These two share a platform, an 84 kWh pack, a 168 kW motor, 350 Nm, 263 kW peak charging and 3.6 kW of vehicle-to-load. The table below separates them by one minute of charging and one kilometre of range, both of which are inside the margin of any single test. Anyone telling you one is clearly better on paper is reading noise.
What actually differs
- On the EPA highway cycle – the one that decides a long drive – Kia EV6 84 kWh RWD is rated 10 km further than the Hyundai Ioniq 5 84 kWh RWD.
- Kia EV6 84 kWh RWD charges from 10 to 80 per cent 1 minutes faster than the Hyundai Ioniq 5 84 kWh RWD.
Every line above is computed from the table below, not written: a difference is only stated where both cars carry that figure from a named source. Not compared, because at least one car has no sourced value: price.
| Specification | Hyundai Ioniq 5 84 kWh RWD Hyundai | Kia EV6 84 kWh RWD Kia |
|---|---|---|
| Market & identity | ||
| Curb weight | 4,542 lb | 4,519 lb |
| Battery | ||
| Cell chemistry LFP tolerates daily charging to 100% and is the most thermally stable; NMC and NCA pack more energy per kilogram. | NMC | NMC |
| Usable capacity The figure every range and cost calculation on this site is based on. | 80.0 kWh | 80.0 kWh |
| Thermal management Active liquid or direct-refrigerant cooling is the strongest single predictor of slow degradation and repeatable fast charging. | liquid-active | liquid-active |
| Pack voltage 800 V architectures hold high charging power for longer and waste less energy as heat. | 697 V | 697 V |
| Capacity loss per year Rate for this vehicle class from published fleet datasets, not a measurement of this model and not a manufacturer claim. | 2.7% / year est | 2.7% / year est |
| Projected state of health at 8 years Modelled from the observed degradation rate at average annual mileage. An estimate, not a measurement. | 78% est | 78% est |
| Range & efficiency | ||
| EPA range US EPA combined cycle, the most conservative of the three official tests. | 318 mi | 319 mi |
| EPA range, city The city half of the EPA combined rating. Usually the higher of the two for an electric car. | 356 mi | 352 mi |
| EPA range, highway The highway half of the EPA combined rating, and the figure to plan a long drive around. | 272 mi | 278 mi |
| WLTP range European combined cycle, typically 15 to 25 percent more optimistic than EPA for the same car. | 354 mi | 362 mi |
| Observed real-world range Mixed-conditions figure from independent testing. This is the number that matters on a road trip. | 280 mi | 280 mi |
| EPA consumption | 30.0 kWh/100 mi | 29.6 kWh/100 mi |
| Real-world consumption | 286 Wh/mi | 286 Wh/mi |
| Charging | ||
| Peak DC power Held briefly, often only inside a narrow state-of-charge window. | 263 kW | 263 kW |
| 10 to 80 percent DC charge time The honest measure of fast-charging speed. | 18 min | 17 min |
| AC onboard charger Sets how fast the car fills up overnight at home. | 11 kW | 11 kW |
| DC connector (Europe) | CCS2 | CCS2 |
| DC connector (US) The plug fitted to the car as sold in the United States. Blank where we have not sourced it for that market. | NACS | NACS |
| Performance | ||
| Peak power | 168 kW | 168 kW |
| 0-60 mph | — | — |
| 0-100 km/h | 7.5 s | — |
| Cost of ownership | ||
| Base MSRP (US) | $37,500 | $41,200 |
| Base price (EU) | €51,650 | — |
| Est. out-of-warranty pack replacement (US) | — | — |
| Battery warranty | 10 yr | 10 yr |
| Est. 5-year residual value | — | — |
| Safety & risk | ||
| NHTSA overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Euro NCAP overall rating | 5/5 | 5/5 |
| Battery or high-voltage recalls | 10 | 4 |
| Battery safety score | ||
| Composite score Our own composite of thermal management, cell chemistry, crash rating and recall record. Formula | 6.5 / 10 | 6.6 / 10 |
highlighted marks the better figure for that row. Where a car is not sold in a market, its price and official range for that market are blank rather than converted. est marks a modelled value, explained on the methodology page.
What is genuinely identical
80 kWh usable from an 84 kWh pack. 697 V nominal on an 800-volt architecture. 168 kW and 350 Nm to the rear wheels. 263 kW peak DC. 11 kW AC. 3.6 kW vehicle-to-load. 178 Wh/km. Five stars from both NHTSA and Euro NCAP.
That is not a coincidence or a coordinated launch — it is one set of hardware sold under two badges, which is normal within a group and unusually complete in this case.
What actually differs
The EV6 records seventeen minutes from 10 to 80 percent against the Ioniq 5’s eighteen, and 451 km observed against 450 km. Both differences are smaller than the variation you would see between two tests of the same car on different days. Do not buy on them.
The real differences are shape and packaging. The Ioniq 5 is taller and boxier, with a flat floor, a longer wheelbase than its footprint suggests, and a rear seat that slides. The EV6 is lower and longer with a more raked tailgate, a smaller boot aperture and less rear headroom. The EV6 looks like a fastback; the Ioniq 5 is easier to load and easier to sit in.
Neither shape helps efficiency: both return 178 Wh/km. The EV6’s sleeker profile buys it nothing measurable here, which is a useful reminder that a low roofline is not the same thing as a low drag coefficient.
Recall record
Ten battery, electrical or powertrain campaigns for the Ioniq 5 against four for the EV6 over the last four model years, on the NHTSA record. Because the hardware is shared, that gap is worth reading rather than counting — the campaigns and their scope are linked from each car’s own page.
Which one should you buy
Sit in both, put whatever you actually carry in the boot of both, and buy whichever is cheaper on the day. On this evidence there is no specification-led answer, and pretending otherwise would be inventing a distinction to justify a page.
If you need maximum interior flexibility, the Ioniq 5. If you want the lower, longer shape and can live with the boot, the EV6.
Frequently asked questions
Are the Ioniq 5 and EV6 the same car underneath?
Effectively yes. They share the E-GMP platform, the 84 kWh pack, the 168 kW rear motor, the 800-volt architecture and the vehicle-to-load hardware. The bodies and the interiors differ; the running gear does not.
Is the EV6 really faster to charge?
By one minute over the 10-80 percent window, which is within test-to-test variation. Treat them as equal.
Which has more usable space?
The Ioniq 5, on shape rather than on any number in the table: a taller body, a flat floor and a sliding rear bench. The EV6’s fastback roofline costs it rear headroom and boot aperture.
Where these numbers come from
Every figure is credited on the Ioniq 5 and EV6 pages. Both cars use NMC cells; what that means for ageing and cold-weather behaviour is on the chemistry page.