Hyundai Ioniq 3 vs Kia EV2: £2,250 cheaper, 33 more miles
The Ioniq 3 and Kia EV2 share batteries and charging speeds, but the full £3,750 grant on every Ioniq 3 makes the Hyundai cheaper at both battery sizes. Here is how they compare on price, range and space.
Quick answers
- The Ioniq 3 Advance 61kWh costs £21,995 after the £3,750 grant, £2,250 less than the Kia EV2 Air 61kWh at £24,245.
- At the smaller size the gap is £8,500: the Ioniq 3 Advance 42kWh is £18,495, while the EV2 First Edition 42kWh is £26,995 with only a £1,500 grant.
- The Ioniq 3 claims up to 308 miles WLTP with the 61kWh battery, against up to 275 miles for the EV2 Long Range on Kia UK listings (281 miles was the launch figure).
- The cars charge at the same peak rates, 119kW for the 42kWh battery and 110kW for the 61kWh battery, and take 29 to 30 minutes from 10 to 80%.
- The Ioniq 3 has a 441-litre boot to the Kia EV2's 362 litres, but the EV2 is a taller SUV and comes with a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty, against five years with unlimited mileage for Hyundai.
The Hyundai Ioniq 3 and Kia EV2 are close relatives, but they are not equal on price. With UK orders open and the full £3,750 Electric Car Grant on every trim, the Ioniq 3 Advance 61kWh costs £21,995, which is £2,250 less than the £24,245 Kia EV2 Air and 33 miles longer on the claimed WLTP cycle (27 miles against the 281 miles Kia announced at launch). For UK buyers the smaller-battery gap is wider still: £8,500.
Hyundai confirmed the grant on every version in its UK order announcement. The EV2 Long Range qualified for the maximum grant in July (electrive), but the smaller-battery EV2 First Edition gets less.
How do the Ioniq 3 and Kia EV2 compare on price?
All prices below are on the road and include whichever grant each car receives, per Hyundai UK and electrive.
| Version | Battery | List price | Grant | Price after grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyundai Ioniq 3 Advance | 42kWh | £22,245 | £3,750 | £18,495 |
| Kia EV2 First Edition | 42kWh | £28,495 | £1,500 | £26,995 |
| Hyundai Ioniq 3 Advance | 61kWh | £25,745 | £3,750 | £21,995 |
| Kia EV2 Air | 61kWh | £27,995 | £3,750 | £24,245 |
The Ioniq 3 is therefore £8,500 cheaper with the small battery and £2,250 cheaper with the large one. Even before any grant the Hyundai is £6,250 cheaper at 42kWh and £2,250 cheaper at 61kWh. The full EV2 grant applies to the 61kWh Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S, and the £2,250 gap compares the cheapest version of each car. Our Ioniq 3 price and orders report has the full Hyundai trim list.
Which goes further on a charge?
The Ioniq 3 does, and aerodynamics is a large part of why. Hyundai quotes a drag coefficient of 0.26 against 0.29 for the Kia, and the Ioniq 3 is a lower, longer hatchback (electrive).
| Battery | Ioniq 3 WLTP range | EV2 WLTP range |
|---|---|---|
| 42kWh | Up to 213 miles | Up to 190 miles (195 in some figures) |
| 61kWh | Up to 308 miles | Up to 275 miles |
The EV2 figures come from electrive and EV Database. Kia announced 281 miles pending final certification, and its UK listings now give up to 275 miles, which is the figure used here. Against the 281 miles announced at launch the Ioniq 3’s advantage would be 27 miles, not 33. WLTP is a lab figure; motorway driving in winter will cut both.
How do they compare on charging and space?
Charging is a draw. Electrive reports identical peak rates of 119kW for the 42kWh batteries and 110kW for the 61kWh batteries, with 10 to 80% taking about 29 and 30 minutes respectively.
Space is where the body shape matters. The Ioniq 3 is about 4.15 metres long, almost 10 centimetres longer than the EV2, and sits about seven centimetres lower at 1.50 metres. Both are 1.80 metres wide. Hyundai quotes a 441-litre boot, against 362 litres for the EV2. The EV2 trades some boot for a more upright seating position and SUV looks.
