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It also turns more heads with its futuristic styling cues that aren’t matched by anything else on the road.

The Hyundai’s big windows and standard panoramic glass roof – not available on our Kia – give the cabin a light and airy feeling compared with the darker Kia. The boot is bigger and more functional, thanks to a rear seat that can slide forward to liberate more load space. Its smaller 72.6kwh battery delivers a claimed driving range of 451km and its single electric motor puts out 8kw less than the EV6.

Both cars are equipped with 800-volt charging capacity that allows them to accept a charge rate of up to 350kwh. That means the battery can be charged from 10 to 80 per cent in about 18 minutes. A regular power point will take more than a day, while a home wallbox charger should get it done overnight.

Both cars are packed with the same safety tech that includes automatic emergency braking, blind-spot assistance and rear crosstraffic alert. A bird’s-eye view camera makes negotiating tight spaces easier and a safe exit warning will warn you if a car is coming as you open the door.

On the road the Ioniq is enjoyable to drive, with perky performance and reassuring balance and grip through corners. It is quieter than the Kia on the open road and its softer suspension makes for a smoother commute. It isn’t as content over pockmarked roads, where it tends to skip across corrugations and take time to settle over bigger bumps taken at speed.