The Tesla Model Y, the Kia EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 are the three cars most people end up choosing between when they want a family-sized electric car and have a real budget to spend. They are close on size, close on range and close on money.
The comparison you will usually read is about 800 volt architecture against 400 volt, and that difference is real. It is also not the one that will affect your week. What will affect your week is how fast each one charges on your own driveway, which of them you can operate without taking your eyes off the road, and which bits of equipment turn out to be trim-dependent rather than standard.
We went through what each manufacturer publishes on its own UK site. The gaps in what they publish turned out to be as revealing as the figures.
The Charging Point Nobody Writes About
The EV6 and the Ioniq 5 are 800 volt cars and the Model Y is a 400 volt car, and on a motorway rapid charger that shows. Kia and Hyundai both publish 10 to 80% in 18 minutes on a 350kW charger, with Hyundai stating a 260kW peak and Kia noting that the car needs an 800 volt charger delivering at least 260kW to hit its maximum rate.
Tesla publishes no 10 to 80% time and no peak kW figure for the Model Y anywhere on its UK pages. Its only charging metric is miles added in 15 minutes, measured at a constant 62mph. That is not a criticism of how the car charges, which is well understood to be quick. It does mean you cannot compare the three on the manufacturers' own numbers, and we are not going to fill Tesla's gap with somebody else's estimate.
All three are roughly 10.5 to 11kW three-phase cars, and almost every UK home is single-phase. So none of them will charge at 11kW on your driveway. Tesla is the only one of the three that publishes its single-phase figure, 7.4kW at 32 amps. Kia publishes no single-phase figure at all, and Hyundai prints TBC against its 7.2kW row for every single version. The practical answer is that all three charge overnight at about 7kW, and only one manufacturer will tell you so.
If you do most of your charging at home, which most people with a driveway do, the 800 volt advantage applies to a handful of long journeys a year rather than to your daily routine. Worth weighing it accordingly.
The Cabin, Which Splits Three Ways
This is the difference you will notice every day, and it is not a tie.
| Driver display | Climate controls | |
|---|---|---|
| Tesla Model Y | None. Tesla states the touchscreen displays the car's status at all times | On screen. Tesla's own manual says the touchscreen controls features that in traditional cars are physical buttons |
| Kia EV6 | 12.3 inch curved display next to a 12.3 inch touchscreen | Not stated by Kia either way |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 12.3 inch digital cluster | Physical climate and heated seat buttons on a sliding centre console |
One correction worth making, because it is repeated constantly: the current UK Model Y does still have an indicator stalk. Tesla's own UK owner's manual lists it. What it does not have is a driver's instrument display or physical climate controls, and that is a bigger deal day to day than the stalk ever was.
The Ioniq 5 is the only one of the three where Hyundai markets the physical buttons as a feature, which tells you something about where that argument has landed. It also has a dark screen surround specifically to cut reflections. If you have driven a screen-only car and disliked it, that is the one to try first.
Vehicle-to-Load Is Not Uniform Either
Being able to run a kettle, a laptop or power tools off the car is one of the genuinely useful things electric cars added, and the way it is offered here is messier than the usual summary suggests.
| What you get | |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | A 230 volt socket at up to 3.6kW. Not available at all on the entry Advance trim, standard on Premium, N Line, Ultimate and N Line S |
| Kia EV6 | Standard on Air and GT-Line. On GT-Line S it is listed as vehicle-to-load capability with adapter. Kia publishes no power output |
| Tesla Model Y | Nothing comparable published |
So it is not two have it and one does not. It is that you have to pick the right trim to get it, and on the Ioniq 5 the cheapest trim is the one that misses out. If this is a reason you want the car, tell us and we will make sure the trim on your quote actually has it.
Heat Pump, and Why It Matters More Than the Spec Sheet Suggests
A heat pump heats the cabin using far less battery than a resistive heater, which in a British winter can be the difference between losing 10% of your range and losing 25%. It is a fourth three-way split.
| Heat pump | |
|---|---|
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | Standard on every 84kWh version. Not available on the 63kWh battery |
| Kia EV6 | An option on GT-Line S only. Not fitted and not available on Air or GT-Line |
| Tesla Model Y | Not published on any UK page |
Hyundai's press release says the new Ioniq 5 features a standard heat pump across the range. Hyundai's own pricing and specification guide says it is standard only on the 84kWh battery and not available on the 63kWh. Both are Hyundai UK. The spec guide is the current document, so that is what we go with, and it means an entry 63kWh Ioniq 5 has no heat pump, no vehicle-to-load and only 750kg of towing. Ask us to confirm it against the exact version on your quote.
On the EV6 the heat pump appears in Kia's price guide as separate variants, so a GT-Line S with a heat pump and one without are two different things to order. Worth saying out loud when you ask for a quote rather than assuming.
Range, Towing and Boots
| Battery and range | Braked towing | Boot | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kia EV6 | 84kWh across the range. 361 miles rear-wheel drive, 339 all-wheel drive, 347 and 324 on 20 inch wheels | 1,800kg | 490 litres, 1,270 folded, 52 litre front boot rear-wheel drive |
| Hyundai Ioniq 5 | 63kWh at 273 miles, or 84kWh at 354 miles rear-wheel drive and 307 to 311 all-wheel drive | 1,600kg on 84kWh, 750kg on 63kWh | 520 litres, 1,580 folded, up to 57 litre front boot |
| Tesla Model Y | Not published per version on Tesla's UK pages | 1,600kg on all wheel configurations | Not published. Tesla gives load limits in kilograms, not volumes |
The EV6 tows the most and the Ioniq 5 carries the most, and both beat the Model Y on figures Tesla declines to publish. The 750kg towing limit on the 63kWh Ioniq 5 is the one to watch, because it is less than half what the same car manages with the bigger battery.
