Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Toyota bZ4X Touring

On DC fast charging the Ioniq 5 is decisively quicker. Its 800-volt architecture completes 10 to 80 per cent in about 18 minutes and peaks at 240kW, while the bZ4X Touring needs roughly 30 minutes and tops out at 150kW, so on a road trip the Hyundai spends noticeably less time plugged in. The Toyota turns the tables at home, drawing up to 22kW on three-phase AC against the Hyundai's 10.5kW, so it refills faster overnight if you have three-phase power. Most buyers weigh DC speed more heavily, and there the Ioniq 5 clearly leads.

The base rear-drive Ioniq 5 travels 570km on the WLTP cycle from its 84kWh battery, well past the bZ4X Touring's 488km, also WLTP, from a smaller 74.7kWh pack. The important caveat is grade. Step the Ioniq 5 up to all-wheel drive and the N Line Premium rates 495km, almost line-ball with the all-wheel-drive-only Toyota's 488. So the Hyundai wins outright only if you buy the rear-driver; matched drivetrain for drivetrain, the range gap nearly disappears. Real-world figures land lower for both, as they do for every EV. If maximum range leads your brief, the rear-drive Ioniq 5 is the one to shortlist.

The bZ4X Touring is built around cargo. Its stretched 4,830mm wagon body holds 603 litres behind the rear seats against the Ioniq 5's 520 litres, so the Toyota is the clear choice if boot volume decides it. The Ioniq 5 hits back on smaller measures: a 3,000mm wheelbase, the longest here, opens up rear-seat room, and a 57-litre front boot stores charging cables out of the way. Both seat five. If you regularly load gear or a pram, the Touring's wagon tail is the more useful shape; if rear-passenger space and a tidy front boot matter more, the Hyundai holds its own.

The Ioniq 5 opens lower. Its base rear-drive lists at $69,990 driveaway on a promotional NSW offer running to 30 September 2026, under the bZ4X Touring's $76,020 driveaway. But the comparison flips on drivetrain. The Toyota is all-wheel drive as standard, and the only all-wheel-drive Ioniq 5, the N Line Premium, costs $85,490 driveaway, nearly $9,500 more than the Touring. So if you want the cheapest way into either car, the rear-drive Hyundai wins; if you want all-wheel drive, the Toyota is materially cheaper. Note the Hyundai entry price is a limited offer, not a permanent list price.

Each wins part of the ledger. The bZ4X Touring caps servicing at $180 a visit, about $900 over five years, and includes five years of roadside assistance against the Hyundai's two. The Ioniq 5 answers with longer gaps between visits, servicing every 30,000km or 24 months versus the Toyota's 15,000km or 12 months, and a headline seven-year warranty against five. That warranty carries a condition: it holds only if every service is done at a Hyundai dealer, otherwise it reverts to five years. Both cover the battery for eight years or 160,000km. For predictable low servicing bills the Toyota edges it; for warranty length and fewer workshop trips, the Hyundai.

Both are five-star ANCAP cars. The full active-safety kit is standard on each: autonomous emergency braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and driver attention monitoring. The Ioniq 5's rating comes from 2021 testing, with sub-scores of 88 per cent for adult occupant protection, 87 per cent for child occupants and 89 per cent for safety assist. The bZ4X Touring is covered by the more recent bZ4X family rating and carries eight airbags. Neither has a meaningful safety advantage on the published data, so families can shop either with confidence and decide on other grounds.

For a family making its first electric move, it comes down to what reassures you. The bZ4X Touring makes the easy-ownership case: the biggest boot at 603 litres, standard all-wheel drive, capped servicing, five years of roadside and Toyota's dealer network. The Ioniq 5 makes the technical case: 570km of range on the base car, 18-minute DC charging that eases road-trip nerves, and a bigger battery. Both are five-star safe and seat five. If your worry is running costs and dealer backing, buy the Toyota; if it is range anxiety and charging time, the Hyundai settles it better.

The Ioniq 5 is the clearer choice for a technology-led buyer. Its 800-volt architecture charges from 10 to 80 per cent in about 18 minutes and peaks at 240kW, well ahead of the Toyota's 150kW and 30 minutes. Inside, it runs twin 12.3-inch displays and offers a head-up display from the Elite grade up. The bZ4X Touring counters with a larger 14-inch touchscreen, but its 7-inch driver's cluster is small and there is no head-up display. If charging speed and cabin technology are what excite you, the Hyundai is the more advanced car; the Toyota's tech is competent rather than leading.

Value depends on the drivetrain you want. If all-wheel drive is on your list, the bZ4X Touring is the value play: $76,020 driveaway, well under the only all-wheel-drive Ioniq 5, plus capped servicing and five years of roadside. If rear-wheel drive is fine, the Ioniq 5's $69,990 entry offer undercuts the Toyota and adds the longer seven-year warranty, though that offer ends 30 September 2026 and the warranty needs dealer servicing to hold. For the lowest all-wheel-drive price and running costs, the Toyota; for the cheapest entry and warranty length, the Hyundai.