2022 Kia EV6 vs. 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5

2022 Kia EV6 ・ Photo by Kia

The 2022 Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the automaker’s first all-electric SUV. It’s available with a choice of rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and a total range of up to 303 miles between charges. There’s seating for five with three different trims from which to choose.

The 2022 Kia EV6 is Kia’s first all-electric SUV. It too offers either rear-wheel or all-wheel drive with a slightly longer maximum range of up to 310 miles per charge. Again, there’s seating for five, but with a choice of four trims. Let’s take a closer look at these two new electric vehicles to see which is the better of the two.

A Range of Well-Equipped Trims for Both

The Ioniq 5 has three trims from $39,700 to $54,500. The SE has a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and heated front seats. The SEL trim adds wireless device charging and a handsfree liftgate. The Limited gets ventilated front seats and 8-speaker Bose audio. All offer rear-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Pricing for the EV6 ranges from $40,900 to $58,500. The rear-wheel-drive only Light has a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen and wireless charging. The Wind gets a larger battery while the GT-Line adds safety, both offer optional all-wheel drive. The First Edition adds vegan leather and all-wheel drive with a choice of bonuses including a home charger. The Ioniq 5 offers similar features at a lower price with better all-wheel drive availability.

: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Photo by Hyundai

Power Is Evenly Matched, but Availability Differs

The Ioniq 5 provides 168 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque with the standard range battery, which is rear-wheel drive only. Equipped with the long-range battery, rear-wheel-drive models deliver 225 horsepower and 258 lb-ft of torque while all-wheel-drive models offer 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque.

The EV6 delivers 167 horsepower with 258 lb-ft of torque in the base Light with rear-wheel drive. The rest of the lineup offers 225 horsepower with 258 lb-ft of torque with rear-wheel drive or 320 horsepower with 446 lb-ft of torque with all-wheel drive. Power is evenly matched, but Hyundai wins for offering its base trim with both the short-range and long-range battery, which comes with extra horsepower.

: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Photo by Hyundai

Smooth, Compliant Rides Ideal for Long Trips

These two electric vehicles come from the same parent company, so they have a lot of things in common. Both are affordably priced, making the switch to electric easy on your budget. Both offer a wide range of standard features with comparable powertrains. They even share the same focus on using quality materials throughout the cabin.

That makes it tough to compare, but when it comes to ride quality, we give the edge to Kia. The ride is smooth and well-mannered no matter which you choose, but the Kia is more composed over bumps and dips in the road. It also does a better job managing road and wind noise as well as imperfect road surfaces.

: Kia EV6

Photo by Kia

How Far Can You Go?

The Ioniq 5 with the 58 kWh battery has a range of up to 220 miles. Equipped with the 77.4 kWh battery, it delivers a range of 303 miles with rear-wheel drive or 256 miles with all-wheel drive.

The EV6 with the smaller 58 kWh battery has a range of 232 miles. Move up to the long-range 77.4 kWh battery this time and the rear-wheel drive model gets 310 miles while all-wheel drive trims get 274 miles. The numbers are close, but no matter which configuration you choose, you’ll drive further on a single charge in the Kia EV6 than you will in the Hyundai Ioniq 5.

: Kia EV6

Photo by Kia

How Fast Can They Charge?

The Ioniq 5 fully charges at a Level 2 charger in 6 hours and 43 minutes. At a rapid charger, it can go from 10 percent to 80 percent in 25 minutes, but if you use a 250 kWh rapid charger, that number drops to just 18 minutes.

The EV6 charges from 10 percent to 80 percent in under 18 minutes at a 350-kWh charger. It gains 217 miles of range in 18 minutes or 60 miles of range in under 5 minutes. At a Level 2 charger, it takes roughly 7 hours and 10 minutes for the 77.4 kWh battery to fully charge. We give this one to Hyundai for faster charging at the most common Level 2 charger.

: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Photo by Hyundai

Interior Comfort and Design Quality

The Ioniq 5 seats five people with plenty of room in back for taller folks. It’s close in size to the EV6 but feels more spacious and open. It has a minimalist design that looks modern and fresh rather than looking like Hyundai tried to cut corners. 

The Kia EV6 has a comfortable interior that also seats five adults. The rear seats are spacious, but the sloping roofline of the EV6 may be low for taller riders. Materials are high-quality with plenty of soft-touch surfaces that look and feel good. Though Kia is known as an affordable brand, there’s nothing cheap or down market about the EV6. The EV6 is more richly appointed with a more compelling design.

: Kia EV6

Photo by Kia

A Larger Infotainment Screen and Better Overall System

The Ioniq 5 has a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen as a standard feature. There’s also navigation, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto. Wireless charging gets added starting with the SEL trim and there’s an available Bose 8-speaker audio system.

The EV6 also has a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and navigation. Wireless charging is included as a standard feature across the full lineup along with a 6-speaker audio system. A 14-speaker Meridian premium audio system is available. The Kia has a few more features in its base infotainment system, and it offers a more premium audio system specially designed for the EV6

: Kia EV6

Photo by Kia

Lots of Standard Safety Features

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has standard automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist, lane following assist, intelligent speed limit assist, driver attention warning, safe exit assist, high beam assist, rear occupant alert, blind-spot collision avoidance assist, rear cross-traffic collision avoidance assist, and reverse parking sensors. It’s an extensive list.

The Kia EV6 has blind spot collision warning, lane-keeping assist, driver attention warning with lead vehicle departure alert, lane following, high beam assist, rear occupant alert, forward collision avoidance assist, highway driving assist, rear cross traffic alert, and rear parking distance warning. It also marks the debut of highway drive 2 with lane changing and remote smart parking assist, which are more advanced driver assist features.

: Kia EV6

Photo by Kia

Room for Lots of Cargo

One of benefits to an EV is the lack of an engine beneath the hood. Instead, that space is a front trunk, or "frunk." The Ioniq 5 has 27.2 cubic feet behind the rear seats with 59.3 cubic feet behind the front seats. Its frunk adds 0.85 cubic feet of storage space.

The Kia EV6 has 24.4 cubic feet for cargo behind the rear seats with a total of 50.2 cubic feet behind the front seats. There’s also a small frunk. Regardless of the frunk, the EV6 is simply a smaller vehicle than the Ioniq 5. If has less room in the cabin for cargo, which gives this one to the EV6.

: Hyundai Ioniq 5

Photo by Hyundai

And the Winner Is…

This is a close one with these two electric vehicles well-matched, but the win goes to the Kia EV6. It has a nicer ride and a longer range that reduces the need to stop and charge on longer road trips. Infotainment includes more standard features, and there’s a more premium audio offering as well as additional available safety features.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 counters with better availability of all-wheel drive as well as offering the long-range battery on its base trim. Level 2 charging times are faster than that of the EV6; furthermore, the Ioniq 5 has a more spacious interior with more cargo room, but that's not enough to give it the win.

: Kia EV6

Photo by Kia