Hyundai Elexio vs Kia EV5

They are siblings rather than the same car. ANCAP rated the Elexio five stars based on crash testing of the closely related EV5, and the Elexio's single-motor grades share the EV5's 88.1kWh battery, 160kW output and front-drive layout. But they are specified differently: the Elexio fits a 27-inch screen, a head-up display, a surround-view camera and wireless charging as standard on both grades, and carries nine airbags to seven. The EV5 spreads wider, with a cheaper Standard Range entry and dual-motor AWD grades the Elexio doesn't offer, plus a longer warranty. So they share a mechanical core but diverge on equipment, lineup and ownership cover.

The answer flips with the grade. The EV5 opens cheaper with its Air Standard Range, which sits below the Elexio on a smaller 64.2kWh battery and 400km of range. But compare like for like, the two 88.1kWh front-drive cars, and the Elexio undercuts the EV5 Air Long Range on both Hyundai's current drive-away offer and the two brands' before-on-road list prices. Both run time-bound drive-away offers, and the EV5's most recent one was dated to expire at the end of August 2026, so confirm the current figure for your postcode on each. Read simply: the EV5 is the cheaper entry, the Elexio the cheaper of the matched twins.

On the matched grades it is a dead heat. The Elexio claims 562km of WLTP range from its 88.1kWh battery in base form, and the EV5 Air Long Range, its twin on the same battery, claims 555km, close enough to be a rounding error. The EV5 spreads range wider across its lineup: the cheaper Air Standard Range claims 400km on a smaller battery, and the dual-motor AWD grades trade range for pace, down to about 470km on the GT-Line. Real-world range sits below the lab figure for every EV, more so at highway speed. Like for like, the twins cover the same distance.

They tow the same, on the grades that line up. The Elexio and the like-for-like EV5 Air Long Range share an 88.1kWh battery and 160kW front-drive powertrain, and both are rated to pull 1250kg braked and 750kg unbraked, enough for a small camper, a box trailer or a couple of jet skis. The one difference sits below that: the EV5's cheaper Standard Range entry, which the Elexio doesn't rival, is limited to just 300kg braked. Neither is a serious tow vehicle, and 1250kg is light next to a diesel ute, but for the matched grades, towing is a wash.

Both carry a current five-star ANCAP rating, and the story links them. ANCAP rated the Elexio off testing of the EV5, then ran additional tests on the Elexio, and the newer car edges slightly ahead: 77 per cent for vulnerable-road-user protection to the EV5's 74, and 85 for safety assist to its 82, with adult and child occupant scores level at 88 and 86 per cent. The Elexio also fits nine airbags including a front-centre bag, to the EV5's seven. Both come with the full suite of driver aids as standard, from autonomous emergency braking to blind-spot monitoring. Neither is a compromise; the Elexio simply carries a slight edge.

The EV5 has the stronger cover. Kia backs it with a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and up to eight years of roadside assistance, where the Elexio runs Hyundai's five-year warranty with two years of roadside, though Hyundai will extend the warranty to seven years if you service with them. Kia also backs the battery for seven years or 150,000km; Hyundai for eight years or 160,000km. The Elexio hits back on servicing, due every 30,000km or 24 months to the EV5's 15,000km or 12, so it visits the workshop about half as often. Kia's larger dealer network is a point in its favour too. On balance the EV5 leads on cover, the Elexio on service convenience.

The Elexio leads on standard kit, though the EV5 catches up at the top. The Elexio hands you more as standard: a 27-inch pillar-to-pillar display, a head-up display, a surround-view camera and wireless charging on both grades. The EV5's triple-screen panoramic layout is genuinely well regarded, rated among the best in class by AU reviewers, but the Kia reserves its head-up display, 360-degree camera and wireless charging for the top GT-Line, so the shared and cheaper grades go without. Both run wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, built-in navigation and digital radio. Cross-shopping the affordable grades, the Elexio is the more loaded; move up to the EV5 GT-Line and the Kia catches and arguably passes it.

This one is a genuine draw, and it turns on your priorities. The Elexio makes the case on standard safety and features: nine airbags, a surround-view camera and head-up display standard, the bigger 27-inch screen and longer service intervals. The EV5 answers with the bigger folded boot at 1714 litres to the Elexio's 1540, a little more ground clearance, Kia's longer warranty and roadside cover, and the option of all-wheel drive for wetter conditions. Cabin space is effectively identical, the two sharing a 4615mm length and 2750mm wheelbase. If standard safety kit leads your list, take the Elexio; if cargo room, AWD or ownership cover matter more, the EV5 is the family pick.

Line up the matched front-drive grades, and the Elexio is the sharper buy. It undercuts the EV5 Air Long Range, adds a bigger screen, more standard safety kit and longer service intervals, and several reviewers rate it the better drive. Choose it if a well-equipped front-drive EV for the money is the brief. The EV5 wins on breadth and cover: a cheaper Standard Range entry, dual-motor AWD grades the Elexio can't match, and Kia's longer seven-year warranty, eight years of roadside and bigger dealer network, set against a ride reviewers criticise and a facelift on the horizon. Buy the EV5 if you want the cheaper way in, the option of AWD, or the longer ownership cover.