We begin a discussion of two closely-matched Korean electric vehicles, the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and the Kia EV6, with a rare bit of good news for potential EV buyers. While the $7,500 federal EV tax credit ended abruptly this week, the state of Colorado has boosted its own programs to make it more attractive for people to pursue EVs.

Starting Nov. 3, if you trade in a gasoline vehicle that’s at least 12 years old, and purchase an EV that costs less than $35,000, you can qualify for as much as a $15,000 Colorado discount. The overall state tax credit for all EVs will still drop from $3,500 to $750 on Jan. 1.

Sure, it’s still a stretch to actually find a new EV retailing for less than $35,000, though the 2025 Hyundai Ioniq 6, which starts at $37,850 ($56,330 as tested), and the 2025 Kia EV6, with a $42,900 base price ($60,740 here), are still far less expensive in their simpler forms than many of the EVs we’ve recently driven — and also offer competitive power and range.

It was my second try with the Ioniq 6, and its pointedly futuristic looks have not changed — it’s sort of a long-bodied spaceship, mixed with a Porsche 911. The higher-end, Limited all-wheel-drive 2025 model I drove still gets an EPA-rated 270 miles of range, and rear-wheel-drive models have actually dropped a bit to 342 miles of range. The Kia also gets 270 miles as an AWD, with its highest-mileage RWD version topping out at 319 miles.

Underneath that space-age skin, the high-output powertrain is largely the same as that found on the Kia variation, a dual-motor system pushing 320 horsepower and 446 lb-ft of torque. But Ioniq comes out as the overall AWD efficiency winner, with a combined 103 electronic city and highway mileage figure, versus 97 on the EV6, probably due to the Kia’s bulkier, SUV-styled shape. 

Besides the power, 20-inch wheels, happy-to-see-you pop-out door handles and some shared interior switchgear, the physical shape and functionalities of the two cars are as different as can be. Even the four-setting regenerative braking/recharging system – three increasingly grabby settings and then a full-blown one-pedal, almost self-stopping mode – feel vastly different between the two cars.

Maybe it’s that flying saucer shape, but the Ioniq 6 absolutely flew, relentlessly, with bursts of power that seemed more in keeping with the EV6’s ridiculously high-powered GT variant, which now produces a startling 641-hp for 2025.

Like most EVs, the near-silent motoring can feel a little numb and alien at first, but I found I grew into the Ioniq’s capabilities, especially the added cornering grip from those big tires and electronic AWD. 

Part of the choice between the two comes down to a desire for minor societal norms. The Hyundai is still a pretty odd looking car, with a sports car face featuring orange running lights, active grille shutters and a curb-scratching aerodynamic lip. It’s got a very long cabin that suddenly swoops down to a tail featuring another aerodynamic airfoil and an aero trunk lid featuring a tail-wide array of Lego-styled LED brake lamps — oh, and a tiny solar panel, as well.

That configuration means a relatively shallow trunk space and rear headroom that may prove to be a stretch for taller passengers. Foot room is ample, and you could practically sleep on the entirely flat rear floor.

The extremes of interior design I first experienced with Ioniq 6 several years ago have largely moved into the mainstream on Hyundai’s newer vehicles, but they’re still pretty stark here. That includes sculpted doors with wavy panels, oversized speaker grates but no window controls — those are in the center column — plus a wrap-around dash with cowls at the ends, and the conjoined pair of 12.3-inch instrument and touchscreen displays. CarPlay only worked via a USB cord; the shifter is a slightly smaller version of the Norelco Razor-styled twist-to-turn shifter now found on other models.

Somewhat more traditional in style, this glossier GT-Line rendition of the Kia EV6 does a better job of translating that futuristic feel into a functional package, including a now-standard Tesla-compatible charging port and adapters. 

Under its hatch, you can get nearly 47 cubic feet of storage if you drop the rear seats, and the cabin is outfitted in more normal-looking doors and dash. There’s a very broad center console with a turn-to-shift gear knob and a strategically placed starter button. True to its light-SUV shape, it also gets a half-inch extra clearance (6.1 inches total).  

Andy Stonehouse’s column “Mountain Wheels” publishes Saturdays in the Summit Daily News. Stonehouse has worked as an editor and writer in Colorado since 1998, focusing on automotive coverage since 2004. He lives in Golden. Contact him at summitmountainwheels@gmail.com.