Sibling rivalry: Why Kia says you'll buy an EV6 instead of a Hyundai Ioniq 5

There is some sibling rivalry brewing between the EV6 and Ioniq 5, with Kia detailing the ways it believes its vehicle will attract customers over the Hyundai.

The EV6 and Ioniq 5 are mechanically related, with both designed and built by the same parent company, both riding on the Hyundai Group's E-GMP EV Platform, and both sharing key important mechanical bits.

But there are differences between the two models, and it's these that Kia says will draw customers to its EV6.

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Speaking at the pricing and specification announcement for the incoming EV6 – which included the unveiling of a cheaper entry-level model known as the Air – Kia's product planning boss, Roland Rivero, detailed the areas that he said would inspire customers to choose an EV6 over an Ioniq 5.

"Subjectively speaking it looks better, inside and out, we do have a bigger battery, which means a bigger range, and we have vehicle to load capability in the cabin, which is convenient for charging laptops and devices on the go,” he said.

Mr Rivero also pointed to the localised ride-and-handling program that has been rolled out for the EV6, with the brand's newest EV subjected to an admittedly Covid-impacted tuning program to better equip it for Australian conditions.

"Just judging by driving European and domestic (Korean) spec, if you’re forced to take another region’s (tune), I feel like that’s also a compromise," he said.

"That’s something we didn’t do, we didn’t compromise. We formulated Australian spec...and I hope you’ll appreciate that initial step we took."

The man responsible for Kia's local ride-and-handling program, Graeme Gambold, has overseen the localisation of every model in Kia's line-up. And while he concedes rolling border closures and lockdowns impacted the EV6 program, he says the result is still a car tailored to Australia.

"The differences quite significant," he says. "The driving dynamics are quite a long way way from both the domestic and European *tunes), which are extremes, and we're somewhere in the middle.

"So the ride is quite suited to our conditions, while the domestic and European tunes weren't."

The Kia EV6 will land in Australia – in strictly limited numbers, with Kia only able to secure around 500 vehicles for this year, versus the thousands of people who registered their interest – in a two-trim, three-model line-up.

The range kicks off with the Air, from $67,990, which also produces the best range, at 528kms. The range then steps up the GT-Line RWD ($74,990) and GT-Line AWD ($82,990), which come with more equipment, and in the case of the AWD, more power, but produce less driving range.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 arrives in a single, well-equipped trim level.

The Ioniq 5 is offered in a single grade with two powertrain options: a 160kW and 350Nm single motor ($71,900) and a 225kW and 605Nm dual motor ($75,900).

Both get a 72.6kWh lithium-ion battery (versus the Kia's 77.4kWh battery), delivering a driving range of between 430 and 451km.