Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Subaru Solterra

On current NSW driveaway pricing the Subaru Solterra AWD starts at $67,520, around $2,470 under the rear-drive Hyundai Ioniq 5. The Ioniq 5's $69,990 is a promotional driveaway offer running to 30 September 2026. The Solterra also gives you dual-motor all-wheel drive for that lower price, where the Ioniq 5 stays rear-drive until the $85,490 N Line Premium. Step up and the Solterra Touring is $73,820 against the Ioniq 5 Elite at $74,990. The Subaru wins the sticker battle, but the Hyundai answers with a longer warranty and cheaper scheduled servicing, so the gap narrows once you factor in ownership.

On a public DC fast charger the Ioniq 5 wins clearly. Its 800-volt system draws up to 240kW car-side and completes 10 to 80 per cent in about 18 minutes, where the Solterra peaks at 150kW and takes roughly 30 minutes, so the Hyundai is the better road-trip companion. The Subaru turns the tables at home: its 22kW three-phase AC charger doubles the Ioniq 5's 10.5kW, refilling far quicker if your house has three-phase power. On a standard single-phase wallbox both are limited to around 7kW overnight. Read the Ioniq 5 as the highway charger, the Solterra as the three-phase home charger.

Yes. Every Subaru Solterra runs a dual-motor, all-wheel-drive system making 252kW and 437Nm, on both the base AWD and the Touring. That is the Solterra's headline point of difference here. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is rear-wheel drive on its base and Elite grades, and only gains all-wheel drive on the 239kW N Line Premium flagship. Paired with 212mm of ground clearance and Subaru's X-Mode terrain modes, the Solterra copes with gravel, wet grass and boat ramps in a way the rear-drive Ioniq 5 cannot. If all-weather traction is on your list, the Subaru delivers it as standard for thousands less.

They are remarkably close. The base Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD claims 570km on the WLTP cycle from its 84kWh battery, and the base Subaru Solterra AWD claims 566km from a smaller 74.7kWh pack, so at the entry grade the four-kilometre gap is line-ball. The Solterra manages it partly through efficiency, using 146Wh/km against the Ioniq 5's 160.4. Move up the ranges and both drop on bigger wheels: the Ioniq 5 Elite falls to 530km and the N Line Premium to 495km, while the Solterra Touring sits at 517km. For most buyers range will not separate these two; charging speed and drivetrain will.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the more practical load-carrier. It offers a 520-litre boot with the rear seats up, expanding to 1,580 litres folded, plus a 57-litre frunk under the bonnet for charging cables. The Subaru Solterra trails at 421 litres in the base AWD and 410 in the Touring, with no front boot. The gap is close to 100 litres behind the seats, and the Solterra's below-average boot has drawn criticism since launch. Both seat five with a split-folding rear bench. If cargo room is a priority, the Ioniq 5 is the clear pick.

Both carry five-star ANCAP ratings, so neither is a safety compromise, but the sub-scores differ. The Subaru Solterra, rated in 2025 on testing of its Toyota bZ4X twin, leads on vulnerable road user protection at 80 per cent against the Ioniq 5's 63, and matches it at 88 per cent for adult occupants. The Hyundai Ioniq 5, rated in 2021, edges ahead on safety assist at 89 per cent against 82, and on child occupant protection at 87 against 86. Both run autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera as standard. The Solterra's rating runs to December 2031, the Ioniq 5's to December 2027.

For most families the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the stronger everyday choice. It carries nearly 100 litres more luggage, adds a frunk, rides a longer 3,000mm wheelbase for back-seat space, and backs it with a seven-year warranty against the Subaru's five. Its cabin feels a class above and standard vehicle-to-load can run camp gear or appliances. The Subaru Solterra counters for families who leave the tarmac: standard all-wheel drive, 212mm of clearance and X-Mode make it the safer bet on gravel or in the snow. Read the Ioniq 5 as the roomier daily, the Solterra as the all-weather family hauler.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the road-trip pick. Its 800-volt architecture pulls up to 240kW on a fast charger and completes 10 to 80 per cent in about 18 minutes, where the Subaru Solterra peaks at 150kW and needs roughly 30. Over a long day of driving that difference adds up to real time saved at each stop. The Ioniq 5 also has the bigger battery and a 570km range, plus a heat pump to protect range in the cold. The Solterra's range is competitive at 566km, but its slower charging makes it the less relaxed long-distance companion. Highway drivers should choose the Hyundai.

The Subaru Solterra is the clear choice for loose surfaces. Every grade has dual-motor all-wheel drive, 212mm of ground clearance and Subaru's X-Mode terrain modes, so gravel roads, boat ramps and grassy campsites are within its remit. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 is rear-wheel drive on the grades most buyers choose, with 160mm of clearance, and only gains all-wheel drive on the N Line Premium flagship. Neither is a hardcore off-roader, but for the wet-weather and dirt-road driving most buyers actually do, the Subaru is comfortably the more capable of the two.