Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Kia EV5

The EV5 is substantially cheaper. As of August 2026 it opens at $49,990 drive-away for the Air Standard Range against the Ioniq 5's $69,990, both promotional drive-away prices, though the Kia's offer runs only to 31 August 2026 so check it is still live. That entry EV5 is a smaller-battery 400km car, so the fairer like-for-range match is the EV5 Air Long Range at $59,990, which claims 555km close to the Ioniq 5's 570, and still lands about $10,000 under the Hyundai. Either way the EV5 is the cheaper way into a roomy, well-equipped mid-size EV, and it matches the Ioniq 5's seven-year warranty while doing it.

The EV5 is the more practical hauler. It stands 110mm taller than the Ioniq 5, its front boot holds 67 litres to the Hyundai's 57, and folding the rear seats opens up 1,714 litres against the Ioniq 5's 1,580. The tall body also means more headroom front and rear. The Ioniq 5 hits back with its 3,000mm wheelbase, 250mm longer than the EV5's, which translates into noticeably more rear legroom, so tall adults will stretch out better in the back of the Hyundai. Both seat five and both are easy to load, but if maximum cargo and headroom decide it, the EV5 is the roomier family choice.

The Ioniq 5 wins charging comfortably. Its 800-volt architecture takes the battery from 10 to 80 per cent in about 18 minutes on a strong DC charger, roughly twice as fast as the EV5, which needs around 36 minutes. On range it depends on the EV5 grade: the entry Air Standard Range claims just 400km WLTP from its 64kWh battery, well short of the Ioniq 5's 570km, but step up to the EV5 Air Long Range and its 88kWh pack claims 555km, near enough to level with the Hyundai. So the range gap is wide at the bottom of the EV5 range and narrow higher up, while the charging-speed advantage is the Ioniq 5's across the board.

The EV5 base is the more loaded of the two. Even the Air Standard Range ships heated and massaging front seats, a triple-screen dash with built-in navigation and digital radio, the full active-safety suite and vehicle-to-load power, strong kit for the money. The base Ioniq 5 RWD covers the essentials, dual-zone climate, wireless smartphone mirroring, a 360-degree camera and the same active-safety features, but it holds back heated seats until the Elite grade. The one area the Hyundai leads at base is that standard 360-degree camera, which the EV5 reserves for its top GT-Line. For sheer standard equipment at the entry point, though, the EV5 gives you more.

The Ioniq 5 is quicker on the cars most buyers cross-shop. Its 168kW rear motor beats the front-drive EV5 Air's 160kW, and the entry EV5 is the more relaxed, claiming 8.5 seconds to 100km/h. The EV5 does answer higher up with 230kW all-wheel-drive Earth and GT-Line grades clipping 100km/h in about 6.1 seconds, genuinely brisk, but the Ioniq 5 counters with its own 239kW dual-motor grade that stays a step ahead, and its 478kW Ioniq 5 N is a separate, far pricier model outside this comparison. Neither entry car is fast, but for outright pace at each price step, the Hyundai has the edge.

Both wear a five-star ANCAP rating, and the scores are close enough to call even. Adult occupant protection is level at 88 per cent, the EV5 rates a touch higher for vulnerable road users, and the Ioniq 5 edges ahead on the safety-assist measure, 89 to 82. Both come standard with autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and driver-attention monitoring right across their ranges, including the cheapest grades. There is no meaningful safety gap between them, so this one comes down to the other factors rather than the star rating.

It is a genuine split. The EV5 is far cheaper to buy and carries a longer roadside-assistance program, up to eight years when you keep servicing with Kia. But the Ioniq 5 claws back running costs: its services fall due every 24 months or 30,000km, half as often as the EV5's 12 months or 15,000km, so fewer workshop visits over time, and its high-voltage battery is covered for eight years or 160,000km against the Kia's seven years and 150,000km. Both carry the same seven-year vehicle warranty. So the EV5 wins on purchase price and roadside term, the Ioniq 5 on service intervals and battery cover, and which matters more depends on how long you keep it.

It comes down to budget and priorities. Buy the Kia EV5 if space and value lead: it undercuts the Ioniq 5 by thousands, holds more cargo, stands taller for headroom, and loads even its base car with heated and massaging seats, a triple-screen dash and the full safety suite. Buy the Hyundai Ioniq 5 if the EV fundamentals and finish lead: it charges roughly twice as fast on 800 volts, claims more range on its entry car, covers its battery a year longer, tows far more, and feels the more premium, resolved thing to own. The EV5 is the value family pick; the Ioniq 5 is the more capable and polished EV.