (plus on-road costs)Available: NowPowertrain: Single permanent magnet synchronous motorOutput: 168kW/350NmTransmission: Single-speed reduction gearBattery: 77.4kWh lithium-ion (72.5kWh usable)Range: 528km (WLTP)Energy consumption: 16.5kWh/100km (WLTP)
Safety rating: Not tested
Keyword: Hyundai IONIQ 5 v Kia EV6 2022 Comparison