Compare the2023 Kia EV6VS 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 6

Both the EV6 and Ioniq 6 have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EV6 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Ioniq 6’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The Kia EV6 has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Ioniq 6 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the EV6 and the Ioniq 6 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the EV6 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 127 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Ioniq 6 has not been tested, yet.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 29 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked 17th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 3 more problems per 100 vehicles, Hyundai is ranked third.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Hyundai vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Kia 4 places higher in reliability than Hyundai.

The EV6 has more powerful engines than the Ioniq 6:

On the EPA test cycle the EV6 gets better mileage than the Ioniq 6:

The EV6 can travel longer on a full charge than the Ioniq 6 on a full charge:

For better stopping power the EV6 GT’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Ioniq 6:

The EV6 GT’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Ioniq 6 are solid, not vented.

For better traction, the EV6 has larger standard tires than the Ioniq 6 (235/45R20 vs. 225/55R18). The EV6 GT’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Ioniq 6 (255/40R21 vs. 245/40R20).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EV6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Ioniq 6 SE. The EV6 GT’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Ioniq 6 SEL/Limited.

The EV6 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Ioniq 6’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The EV6 has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Ioniq 6 doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For better maneuverability, the EV6’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Ioniq 6’s (38.2 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

The EV6 Light/Wind is 6.8 inches shorter than the Ioniq 6, making the EV6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The EV6 has .3 inches more front headroom, 4.3 inches more rear legroom and 2.1 inches more rear hip room than the Ioniq 6.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the EV6’s rear seats recline. The Ioniq 6’s rear seats don’t recline.

The EV6 offers up to a 2300 lbs. towing capacity. The Ioniq 6 has no towing capacity.

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the EV6 to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Hyundai doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Ioniq 6.

The EV6 GT-Line has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Ioniq 6 doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The EV6’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Ioniq 6’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically. The Ioniq 6 SEL/Limited’s rear windows don’t close automatically.

The EV6’s standard power window controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Ioniq 6’s available power window controls are spread out on the center console where they can’t be seen without the driver completely removing his eyes from the road.

The EV6’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Ioniq 6’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The EV6’s power mirror controls are mounted on the armrest for easy access. The Ioniq 6’s power mirror controls are on the dash where they are possibly hidden by the steering wheel and are awkward to manipulate.

Both the EV6 and the Ioniq 6 have standard heated front seats. The EV6 also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Ioniq 6.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia EV6 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Ioniq 6 SEL/Limited offers wireless charging.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Kia EV6, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The EV6 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The Ioniq 6 has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the EV6 as the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Ioniq 6 has never been chosen.