Hyundai Ioniq vs Kia Picanto
What's the difference?

Hyundai Ioniq

$18,195 - $42,950

2021 price

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Kia Picanto

$15,190 - $24,990

2024 price

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Mercedes-Benz A-Class

Summary

2021 Hyundai Ioniq

2024 Kia Picanto

By Tom White

Safety Rating

Electric motor type

—

Inline 4, 1.2L

Vehicle type

—

Unleaded Petrol

Electric range

—

5.0L/100km (combined)

Energy consumption

—

Battery capacity

—

Seating

Likes

Well-tuned electric drive
Range is about right
Excellent energy consumption

Affordable
Available as a manual!
Deceptively well equipped

Dislikes

Feels very heavy
Design won't be for everyone
Still a little too pricey for mass adoption

Minimal interior upgrades for 2024
Feeling its age
Fuel consumption is so-so

2021 Hyundai Ioniq Summary

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.

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2024 Kia Picanto Summary

If you're feeling the cost of living sting, there's a good chance you've scaled back your ambitions for your next new car. You may have even looked at some of Australia's most affordable brand-new vehicles and the Kia Picanto is one of them.

It's one of the few brand-new options left with a before-on-roads starting price of under $20,000 and it's one of the few non-performance models left which can still be chosen as a manual.

It's one thing to be affordable, though, and quite another to be good value - so does the freshly updated 2024 Picanto have what it takes to stack up against more expensive options? Let's take a look.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Hyundai Ioniq 2024 Kia Picanto

Verdict

Just like the Kona EV, Hyundai's Ioniq is still one of the best EV options on the market today. It strikes an excellent balance by offering significantly more range and better energy consumption than the more affordable Nissan Leaf or MG ZS EV, while providing the familiarity of the Hyundai spec and drive experience at a price only a little higher than a top-spec Prius.

Its relatively high score is a product of these factors, but also the way in which its interactivity offers the early adopters the engagement they will be searching for.

Verdict

Australians are moving into ever-larger vehicles when really we should be embracing the small car now more than ever. It's great Kia is still here, with its Picanto showing what can be offered in such a compact form-factor.

While it's not as affordable as it once was, it looks like it won't be long before Kia is the last torchbearer of sub-$20k starter cars. Even so, this is a great choice for buyers on strict budgets.

Hyundai Ioniq vs Kia Picanto What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Hyundai Ioniq vs Kia Picanto
What's the difference?