Kia has one clear non-price advantage: a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty comes standard across the EV2 range (Irish News). Hyundai’s UK cover is five years with unlimited mileage, plus an 8-year, 100,000-mile high-voltage battery warranty.
Why is the grant the deciding factor?
The Electric Car Grant decides the small-battery comparison. Band 1 pays £3,750 and Band 2 pays £1,500, and the First Edition EV2 only reaches Band 2, a £2,250 swing in the Hyundai’s favour before any difference in list price. At 61kWh both cars get £3,750, so the £2,250 gap there comes from the Hyundai’s lower list price. Our guide to grant-eligible models shows which cars fall into each band, and the funding report looks at how long the money may last.
What this means for you
If price and claimed range lead your decision, buy the Ioniq 3. The 61kWh Advance at £21,995 is £2,250 cheaper than the cheapest long-range EV2, and the 42kWh version at £18,495 is one of the cheapest new EVs you can order, as our cheapest new EVs list shows.
Choose the EV2 if you prefer an upright SUV seating position or want the longer warranty, and accept paying more. Test drive both: a hatchback and a compact SUV feel different from the driver’s seat. For more options near this price, see our electric cars under £30,000.
How we test and where our numbers come from
Range figures are official WLTP combined values taken from manufacturer UK specification pages, with real-world estimates drawn from independent comparative testing. Prices are UK list prices at the time of the latest update. Tax, grant and charging-scheme figures come from GOV.UK and HMRC publications. We re-check every guide when pricing, specification or policy changes. Last checked 6 October 2026.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Hyundai Ioniq 3 cheaper than the Kia EV2?
Yes. The Ioniq 3 Advance 61kWh costs £21,995 after the £3,750 grant, against £24,245 for the EV2 Air 61kWh. With the 42kWh battery the Ioniq 3 is £18,495 and the EV2 First Edition £26,995.
Which has the longer range, Ioniq 3 or Kia EV2?
The Ioniq 3 does. Hyundai claims up to 308 miles WLTP with the 61kWh battery, while the EV2 Long Range is listed by Kia UK at up to 275 miles (281 miles was the figure announced at launch, pending certification, and would make the gap 27 miles). With the smaller battery the Ioniq 3 claims up to 213 miles and the EV2 First Edition 190 miles in UK listings, or 195 miles in some earlier figures.
Why is the Kia EV2 First Edition so much dearer than the Ioniq 3 42kWh?
The EV2 First Edition lists at £28,495 and gets only a £1,500 grant, which brings it to £26,995. Every Ioniq 3 qualifies for the full £3,750 grant, which brings the 42kWh car to £18,495.
Do the Ioniq 3 and Kia EV2 charge at the same speed?
Effectively yes. Both peak at 119kW with the 42kWh battery and 110kW with the 61kWh battery, and both take about 29 to 30 minutes to charge from 10 to 80%.
Which is more practical, Ioniq 3 or Kia EV2?
The Ioniq 3 has the larger boot at 441 litres against 362 litres for the EV2. The EV2 is a compact SUV that sits about seven centimetres taller, with a more upright seating position.
Sources and further reading
- hyundai.newsHyundai UKPrimary source referenced in this article.
- electrive.comHyundai Ioniq 3: Hyundai makes the EV2 more efficientSide-by-side range, charging, boot and drag figures for the two cars.
- electrive.comKia EV2 Long Range now eligible for UK Electric Car GrantGrant eligibility of the EV2 Long Range and prices after the grant.
- electrive.comKia EV2 priced from £24,245 in UKEV2 launch list prices for the Air and First Edition.
- electrive.comHyundai Ioniq 3 now available to order in the UKIndependent report of the UK order opening on 5 October 2026.
- ev-database.orgKia EV2 42.2 kWhEV2 42kWh specification.
EV Compared
The EV Compared editorial team tracks the UK electric vehicle market full time: new model launches, list prices, WLTP and real-world range, public charging tariffs and the tax rules that decide what an EV actually costs to run. Every guide is checked against manufacturer specifications and official GOV.UK figures, and updated whenever the numbers move.
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