BYD Atto 3 vs Hyundai Ioniq 5 vs MG ZS EV

The BYD Att3 & Hyundai Ioniq 5 are the lone electric car in the 35 lakh & 45 lakh price category, respectively. The next jump up is to the XC40 Recharge (60 lakhs), EV6 (60 - 65 lakhs) & BMW i4 (70 lakhs).

BYD Atto 3

BYD Atto 3 Pros:

• A proper electric car that's built on a dedicated EV platform (and not an IC-engine convert)
• Well-rounded product that looks good, has a nice cabin and good space too
• Green image & zero tailpipe emissions appeal to the environmentally conscious
• Punchy motor offers fast performance. 0-100 km/h time of 7.3 seconds is enjoyable!!
• Selectable regenerative braking and drive modes allow you to extract maximum performance or efficiency, as needed
• ~400-km range is adequate for urban commuting as well as the usual road-tripping with family
• Low running costs & cheaper long-term maintenance (as is the case with all EVs)
• An excellent city car. Smooth driving experience, good low-speed ride quality, and easy to drive
• 8-year / 1,60,000 km battery warranty, 8-year / 1,50,000 km warranty on motor, 6 years roadside assistance, and more
• Features such as the vehicle-to-load function (AC power for appliances), 12.8-inch touchscreen, panoramic sunroof, adaptive cruise control, NFC key card, etc.
• 5-star Euro NCAP rating. Safety kit includes 7 airbags, level 2 ADAS features, a 360-degree camera, ESP etc.

BYD Atto 3 Cons:

• Expensive! The Atto 3 is premium priced at 35 - 37 lakhs OTR
• Funky interior design may not be to everyone's liking
• Needs a charging point installed at your home parking. This is not doable for many people
• Comfort-oriented suspension setup offers nothing for the enthusiasts
• Lack of charging infrastructure limits long-distance / highway usability
• Long “full tank” charging times in comparison with an ICE car. Overnight charging is best
• Missing features such as ventilated seats, rain-sensing wipers, connected car tech, spare wheel (!!!!!), wireless Android Auto / Apple CarPlay…
• 8-speaker sound system is ordinary for the price
• Single variant on offer. No cheaper entry-level variants to choose from
• A relatively new brand in India (although BYD is huge globally), so long-term reliability & after-sales service quality are unknowns
• Dealer network is currently tiny (~20 dealers across India only)

Link to Review

2022 MG ZS EV

MG ZS EV Pros:

• One of the most sorted EVs in India! Drive it and you'll be a convert
• A well-built car with good interiors
• Green image & zero tailpipe emissions appeal to the environmentally conscious
• Fast performance and excellent mid-range. 0-100 km/h run of 8.5 seconds is enjoyable
• Selectable regenerative braking and drive modes help you extract maximum performance or efficiency, as needed
• Range is adequate for urban commuting as well as road-trips to nearby destinations
• Low running costs & cheaper long-term maintenance (as is the case with all EVs)
• An excellent city car. Smooth driving experience, easy to drive, very chuckable
• 5 year / unlimited km warranty, 5 labour-free services & 8 year / 150,000 km battery warranty
• Features such as the panoramic sunroof, cruise control, Bluetooth key, connected car tech & more
• International model got a 5-star Euro NCAP rating. Safety kit includes 6 airbags, blind spot monitoring, ESP, HSA, TPMS etc.

MG ZS EV Cons:

• Expensive! Even after subsidies, EVs carry a huge price premium over ICE cars. You're paying for the tech & being an early adopter
• The very similar & arguably more practical MG Astor is 8 - 12 lakhs cheaper
• Needs a charging point installed at your home parking. This is not doable for many people
• Lack of charging infrastructure & ~350 km range limits long-distance / highway usability
• Firm ride quality means you always feel the road, especially with the recommended 41 PSI tyre pressure
• Long “full tank” charging times in comparison with an ICE car. Overnight charging is best
• Missing features such as ventilated seats, auto-dimming IRVM, steering reach adjustment, ADAS tech (which Astor gets), wireless Android Auto / CarPlay…
• Size & interior quality are more comparable to a Creta than other 28-30 lakh rupee cars
• The rear seat is better suited to 2 adults & a kid, not 3 adults
• 6-speaker sound system is ordinary for the price. Subwoofer conspicuous by its absence
• Lower Excite variant is currently unavailable. It is cheaper by ~4-lakh rupees

Link to Review

Hyundai Kona EV

Hyundai Kona EV Pros:

• India’s first world-class EV with no major compromises!
• Green image & zero tailpipe emissions appeal to the environmentally conscious
• Instant torque makes it a snappy car to drive in the city (0-100 km/h @ 9.7 sec)
• Selectable levels of regenerative braking; adds range, aids braking performance and is fun
• Real-world range of 260-300 km means no range anxiety for urban commuting
• Incredibly low running costs & cheaper long-term maintenance (as is the case with all EVs)
• Features such as cooled front seats, LED headlamps, sunroof, cruise control & more
• Top safety kit includes 6 airbags, ESP, HSA, TPMS etc.
• Peace of mind with Hyundai’s after-sales service & 8-year battery warranty

