Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Zeekr 7X

The Zeekr is the cheaper way in on either basis. It lists from $57,900 before on-road costs, near $64,000 driveaway in Sydney as of August 2026. The Ioniq 5, after a June 2026 cut of up to $8,000, runs about $69,990 driveaway at a Sydney postcode, so the Zeekr saves around $6,000 on the road and closer to $10,000 on list price. Both brands quote a driveaway figure for your own postcode, so run yours rather than trusting a Sydney number. On entry price the Zeekr wins; the Hyundai's counter is what comes after the sale.

The entry Hyundai Ioniq 5 travels further than the base Zeekr, though the Zeekr's dearer Long Range grade goes furthest of all. The base Ioniq 5 claims 570km WLTP against the entry 7X's 480km, so at the cheapest rung the Hyundai wins. Climb the Zeekr range and its Long Range RWD claims 615km, the most of any car here, while the Performance AWD claims 543km. The Ioniq 5 eases through its grades too, to 530km for the Elite and 495km for the N Line Premium. Real-world figures land below all of these, as with any EV. Entry buyers get more range from the Hyundai; buyers chasing the single biggest number should look at the Zeekr Long Range.

Both cars use 800-volt architecture, which is the fast-charging hardware usually reserved for premium EVs, so both are quick by any measure. The Zeekr 7X accepts up to 450kW and claims 10 to 80 per cent in about 13 minutes on a compatible ultra-fast charger. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 charges on a 350kW-class system and claims the same top-up in about 18 minutes. In practice both turn a coffee stop into most of a battery, and at home on AC the difference all but vanishes overnight. The Zeekr has the edge on paper; on a real road trip both are among the fastest-charging cars in the class.

The entry 7X RWD makes 310kW and 440Nm, and claims 6.0 seconds to 100km/h. The base Ioniq 5 counters with 168kW, 350Nm and a claimed 7.3. That margin holds all the way up. The dual-motor Ioniq 5 N Line Premium peaks at 239kW, whereas the 7X Performance AWD's 475kW and 710Nm chase a claimed 3.8 seconds, sports-car territory for a family SUV. Grade for grade, the Zeekr is the harder-accelerating car. The Ioniq 5 has ample outputs and a deliberately relaxed tune, so the deficit only bites for buyers who actually chase pace.

The Zeekr is the longer car, 4,787mm to the Hyundai's 4,655. It shows in the boot: 539 litres seats-up and 1,978 folded, against the Ioniq 5's 520 and 1,580. Both are genuine five-seaters. The Hyundai's counter is how it uses its space, with a flat floor, a sliding rear bench and a 57-litre front boot for charging cables that the Zeekr does without, plus materials the press rates highly. Pick the Zeekr for maximum volume, the Hyundai for the smarter layout and the extra nook up front.

Both carry a five-star ANCAP rating, the Hyundai tested in 2021 and the Zeekr more recently in 2025. The Zeekr posts the stronger crash scores, 91 per cent for adult occupants to the Ioniq 5's 88 and 78 per cent for vulnerable road users to its 63. The Hyundai leads on safety assist, 89 per cent to 78, and every grade includes autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and adaptive cruise. Children are covered equally, at 87 per cent each. The one gripe on the Hyundai is a familiar Korean-EV trait, speed and lane chimes reviewers find intrusive. Split the categories and it lands roughly level.

This is the Hyundai's strongest ground, though not a clean sweep. The Ioniq 5 brings a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, two years more than the Zeekr, a dealer network in most towns, and a resale record the newcomer cannot match yet. The seven-year term is Hyundai's headline, with a dealer-servicing condition in the fine print. The Zeekr answers with longer roadside cover, five years to the Hyundai's two, and much longer service intervals, every 40,000km against 30,000, so you visit less often. Both cover the battery for eight years or 160,000km, and reviews estimate the Zeekr's five-year capped servicing near $2,400 as of August 2026. Peace of mind tilts to the Hyundai; running convenience to the Zeekr.

Some, worth weighing honestly. Zeekr launched in Australia in August 2025, so the dealer network is young, the long-term reliability record is short, and nobody can yet price its resale with confidence, which its five-year warranty and eight-year battery cover partly offset. Against that, the 7X arrived to strong reviews and awards, and it out-delivered the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in Australia in its first full year, so the newcomer is no niche gamble. The Hyundai carries none of that uncertainty: an established brand, a wide dealer network and a proven resale history. Buyers who want a known quantity lean Hyundai; buyers comfortable with a new brand get more car with the Zeekr.

On the car itself, the Zeekr, and the Australian press lines up behind it. Buyers who can stretch to the 7X and accept a young brand get a quicker, faster-charging, roomier and better-equipped SUV that has beaten the field it was built to challenge. The Ioniq 5 earns the nod when the priority is a known quantity rather than raw hardware: it out-ranges the Zeekr at the entry rung, carries a seven-year warranty and proven resale through an established network, and adds design character and a cabin the press respects. Take the Zeekr for the machine and the Hyundai for the reassurance, and let the June 2026 price cut set how close the money lands.