Hyundai Ioniq 5 or Kia EV6: this is the most popular

More than two years ago, in January 2021, we saw the first official images of the Hyundai Ioniq 5. That was a real shock, because we did not yet know this cheeky design side from the Koreans. A little later, in March, the equally high-profile Kia EV6 followed. The two cars are technically closely related, but not as strongly as, for example, a Volkswagen ID4 and a Skoda Enyaq iV. For example, there is a difference in wheelbase and the Hyundai and the Kia were initially even given different battery packs, although that was rectified when Hyundai also started supplying the 77.4 kWh pack.

What the cars share is their 800 Volt technology. The first electric cars on the Korean E-GMP platform are also impressive in other areas. Then it is about technology, but especially about their appearance. The Hyundai looks like a kind of futuristic retro interpretation of an 1980s hatchback, but hugely enlarged. The Kia EV6 is a bit smoother, but still recognizable from thousands. Also when it comes to driving characteristics, the two differ significantly from each other. We have come to know the Hyundai as a comfortable lounge on wheels, the Kia is a bit more direct and dynamic. Today’s question: which distinct character appeals most to Dutch buyers?

Well, that’s the Kia EV6. Kia has managed to sell a total of 4,889 copies of this since the first delivery in 2021, compared to 3,836 Ioniq 5s. This outcome is not very surprising, because Kia is also more popular as a brand in our country than Hyundai. However, the Ioniq 5 is catching up in 2023. In January, 183 were sold, while the Kia got stuck at 86 pieces. Hyundai also hits back by being the first to come out with a second model in this series, the Ioniq 6. We recently made our first meters with the electric streamlined sedan, which is remarkably slightly cheaper than the Ioniq 5. That must be good news for Hyundai’s market share in the Netherlands, or at least until Kia comes up with something similar.