Hyundai KONA Electric (2018-2023) vs Renault 5

The Hyundai KONA Electric costs £6,500 more than the Renault 5. On the headline specs that premium buys little measurable advantage - the two are closely matched on range, charging and space. The Renault 5 is not just cheaper - it also offers 36 kW faster peak rapid charging. On EVcarsguide's combined category scores, the Renault 5 comes out ahead overall.

The Renault 5 is £6,500 cheaper to buy. Running costs are almost identical - about £144 a year either way, at 8,000 miles on an off-peak home tariff. Add 5 years of charging and the Renault 5 comes out roughly £6,500 cheaper overall. These figures cover list price and home charging only - insurance, servicing, tyres and depreciation will move the real total.

EVcarsguide estimates a real-world motorway range of about 158 miles for the Hyundai KONA Electric and 160 miles for the Renault 5 - effectively matched, and both well below their WLTP figures because sustained high speed is the hardest case for an EV. A rapid charge to 80% takes around 48 minutes in the Hyundai KONA Electric and 31 in the Renault 5, so the Renault 5 loses less time at each stop.

The two are within 8 mm on width, so neither is meaningfully easier to thread into a tight space. In a standard 2,400 mm bay that leaves about 600 mm of total clearance for the Hyundai KONA Electric and about 592 mm of total clearance for the Renault 5.

Over a 8-year ownership window EVcarsguide's degradation model projects roughly 86% battery health for the Hyundai KONA Electric and 84% for the Renault 5. That gives the Hyundai KONA Electric a modest edge in retained real-world range. Both use NMC-type cells, so for daily use keep the charge limit near 80% to slow degradation. Both batteries carry a 8-year manufacturer warranty.