Volvo C40 Recharge vs BMW iX1 vs Kia EV6 vs Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs Others

In this set, the Ioniq 5 is the roomiest, has perhaps the best range, the best looks, great interiors and costs well over ₹10L less than the alternatives.

BHPian Ripcord09 recently shared this with other enthusiasts.

Volvo C40 Recharge

What you’ll like:

  • Sharply styled crossover. Volvo’s designs sure are head-turners!
  • Solid build & top-notch quality, inside out
  • Powerful drivetrain with 402 BHP, 660 Nm and AWD gives it sportscar-like performance
  • Zero emissions, cheap running costs & green image will appeal to a lot of people
  • Real-world range should be ~400 km, which is enough for most users
  • Excellent high-speed stability coupled with sorted handling. Mature ride quality at speed too
  • Loaded with features such as panoramic pixel technology headlamps, electric front seats with extendable seat bases, one-pedal driving, button-less starting procedure, air purifier, 13-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, etc.
  • 5-star NCAP rating, top-notch safety kit & level 3 ADAS to keep you safe

What you won’t:

  • Will be more expensive than the XC40 Recharge which is priced at 60 lakhs on-road
  • Rear seat comfort levels are mediocre. Raised floor & upright seatback. It’s best for just 2 & ingress/egress are tricky too, due to the sloping roofline
  • Coupe-like rear styling can be polarising. Will divide opinions
  • Poor rearward visibility due to the acutely angled rear windscreen & C-pillar design
  • Spare tyre is placed above the boot floor and eats into luggage space
  • Missing features such as ventilated seats, head-up display, adjustable regenerative braking, wireless Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, rear wiper, full-size spare tyre (has a space saver tyre) etc.
  • Firm low-speed ride. Liveable, but not plush in the city. You feel bad roads in the city
  • Small dealership and service network isn’t a patch on its German competitors

Review Link

BMW iX1

Launch Thread

Kia EV6

Preview link

Volvo XC40 Recharge

Launch Thread

Mercedes-Benz EQB 300

What you’ll like:

  • Fantastic CBU build quality, with GLS-inspired styling. Fits the ‘Baby GLS’ moniker
  • Top-notch performance with dual electric motors and 4MATIC AWD. Regen mode can enable single-pedal driving
  • 423 km WLTP range is sufficient for urban commutes and medium-distance highway drives
  • Impressive ride & handling for a 2+ tonne SUV. Great real-world ground clearance adds practicality
  • Zero tailpipe emissions & green image will appeal to the environmentally-conscious
  • Tastefully appointed cabin. Loaded to the gills with features, safety kit & technology

What you won’t:

  • Range not quite enough for long-distance touring. Range anxiety will be a factor on road trips
  • Third row has awkward accessibility and limited space. Not a true 7-seater
  • DC fast charging is unlikely to be widely available in the near future. 11 kW AC charging takes overnight for a full charge
  • Missing features like a spare tyre (!!!), ventilated seats which cheaper cars get, etc.
  • Boot space with all rows up is a measly 110 litres. A better 465 litres with 3rd row down, but the optional spare tyre will chew away useable space

Review Link

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Review Link

Here’s what BHPian Shreyans_Jain had to say on the matter:

There are two clear-cut sub-segments here

At one end is the Ioniq 5. Car for car, it is 100% competitive against everything else on this list. But the CKD pricing makes it 15L cheaper than the rest. If the buyer is OK with the Hyundai badge and the hatchback styling, this car is the straightforward no-brainer pick.

If street cred is more important, the choice essentially boils down to the Volvo C40 and Kia EV6. These two cars, both of which are ground-up EVs, stand above the rest. You have the Volvo with the snobbier badge, better performance and better interior quality and the Kia with its bigger size, roomier cabin and supercar styling. Close call between the two, but my pick will be the Kia EV6 AWD. Man, that thing just looks super sexy in red.

Here’s what BHPian iliketurtles had to say on the matter:

I suspect the overwhelming majority of this vote will go to the C40 Recharge or the Ioniq 5, but none of these cars are perfect.

The C40 has that weird all-in-one infotainment that crams everything in, and slightly boxy interiors. The Ioniq 5 loses out on badge value, outright punch, and interior quality.

I would personally plump for the EV6 (hypothetically). It looks fantastic IMO, with great space, and a truckload of futuristic features, and it drives great. It’s no Korean gizmo. The ride quality is beautifully balanced, the body roll is very minimal, and it’s genuinely fun to drive. Shame that its steering lacks much feel and that the interiors are so mediocre at that price, as is the sound system.

Still, from these contenders, it would be my pick. If the Ioniq 5 had the EV6’s powertrain, I’d happily pick it over the Kia. It’s the best-looking car of these options by a long shot. Never fails to make my head turn. But the Kia in that shade of blue is stunning too, just slightly less so than the Hyundai.

Here’s what BHPian Hayek had to say on the matter:

Revealed Preference – Ioniq 5.

In this set, the Ioniq 5 is the roomiest, has perhaps the best range, the best looks, great interiors and costs well over ₹10 l less than the alternatives. Yes, it is less powerful – but 0-100 in 7.3 s is nothing to sneeze about and it has never felt underpowered to me, and it is surprisingly good to drive (never thought I would say that about a Hyundai). If the Ioniq 5 all-wheel-drive had been launched for ₹5 l more than the RWD version, I would have paid for it. But paying ₹22 l extra for the Kia version which sells everywhere else for more or less the same price makes no sense to me. And Kia will likely start assembly and drop prices sooner or later.

The iX1 may be a good choice too – but is likely smaller than the Ioniq 5. If BMW had launched an iX3 at a sub ₹80 l price, I would have considered that seriously but the X1 makes it too small for my use. That’s the same problem with the C40 which based on reviews also seems to have a problem of having regen either on or off instead of the selectable options that the Ioniq has.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.

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