Compare the2027 Hyundai Ioniq 5 VS 2026 Kia Niro EV

Both the Ioniq 5 and Niro EV have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Ioniq 5 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 Niro EV’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.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Ioniq 5 achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Kia Niro EV has not been tested.

The Ioniq 5 has all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The Niro EV doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

The Ioniq 5 Limited/XRT has a standard Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Niro EV only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Ioniq 5 and the Niro EV have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Niro EV has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

The Ioniq 5’s corrosion warranty is 2 years and unlimited miles longer than the Niro EV’s (7/unlimited vs. 5/100,000).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Kia vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, Kia is ranked 8th.

The Ioniq 5 Standard Range’s standard electric motor produces 70 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor. The Ioniq 5 Long Range’s optional electric motor produces 24 more horsepower (225 vs. 201) and 70 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor. The Ioniq 5’s optional electric motors produces 119 more horsepower (320 vs. 201) and 258 lbs.-ft. more torque (446 vs. 188) than the Niro EV’s electric motor.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Hyundai Ioniq 5 electric motors is faster than the Kia Niro EV:

	Ioniq 5	Niro EV
Zero to 30 MPH	1.9 sec	3.2 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	4.7 sec	7.1 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	2.6 sec	3.4 sec
Quarter Mile	13.5 sec	15.6 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	102 MPH	93 MPH

On the EPA test cycle the Ioniq 5 gets better mileage than the Niro EV:

			MPGe
Ioniq 5
	RWD	Standard Range Electric Motor	131 city/100 hwy
		Long Range Electric Motor	129 city/100 hwy
Niro EV
	FWD	Electric Motor	126 city/101 hwy

The Ioniq 5 can travel longer on a full charge than the Niro EV on a full charge:

			Miles
Ioniq 5
	RWD	Long Range Electric Motor	318 miles
	AWD	19" Wheels Electric Motors	290 miles
		20" Wheels Electric Motors	269 miles
		XRT Electric Motors	259 miles
Niro EV
	FWD	Electric Motor	253 miles

For better stopping power the Ioniq 5’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Niro EV:

	Ioniq 5	Niro EV
Front Rotors	12.8 inches	12 inches
Rear Rotors	12.8 inches	11.2 inches

The Ioniq 5 stops much shorter than the Niro EV:

	Ioniq 5	Niro EV
70 to 0 MPH	170 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	132 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Ioniq 5 has larger standard tires than the Niro EV (235/55R19 vs. 215/55R17). The Ioniq 5 Limited AWD’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Niro EV (255/45R20 vs. 215/55R17).

The Ioniq 5 Limited AWD’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Niro EV’s 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Ioniq 5 XRT has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 17-inch wheels are available on the Niro EV. The Ioniq 5 Limited AWD has standard 20-inch wheels.

The Ioniq 5 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Niro EV doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq 5’s wheelbase is 11.1 inches longer than on the Niro EV (118.1 inches vs. 107 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Ioniq 5 is 2.5 inches wider in the front and 2.5 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Niro EV.

The Ioniq 5 Limited AWD handles at .85 G’s, while the Niro EV Wave pulls only .84 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Ioniq 5 AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Niro EV Wave (25.6 seconds vs. 27.3 seconds).

For greater off-road capability the Ioniq 5 has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Niro EV (6.1 vs. 6 inches), allowing the Ioniq 5 to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Ioniq 5 XRT’s minimum ground clearance is 1 inch higher than on the Niro EV (7 vs. 6 inches).

The Ioniq 5 has 6.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Niro EV (106.5 vs. 99.7).

The Ioniq 5 has .2 inches more front legroom, .6 inches more front hip room, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 2.5 inches more rear legroom, .9 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Niro EV.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ioniq 5’s rear seats recline. The Niro EV’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Ioniq 5 has a much larger cargo volume than the Niro EV with its rear seat up (26.3 vs. 22.8 cubic feet).

The Ioniq 5 XRT offers up to a 2700 lbs. towing capacity. The Niro EV has no towing capacity.

The Ioniq 5 Limited’s front and rear power windows all 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 Niro EV Wave’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Ioniq 5’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Niro EV’s standard projector halogen headlights and light instantly. LED lights also last over twenty times longer than halogen.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Ioniq 5 to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Niro EV doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

According to iSeeCars.com the 2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5 retains 40.85% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 40.52% resale value of the 2026 Kia Niro EV after five years, which can save the Hyundai’s owner.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 outsold the Kia Niro by 51% during 2025.