Hyundai Ioniq vs Kia EV6

What's the difference?

Hyundai's Ioniq range is nothing if not a flex in the face of Toyota.

Sure, Toyota has a dominating position in the Australian market, with its well-received range of hybrid models, but what happens after hybrid? Hyundai takes on the blocky Prius formula with not only a directly competing hybrid model, but a plug-in and a fully electric version, too.

This expansive range is as though Hyundai is trying to demonstrate it's ready for any future, near or far, and guess what, Toyota? Anything you can do; the Korean juggernaut thinks it can do better.

These cars aren't really designed to sell so much as they are offerings for early adopters, but a few years after its launch, with a host of rivals set to take it on, and an entire sub-brand based on the Ioniq just around the corner, is Hyundai's top-spec Ioniq electric  worth a look? I took one for a week to find out.

Four years is a long time in the Australian automotive sector. Back in 2022, the Kia EV6 made a big splash as a cool, edgy EV with a focus on driver engagement.

It won a bunch of awards and was praised for its dynamism and design. Kia’s first dedicated EV was a winner! But in the years since it’s been overshadowed by a gaggle of newer and cheaper electric cars, largely from China.

More than a year after it made its global debut, Kia Australia has finally launched the facelifted EV6 in Australia. It brings with it a number of changes, most notably a new front end design, as well as a multimedia and software upgrade, chassis refinements, local ride and handling tuning tweaks and bigger batteries for more driving range.

But is it too little, too late for the Kia EV6? Have buyers moved on from this once ground-breaking EV to more affordable Chinese options? Read on to find out why this EV shouldn’t be so easily forgotten.