Kia EV5 vs Kia EV6

It is not close. As of 2026 both quote NSW driveaway pricing, so this is a like-for-like read. The EV5 opens at $49,990 driveaway for the Air Standard Range, part of a drive-away campaign Kia has been rolling forward, while the EV6 starts at $78,277 driveaway for the Air, a gap of close to $28,300 at the door. The distance holds up the range: the EV5 tops out at $75,990 for the GT-Line, roughly where the EV6 is only halfway up its ladder. The EV6 GT flagship runs past anything in the EV5 range. Run each brand's own driveaway quote for your postcode before you decide.

This is the EV6's headline advantage, and it comes down to architecture. The EV6 rides on an 800-volt system that refills 10 to 80 per cent in about 18 minutes on a 350kW ultra-rapid charger, peaking at around 258kW. The EV5 runs a 400-volt system that peaks at 141kW on its Long Range grades and 102kW on the Standard Range, so the same 10 to 80 per cent top-up takes 36 to 38 minutes. Home AC charging is closer, with the EV6 at 10.5kW and the EV5 up to 11kW on the Long Range cars. If you regularly charge on the road, the EV6's pace is worth real money.

The EV6 wins on paper, though closer than the price gap suggests. Its rear-drive Air claims 582km WLTP from the 84kWh battery and is the efficiency leader at 159Wh per kilometre. The EV5's range champion is the single-motor Air Long Range at 555km from its larger 88.1kWh pack, with the entry Standard Range at 400km. Both cars trade range for traction on their dual-motor grades: the EV6 drops to 522km and 450km, the EV5 to 500km and 470km. Australian testers note the EV5 uses more energy than the segment's best, so treat its WLTP figures as the more optimistic of the two.

The EV5 is the more practical shape. It stands 1,715mm tall against the EV6's 1,550mm, and the upright body turns into a 513L boot folding out to 1,714L, plus a 67L front boot for cables. The EV6 is longer at 4,695mm and rides a longer 2,900mm wheelbase, so rear legroom is good, but its coupe-fastback roofline trims the boot to 490L and eats into headroom. The EV6 keeps a handy 52L frunk on its rear-drive grades. If you are hauling prams, luggage or flat-pack furniture, the boxier EV5 is the easier car to live with.

Both carry a five-star ANCAP rating, so this is a read of the detail. The EV5 was tested in 2024 and scores 88 per cent for adult occupants, 86 for child occupants, 74 for vulnerable road users and 82 for safety assist. The EV6's rating dates from 2022, running to the end of 2028, and it scores higher for adults at 90 per cent and safety assist at 88, but lower for vulnerable road users at 64. Both come with autonomous emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keep assist and adaptive cruise as standard. The one asterisk: the EV6 GT flagship sits outside the rating and is unrated.

For a family, the EV5 Air Long Range is the pick. As of 2026, at $59,990 driveaway it undercuts even the base EV6 by nearly $20,000, yet it gives you the roomier body, the bigger 513L boot, heated front seats and a lineup-best 555km of range on the efficient single motor. Add a seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and low running costs and it covers the family brief without drama. The EV6 is the better car in isolation, but its charging and driving advantages matter less on the school run than the EV5's space and price do.

If you drive long distances often, take the EV6. The 800-volt system turns a fast-charge stop into an 18-minute coffee break rather than the EV5's 36 to 38 minutes, and the Air grade's 582km range and 159Wh per kilometre efficiency mean fewer stops in the first place. The rear-drive Air or GT-Line RWD are the ones to have here, keeping the efficient single motor and the deepest range. You pay a clear premium over the EV5 to get it, but on a highway life that charging speed is exactly where the money goes.

The EV6 is the driver's choice of the two. Australian reviewers consistently rate it among the best-driving EVs in its class after its local suspension tune, where the heavier EV5 draws criticism for a less settled ride that Kia is addressing in a coming update. The GT-Line RWD is the everyday sweet spot, keeping the efficient rear-drive powertrain while adding the cabin kit. If you want the theatre, the 478kW GT reaches 100km/h in 3.5 seconds, though as of 2026 it costs $109,861 driveaway, gives up range at 450km and is not ANCAP-rated.

Ownership is nearly a wash, which is part of what makes the price and charging gaps so decisive. Both come with Kia's seven-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty, seven years of roadside assistance and 12-month or 15,000km service intervals. Both are electric, so servicing is light and home charging costs a fraction of petrol. The EV6 is the more efficient car, so it costs a little less to run per kilometre, while the EV5's cheaper purchase price and larger battery options give novated-lease buyers more room under the fringe-benefits threshold. Neither will surprise you with running costs.