Comparison of the interior of the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6

Although mechanically very similar, Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 surprisingly different. The main area in which they differ is their interior. And since this is where you will spend the vast majority of your time with each vehicle, it is important to know what suits you best. So we spent some time in each of them and highlighted their differences in design, usability and space to help you figure out which electric sunroof might fit best.

General design

Like their appearance, Kia and Hyundai there are distinctly different styles that have distinctly different goals. The Ioniq 5 is clearly designed as a modern, lightweight and airy machine. Door panels are extremely minimalist, even hiding the gripping points behind one simple block armrest. The dash is just as simple and short. The entire space under the dashboard is also open, and the center console extends with a large open storage area. The switch also sits on a column, further revealing the area under tidy. This is an unusual location under the wiper handle, where many cars place a cruise control handle, certainly unusual, as is its functionality: turn down for reversing, turn up for Drive, press the end button for parking.

All materials are muted color, either black or soft gray (although machines painted in Digital Teal may have this color on the doors and dashboard). There are several shiny or eye-catching finishes. It doesn’t even have a chrome badge on the steering wheel, just four small squares. These squares are displayed throughout the cabin, either in printed images on the door panels or in perforations in affordable upholstery with leatherette. At night, the surrounding lighting is just as soft and delicate, with most of it reflected from the door panels, and the light is tucked behind the armrests.

The Kia EV6, especially in the GT-Line finish, is much more catchy and sporty. Next, the dashboard sticks out, all sorts of decorations on it. The upper part is decorated with stripes, and the middle of the dashboard has customizable segments of ambient lighting. The controls seem to sink further and are almost greeted by a tall and long center console. This console has several controls along with a toggle lever that practically fits under your palm. All of this helps create a more futuristic cabin feel.

All materials are much darker but with high contrast. Our model had black faux suede with a bright white imitation leather trim. There are brighter metal accents, such as a ring attached along the bottom of the steering wheel. The low roof line and dark ceiling create a slender cabin atmosphere.

Controls

This is the area where the two EVs begin to show that they are related. They both hope for a pair of 12.3-inch screens for tools and infotainment. They may be different, with separate color and font schemes, but their location and functionality are basically identical. They look great in any car, run smoothly and are fairly easy to read. Touch screens are equally responsive with icons that are easy to tap. The menus aren’t too complicated or deep, so it’s a comprehensively enduring experience.

Below the screens are more special buttons, and this is where the two cars diverge. Each has very similar sets of controls, but they are presented differently. Hyundai (pictured above) has a number of physical quick access buttons and a volume control to help with infotainment features. Below is a set of touch buttons for control most climate functions. Surprisingly, these buttons do not have heated seats. To do this, open a more detailed climate menu on the screen of the infotainment program.

Kia combines all these controls into one line of touch buttons (see video above). Only climate control or infotainment can be used at a time. One of the buttons is a special switch. It’s a cool little trick to have these multifunction buttons and knobs and it helps organize them EV6 cabin appearance. In practice, however, it’s a little annoying to bounce between them if you want to adjust the air temperature and then the volume. And, as in Hyundai, the climate buttons do not cover everything, so some features need to be adjusted on the screen.

There is another amazing user experience in the arena of charging your phone and connecting. The Ioniq 5 cordless phone charger is buried at the bottom of the center console along with the wired charging ports, making accessing it difficult. The EV6 is better with a wireless charger at the top of the console. However, both cars do not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto wireless. This means that you are either charging wirelessly or connecting, which is another inconvenience. And it also overcomes the EV6’s slight advantage in phone convenience.

Seats

The seats are definitely adapted to the overall focus of each car. The Ioniq 5 has true readings in pairs thanks to the built-in footrest on the driver’s seat, which is designed for use in conjunction with the seatback with maximum tilt. No matter how good an idea it is to sit in anticipation of your electric charge, it will not be useful to everyone. For a long-legged driver like yours, this is not enough to provide great support. If you are below, this may come in handy.

One of the other key benefits of Ioniq is overhead. Its higher roofline means there’s more headroom in front and behind – indeed, taller people can find their hair combing Kia’s roof. It also promotes a lighter and airier Ioniq feel.

The EV6 lacks a lot of fancy seating features, but the GT-Line models have a very sporty upholstery with faux suede. It matches the sportier design of the car, but also helps keep you in place so you don’t slip while taking advantage of this dynamic. The seat design seems to have a bit more reinforcement, but it’s not particularly noticeable.

Apart from these differences, the seats of the two cars are very similar. They have a good amount of pillows, though not much lumbar support or a large shape. The lower pillows are a bit short, but the angle helps provide decent hip support. The leg and knee space in both rows is huge, with lots of people and child seats turned behind. We also really like the tilt adjustment in the rear seats.

Cargo space

Just as different body shapes have affected the passenger space, the Ioniq 5 and EV6 have different amounts of cargo space. The more ordinary and taller design of the Ioniq 5 gives it more space. With the rear seats raised, it has 27.2 cubic feet, and folding these seats increases the space to 59.3. The EV6 has 24.4 cubic feet of rear seats and 50.2 cubic feet of folded, which still proved large enough to hold all of our bags. standard luggage test (we still need to check Ioniq 5).

Conclusion

Objectively Ioniq 5 has a slightly the best interior. It’s a little more spacious, and the controls are a little more user-friendly. But this is much less than the subjective aspects. If you are looking for a car that is more soothing for a holiday, Hyundai is the way to go. But if you’re looking for something like a spaceship sports cabin, Kia will have your captain’s chair. And you can’t go wrong with either.