Hyundai Ioniq 5 alternatives: 7 electric family SUVs with range and style
Not sold on Hyundai’s sharp-looking family crossover? Here are seven other options
Four years on from the Hyundai Ioniq 5’s 2021 launch, the brand’s electric crossover still looks and feels fresh. You certainly can’t fail to notice them on the road, where the retro-futuristic styling – part 1980s Giugiaro, part cyberpunk – marks the Ioniq 5 out as being a little more interesting than its rivals.
Not that the Ioniq 5 is head and shoulders above other cars at its price point though, and perhaps the styling is a little too boxy for your tastes. That’s why we’ve pulled together seven alternatives with varying price points, performance, range, and stylistic flourish, which you might wish to consider instead.
Prices for our Ioniq 5 alternatives range between £35,000 and £55,000, while most are capable of matching or beating the Hyundai’s 273-354 mile range, and all have an Auto Express road test rating of 4 stars or above. Let’s get going…
Genesis GV60
- Prices from £54,695
The obvious alternative to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the Kia EV6 on the same platform… but there is a third option that uses the same tech, the Genesis GV60. This is the luxury car of the trio, swapping boxy styling for a more rounded look and getting a more upscale interior that really ramps up the premium feel. The cabin design’s not dissimilar to the Hyundai, but the materials go a long way to justifying a price that starts at just under £55,000.
Refinement also takes a step up, while another justification for the higher price is that the range starts with a larger 77kWh battery and more powerful 226bhp rear motor here, rather than the 63kWh and 168bhp of a basic Ioniq 5. Range in the GV60 is 321 miles (or 292 in the twin-motor Sport version – a 483bhp, 290-mile Sport Plus car is also available). Depreciation is higher than for the Hyundai, though.
Skoda Enyaq
- Prices from £39,000
Skoda got the electric family SUV recipe right the first time with the Enyaq. It was the brand’s first dedicated EV and it’s still core to Skoda’s electric range – and a key Ioniq 5 rival. Priced from £39,000 to just north of £50k, and with a range of 261 to 339 miles depending on the battery, you’d struggle to tell them apart on bare figures; they’re even both 4.6 metres long.
The Skoda can’t hope to compete with the Hyundai on design, though some may prefer that the Enyaq isn’t quite so “look at me”, inside and out. The Skoda thrashes the Hyundai on boot space too, with 585 litres to the Ioniq 5’s 527 litres – you’re always guaranteed plenty of space for their class in Skoda’s cars. Like the Korean car, the Skoda’s not especially interesting to drive, but it ticks the comfort and relaxation boxes just as well.Latest Skoda Enyaq deals
Nissan Ariya
- Prices from £39,645
The Nissan Ariya is somewhat overlooked. You don’t see many on the road, yet it drives well, looks good, and has an attractive cabin. There’s even a sporty Nismo model – it’s not even in the same postcode as the Ioniq 5 N hot hatch for performance or fun, though at around £56,000 it does start the best part of ten grand cheaper.
Entry-level Ariyas are in the same £40,000 ballpark as the equivalent Hyundai Ioniq 5s and come similarly equipped, from their 19-inch alloy wheels to a 12.3-inch touchscreen, and a 63kWh battery pack, though the Nissan’s 22kW onboard charger handles more power than the 11kW Hyundai one. The Hyundai flips this round with 260kW fast charging to the Nissan’s 130kW, and 273 miles of range to the Ariya’s 247. It’s a similar story with the larger batteries: Nissan’s 87kWh pack gets 330 miles, Hyundai’s 84kWh battery manages 354. If you can find a good PCP or lease deal though, the Nissan is still worth a look.
Tesla Model Y
- Prices from £49,990
If recent sales figures are anything to go by, a lot of people are now considering the cars on this list instead of a Model Y, rather than as an alternative to the Hyundai, but the Tesla is still out there and on bare figures it remains competitive. There’s a new model on the way soon so existing cars are only available from inventory, priced from around £45,000 with a 283-mile range – ten miles more than an entry-level Ioniq 5.
If you order the new Model Y, though, that leaps to 311 miles with a £45k starting price, and as ever with Tesla, the Supercharger network makes fast-charging a doddle too. The new car is sure to drive better than the outgoing one as well but the ultra-minimalist cabin will remain an acquired taste.
Ford Explorer
- Prices from £39,275
It doesn’t quite match the Ioniq 5 for visual appeal, but the Ford Explorer is still chunkily handsome, and the relatively squared-off styling and long wheelbase mean it gives the Hyundai a run for its money in terms of space – just like many of the other cars on the Volkswagen MQB platform, on which the Explorer is based. The boot’s smaller than the Ioniq 5’s, at 470 litres, but usefully deeper.
And as you’d hope with a Ford, it drives well too. We’re not talking Fiesta ST levels of fun here, but it’s predictable and consistent in its responses and engages the driver a little more than the Ioniq 5. Performance is similar from both: entry-level Explorers cover 0-62mph in 8.7 seconds (8.5 for the basic Hyundai), and the larger battery Ford’s 6.4 seconds and 374 miles of range compare well with the Hyundai’s 7.5 seconds and 354 miles.
MINI Countryman
- Prices from £28,820
If the Ioniq 5’s design has caught your eye, why not consider another electric model that puts styling front and centre? The latest MINI Countryman is actually a little more accessible than the Hyundai, with a starting price just shy of £33,000, and despite being the biggest MINI, it’s actually a touch smaller than the Ioniq 5, too.
But it’s still useful, with decent space front and rear and a 450-litre boot that’s if anything a squarer, more practical shape than the Hyundai’s space hampered by wheel arches and a more sloping tailgate. The MINI’s infotainment isn’t as intuitive as that in the Hyundai, but it more than matches the Ioniq 5 for quality and modernity inside (with a few retro touches). It’s more fun to drive too – you’ll just have to tolerate a firmer ride, one of the tradeoffs of its more agile feel.
Volvo EX40
- Prices from £45,250
The Volvo EX40 is another car that starts a little more expensive than the Ioniq 5 range but goes some way to justifying it with handsome styling, a feeling of quality, and Volvo’s slightly more elevated image – something even Hyundai’s luxury brand Genesis will take some time to approach.
The EX40 is a little more compact than the Ioniq 5 – it’s more equivalent to the MINI Countryman – so the 410-litre boot looks a little pokey and the rear seat space isn’t as generous. The dashboard is also a lot more conventional (some might say dated) than that of the Hyundai, but it looks and feels classy and there are some tactile materials as well. Volvo has a handle on range, too, with 296 miles for the entry-level car and up to 343 miles in Extended Range variants.
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