Kia also contradicts itself on whether a 63kWh EV6 still exists: its overview page still mentions a 63kWh standard range at up to 265 miles, while its price guide lists seven versions and every one of them is 84kWh. If you want the cheaper battery, ask before you set your heart on it.
So Which One?
The Hyundai Ioniq 5 if you want the most car for the money and the least irritating controls. Biggest boot, physical climate buttons, standard heat pump on the 84kWh, and the battery pre-conditioning is standard across the range. Avoid the 63kWh unless the lower price is the whole point, because it gives up the heat pump, vehicle-to-load and most of the towing.
The Kia EV6 if you tow, because 1,800kg is the best here, or if you prefer how it looks and drives. Check whether the quote has the heat pump, because it is a GT-Line S option rather than standard anywhere.
The Tesla Model Y if the Supercharger network and the software are the reason you want the car, which for a lot of people they genuinely are. Go and sit in one first, because no driver's display and no physical climate controls is a bigger adjustment than it sounds, and be aware that you will be comparing it on less published information than the other two.
Compare the Three Directly
Current lease pricing on each.
Worth Reading First
The guides that cover the money and the charging.
Want All Three Priced on the Same Terms?
Tell us your mileage, whether you can charge at home and whether you tow, and we will quote all three on matching terms and confirm the trim-dependent kit in writing before anything is signed.
Talk to LetsLeaseFrequently Asked Questions
The Ioniq 5 for most people, because it has the biggest boot, physical climate controls, a standard heat pump on the 84kWh battery and battery pre-conditioning across the range. The EV6 if you tow, since 1,800kg braked is the best of the three. The Model Y if the Supercharger network and the software are why you want the car, which for plenty of people they genuinely are.
On a high-power motorway charger, yes, and both publish 10 to 80% in 18 minutes on a 350kW charger. Tesla publishes no 10 to 80% time and no peak kW figure for the Model Y on its UK pages at all, so you cannot compare the three on the manufacturers' own numbers. What matters more for most people is that all three charge at about the same speed at home.
All three at roughly 7kW, and that is the figure that will shape your week. They are all 10.5 to 11kW three-phase cars and almost every UK home is single-phase, so none of them can use its full onboard charger on a normal driveway. Tesla is the only one of the three that publishes its single-phase figure, 7.4kW at 32 amps. Kia publishes none, and Hyundai prints TBC against its 7.2kW row for every version.
Yes. The current UK Model Y has an indicator stalk and Tesla's own UK owner's manual lists it, despite how often you read the opposite. What it does not have is a driver's instrument display or physical climate controls. Tesla states outright that the touchscreen handles features that in traditional cars are physical buttons, so the speed, the climate and the lights all live on the central screen.
Only the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and Hyundai markets them by name: physical climate and heated seat buttons on a sliding centre console. Tesla's Model Y puts climate on the touchscreen and says so in its manual. Kia does not state either way for the EV6, which has a 12.3 inch curved driver display alongside its touchscreen. If you have driven a screen-only car and disliked it, start with the Ioniq 5.
On the two Koreans, and it depends on trim. Hyundai publishes a 230 volt socket at up to 3.6 kilowatts, standard on Premium and above but not available at all on the entry Advance. Kia has it standard on Air and GT-Line and lists it as vehicle-to-load with adapter on GT-Line S, publishing no power output. The Model Y has nothing comparable published. Tell us if this is a reason you want the car and we will make sure the trim on your quote actually has it.
On the 84kWh battery, yes. Not on the 63kWh. Hyundai's press release says a heat pump is standard across the range while its own pricing and specification guide says it is 84kWh only, and the spec guide is the current document, so that is what we go with. Battery heating with pre-conditioning is standard on every trim regardless of battery.
The Kia EV6 at 1,800kg braked, on both rear-wheel and all-wheel drive, with a 100kg maximum tow ball weight. The Model Y is 1,600kg, which Tesla states applies to all wheel configurations. The Ioniq 5 is 1,600kg on the 84kWh battery but only 750kg on the 63kWh, which is the one to watch, because it is less than half the figure for the same car with the bigger battery.
The Ioniq 5 at 520 litres, rising to 1,580 litres with the seats folded, on every trim. The EV6 is 490 litres, or 480 with the premium sound system, and 1,270 folded. Tesla publishes no boot volumes for the Model Y on any UK page, only load limits in kilograms, so there is no figure to compare. Front boots are 57 litres on a rear-wheel-drive Ioniq 5 and 52 on a rear-wheel-drive EV6, both shrinking to around 20 to 24 litres on all-wheel drive.
Unless the lower price is the whole point, yes. It gives up the heat pump, which matters in a British winter, it gives up vehicle-to-load, and its towing limit drops to 750kg. Its 273 mile range is also well short of the 354 miles the 84kWh rear-wheel-drive car manages. It is only offered on the Advance and Premium trims, and on Advance you would be losing vehicle-to-load anyway.
Kia says two different things. Its EV6 overview page still mentions a 63kWh standard range version at up to 265 miles, while its price guide lists seven versions and every single one is 84kWh. So ask before you set your heart on the cheaper battery, and we will confirm what a funder can actually price rather than what the website still shows.
LetsLease is a credit broker rather than the lender. We arrange the agreement and place it with a funder such as Lex Autolease, Novuna, Ayvens or Santander, and that funder owns the vehicle and holds the agreement with you. Because we work across several funders rather than one, we can compare how each prices the same car.