Hyundai Kona EV Cons:

• Expensive! Even after subsidies, EVs still carry a huge price premium over ICE cars
• Lack of charging infrastructure & ~300 km range limits long-distance / highway usability
• Uncomfortable ride quality on less-than-perfect roads. Firm & uncompromising
• Cabin space is comparable to the i20. Also, the high floor pan affects the rear seating position
• Some misses such as no auto-wipers, rear air-con, touchscreen ICE smaller than expected...
• Size & presence are comparable to 12-lakh rupee cars like the S-Cross
• Boot size is just 332 litres
• Brake pedal lacks feel & linearity, takes some getting used to. Especially wooden in Sports mode
• Limited availability in India (only a handful of states). Further, the 2019 batch is sold out

Link to Review

Hyundai Ioniq 5

Link to Close Look

Here's what GTO had to say on the matter:

Interesting to see how the competition for EVs is at different price points. This will of course solve itself once there are more models on sale, but as of date, the Tiago / Tigor EVs don't have competition, the Nexon EV has the 17 - 20 lakh price band all to itself and at the 25-30 lakh mark, we have the MG ZS EV which outsells the Kona 5 - 7 times over! The BYD too is the lone electric car at 35 lakhs.

Now, the Ioniq 5 lands in its own territory and has no direct competition at 45 lakhs. The next jump up is to the XC40 Recharge (60 lakhs), EV6 (60 - 65 lakhs) & BMW i4 (70 lakhs).

My pick would be the Ioniq 5 which is a proper EV built on a dedicated EV platform (unlike the XC40 & i4). It looks amazing, has fantastic range, the latest tech (including support for 800V fast charging), 216 horses and is 20 lakhs cheaper than its sibling, the EV6. I like the EV6 more, but not "20 lakhs" more. I could buy a fun 4x4 like the Thar or Jimny for that price difference and have a kickass 2-car garage. Imagine a garage with an Ioniq 5 + Thar, or Ioniq 5 + Slavia 1.5L.

Hyundai has gotten its premium EV spot-on in terms of product & pricing.

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

Has to be the Ioniq 5.

A premium, well-built car from a mainstream manufacturer on a dedicated EV platform. And, it’s a genuinely global and latest product, nothing India-specific here. It is very well priced too. Ioniq 5 is perhaps the only EV which makes a fairly decent case for itself against similarly priced ICE cars.

Here's what BHPian bijims had to say on the matter:

The Ioniq 5 is the pick for me. Dedicated EV Platform, Loads of range, all modern amenities, super fast charging, and 20 lakhs cheaper than its sibling the EV6. Definitely, the EV to go for if it fits in your budget.

Here's what BHPian AtheK had to say on the matter:

Ioniq will win this of course, but then unfair to other cars, as Ioniq is not accessible to everyone because of the pricing.

I think MG ZS EV is something which brings in perfect balance, and if the need is mainly City and occasional Highway, then Nexon EV should be looked at.

Here's what BHPian Cresterk had to say on the matter:

I'm guessing this poll is aimed at single-car garages where one EV will be doing everything. I would then take the ZS EV because it offers most of everything you would need in a 1 car household while also being somewhat affordable. The interiors etc all feel like the 15L Astor though so I could imagine stretching a few lakhs more to get the BYD Atto 3. The Hyundai Kona is outdated and overpriced.

Personally though, I would be happier to just buy a Tiago EV for 10-12L and then spend the remaining money on a Virtus GT or a used german or even an SUV. Spending more money or stretching your budget on an ICE car to future-proof it makes sense since the technology is mature and there won't really be any significant improvements in 5 years. However, electric car tech (especially batteries) is improving quickly every couple of years and the brand new car that you spent 50L+ on is going to be obsolete just like how your 5-year-old flagship phone is now outperformed by a new budget phone. I would rather buy a cheap electric car and replace it after a while when the next big change/price cut happens and the charging network and other infrastructure will be mature enough.

Here's what BHPian Hawk4 had to say on the matter:

I voted for Kona as I own one now. I think many of the forum members didn't test drive or not checked Hyundai Kona in person. On paper when you compare Kona with MG ZS, the latter looks good. But IMHO, Kona is a better car in many ways. They both launched around the same time and MG launched a facelift last year.

The overall build quality and useable features are better in Kona. Except the LFP battery has some advantages in a climate like ours, the NMC used in Kona is superior in many ways. Thats why many high-end cars have NMC even though it costs more.

After recent price increases by MG, the base variant Excite at 24 OTR looks barebones compared to the fully loaded Kona at 22L OTR after discounts.

Check out BHPian comments for more insights and information.