Hyundai has finally taken the wraps off the Ioniq 5 for the Indian market. Right now, there are a number of electric vehicles (EVs) in the market, both in the luxury segment as well as on the budget side. The luxury segment mainly features electric SUVs and sedans while the budget segment has cars such as the Tiago EV, Tigor EV and the Nexon EV from the Tata stable, so it’s fairly varied. In the Hyundai Ioniq’s segment, too, there are a number of electric vehicles for the Indian market. But in terms of price, the Ioniq mainly goes up against its sibling, the Kia EV6, and the Volvo XC40 Recharge.
Design and dimensions
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 and the Kia EV6 are two very distinct offerings in this regard. Both cars are essentially hatchbacks, and while the dimensions vary a bit, the real difference is in the styling. While the EV6 features cleaner design elements and smoother curves that come from modern-day car design, the Ioniq 5 veers more towards the retro side with crisp straight lines and sharper corners. Even lighting elements, although using LEDs, are square pixel-style units that give it an old video-game vibe. The Volvo XC40 Recharge, on the other hand, is a straight-up compact SUV and gets the styling to match with a flat nose, tall stance and square-ish proportions.
Where these cars are more or less matched in dimension, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 has the longest wheelbase here at 3,000 mm but in terms of length is just a bit shorter than the Kia EV6. In pure numbers, the Ioniq 5 measures 4,635 mm, 1,890 mm and 1,625 mm in length, width and height respectively. The EV6 on the other hand measures 4,695 mm x 1,890 mm x 1,570 mm and gets a wheelbase of 2,900 mm. As for the Volvo, it is the shortest but tallest car here, measuring 4,440 mm, 1,863 mm and 1,652 mm. It also gets the shortest wheelbase at 2,702 mm.
Powertrain
Now, internationally, both the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 are offered with two battery options and two motor options for a total of four variants, each with their own performance levels. For India, however, The EV6 gets just the larger battery pack and two motor options while the Ioniq 5 is offered in a single specification. The Ioniq 5’s single-motor RWD set up is powered by a 72.6 kWh battery pack that produces 217 PS of maximum power and 350 Nm of peak torque. This allows for a range of 631 according to ARAI and 480 km under the WLTP cycle. The Kia EV6, on the other hand, is offered with the same battery pack with both the single-motor RWD setup as well as the dual-motor AWD setup. In the RWD variant, you a 229 PS power figure and 350 Nm torque figure while the AWD setup produces 325 PS of power and 605 Nm of peak torque. The Kia EV6 also manages up to 708 km in range according to ARAI and 528 km under the WLTP cycle. The Recharge is the most powerful EV here with a dual-motor AWD setup powered by a 78 kWh battery pack. This motor churns out 408 PS of maximum power and 660 Nm of peak torque. However, the Recharge also gets the shortest range, topping out at 418 km according to the WLTP cycle.
As far as charging goes, both the Kia and the Hyundai get Hyundai’s 800 V charging system using which they can be charged from 10-80 percent in just 18 minutes. Using the more widely available 50 kW DC charger, too, the Ioniq and the EV6 charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 57 minutes and 73 minutes, respectively. The Volvo, on the other hand, takes 120 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent.
Features
As far as features go, you have to expect a fully loaded list and that’s what you get. Both the EV6 and the Ioniq get an integrated dual screen system for the driver’s display and infotainment setup. Both screens measure the same 12.3 inches. The Recharge gets a 12.3-inch driver’s display too, but the infotainment system is a 9-inch screen oriented in portrait mode. The Volvo and the Hyundai get panoramic sunroofs while the EV6 gets a single pane sunroof. The Volvo and EV6 get premium 14-speaker audio systems from Harman Kardon and Meridian, respectively, while the Ioniq gets an 8-speaker Bose premium audio setup. The Ioniq gets a leg up in seating comfort, however, with ventilated seats at the front and heated seats all around. The Korean EVs also get the vehicle-to-load (V2L) system which allows for the use of external electrical appliances using the car as the power source. Safety features for all three include ADAS, 360-degree camera and all the other features you would expect.
Price
Finally, pricing. Hyundai launched the Ioniq 5 at the 2023 Auto Expo with an introductory price of just Rs 44.95 lakh for the first 500 customers. Prices will go up a notch once these deliveries are made. The Kia EV6, however, is priced significantly higher, starting at Rs 60.95 lakh, while the Volvo XC40 Recharge is priced at Rs 56.90 lakh, ex-showroom. The reason for the Kia EV6’s higher pricing despite being essentially the same product is that while it comes to India as a completely built-up import, the Ioniq 5 is being assembled locally, which helps in reducing taxes and consequently lowers prices.
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