Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Subaru Trailseeker

The base Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD is rated at 570km WLTP from its 84kWh battery, against 533km for the base Subaru Trailseeker AWD on its smaller 74.7kWh pack. On both cars the cheaper grade goes furthest, because the dearer trims wear larger wheels: the Ioniq 5 N Line Premium drops to 495km and the Trailseeker Touring to 488km. The Trailseeker is actually the more frugal on paper at 154Wh/km to the Ioniq 5's 160.4, but the Hyundai's larger battery more than makes up the gap. For outright range, the Ioniq 5 is the one to have.

Each wins a different plug. On a DC fast charger the Ioniq 5's 800-volt system peaks at 240kW and does 10 to 80 per cent in about 18 minutes, among the fastest in any mainstream EV. The Trailseeker peaks at 150kW and takes about 30 minutes for the same top-up, which is merely average in 2026. At home the order flips: the Trailseeker accepts 22kW on three-phase AC, more than double the Ioniq 5's 10.5kW, so if your house has three-phase power it refills quicker overnight. For road trips the Hyundai is clearly ahead; for home charging the Subaru has the edge.

The Subaru, comfortably. Both Trailseeker grades make 280kW and 536Nm through dual motors and all-wheel drive, which makes it the quickest Subaru sold in Australia, quicker off the line than the old WRX STI. The base Hyundai Ioniq 5 RWD makes 168kW and 350Nm through a single rear motor, and even the dearer 239kW all-wheel-drive N Line Premium does not match the Subaru's outputs. The separate Ioniq 5 N hot model is quicker again, but that is a different car at a far higher price. Between these two, the Trailseeker is the performance pick.

Both score the maximum five stars. Each comes with autonomous emergency braking, adaptive cruise, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and a 360-degree camera standard across the range. The ratings come from different years, so the sub-scores trade blows: the Trailseeker was tested in 2025 and scores higher for vulnerable road users at 80 per cent to the Ioniq 5's 63, while the Ioniq 5, tested in 2021, edges the safety-assist category at 89 per cent to 82. Adult and child occupant protection are near-identical. Both are genuinely safe family cars; the Trailseeker's rating is simply the more recent.

The Trailseeker, and it is not close. It rides 211mm off the ground to the Ioniq 5's 160mm, drives all four wheels on both grades through Subaru's Symmetrical all-wheel drive, and adds dual-mode X-Mode and hill-descent control for loose surfaces, plus roof rails for gear. It will handle a dirt road, a beach track or a rutted campsite approach without drama. The Ioniq 5's base grade is rear-wheel drive and sits low, so it is happiest on sealed roads, and all-wheel drive arrives only on the dearer N Line Premium. For anyone who regularly leaves the bitumen, the Subaru is the obvious choice.

The Subaru holds more luggage, with 609 litres behind the rear seats to the Hyundai's 520. The Ioniq 5 answers with a flat-floored cabin over a three-metre wheelbase that is longer than a LandCruiser's, so rear-seat room is a genuine strength, and it adds a 57-litre front boot under the bonnet for charging cables plus a 1,580-litre load bay with the seats folded. Both seat five and both tow, with the Trailseeker rated to 2,000kg braked against the Ioniq 5's 1,600kg. For maximum boot space and towing the Subaru leads; for back-seat room and cabin flexibility the Hyundai does.

On price they are effectively level as of October 2026. The base Ioniq 5 RWD is $69,990 drive-away on Hyundai's current NSW offer, and the base Trailseeker AWD is $69,620 drive-away, a gap of a few hundred dollars. Ownership is where the Hyundai pulls ahead. It carries a seven-year warranty to the Subaru's five, and it needs a service only every 30,000km or two years against the Trailseeker's 15,000km or one, roughly half as many workshop visits over five years. Both back the battery for eight years or 160,000km. If running costs decide it, the Ioniq 5 is the cheaper car to live with.

For a typical family the Ioniq 5 makes the stronger case. It travels further between charges, charges far faster on a road trip, has the roomier flat-floored cabin, holds a five-star rating with the full safety suite, and costs less to service with a longer warranty. The Trailseeker counters with a bigger boot, standard all-wheel drive and a newer safety rating, which matter more if family life involves dirt roads, a boat or snow trips. Buy the Hyundai for everyday range, charging and refinement; buy the Subaru if genuine all-weather, all-terrain ability is part of the brief.

The Trailseeker is built for it. Standard Symmetrical all-wheel drive, 211mm of ground clearance, dual-mode X-Mode, hill-descent control, roof rails and a 2,000kg braked towing rating make it the far more capable choice for camping, boats, bikes and loose surfaces, and Subaru's established country dealer network reassures beyond the city. Pick the base Trailseeker AWD rather than the Touring: as of October 2026 it costs $6,300 less drive-away and travels 45km further per charge on its smaller wheels, giving up only comfort kit. The Ioniq 5 is better for sealed-road touring thanks to its range and quick charging, but it cannot match the Subaru off the beaten track.