Displaying items by tag: Kia EV6

Senior Editor Mike Hanley is a father of three boys; he reviews new cars, admires classic cars and has embraced the minivan lifestyle. Email Mike Hanley

The verdict: The new GT performance version of the 2023 Kia EV6 dials up the power, handling and fun of this all-electric SUV — without breaking the bank.

Versus the competition: The EV6 GT delivers better top-end acceleration performance than the Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition and is more engaging to drive than the Tesla Model Y Long Range. It also costs considerably less than both of them.

We’ve been fairly impressed with the Kia EV6 all-electric SUV, especially when it beat the Tesla Model Y when we matched a GT-Line trim level against our long-term Model Y Long Range in a head-to-head comparison consisting of street, track and charging testing.

The EV6 was already a bit of a performance electric vehicle, but for 2023, Kia has a new high-performance GT trim that considerably sharpens and heightens the SUV’s demeanor. It features more powerful front and rear motors, bigger brakes, revised steering tuning, an adaptive suspension and an electronically controlled limited-slip rear differential. Exterior and interior changes are more modest but include 21-inch alloy wheels wrapped in Goodyear Eagle F1 summer tires and, inside, front sport seats with neon-green accents.

So how do all these changes affect the EV6 driving experience? To find out, I traveled to Las Vegas at Kia’s invitation to drive the EV6 GT both on the street and at the track (Cars.com pays for its own airfare and lodging when attending manufacturer-sponsored events). The changes make the EV6 a compelling performance machine, but they have tradeoffs, too, and the GT still has some of the same shortcomings as the regular EV6.

On the Street

The EV6’s GT-specific features come through in different ways in everyday driving and, combined, give it a clear performance focus. The adaptive suspension tuning is firm even in the Normal drive mode, and it gets even less forgiving when you choose GT mode. The ride isn’t as harsh (or as loud in the cabin) as in a Model Y, but you always feel the suspension reading the road and communicating back to you the pavement’s general condition. Even if you’re on a road that looks perfectly smooth, the EV6 GT will let you know that it’s not as it reacts to unseen bumps and dips.

The suspension tuning’s benefit is evident in the car’s controlled body motions, as the EV6 GT stays impressively level when charging through fast corners, and it isn’t unsettled when the road drops from under you when cresting a hill. The car’s curb weight is considerable at nearly 4,800 pounds, but around 1,000 pounds is from the high-voltage battery pack. The battery is in the floor, which helps lower the EV6’s center of gravity, and this, along with the suspension tuning, benefits handling.

The new steering tuning also contributes to the GT’s performance feel. The steering ratio is quicker, the wheel itself has quite a bit of heft to it, and the Sport and GT drive modes further increase steering effort. There’s also a bit of feedback through the rim of the wheel to let you feel what’s happening at the tires.

The only tires the GT offers are summer performance rubber. The Eagle F1s do tend to pick up and launch small road debris like sand and pebbles at the wheel liners, creating a bit of a background soundtrack when driving, but the tires themselves aren’t noisy, and the cabin is impressively quiet overall, with wind noise only noticeably intruding above 70 mph.

The GT’s new front and rear electric motors are powerful, delivering total output of 576 horsepower and 545 pounds-feet of torque. That’s a big jump from an all-wheel-drive GT-Line, which makes 320 hp and 446 pounds-feet of torque but is also around 300 pounds lighter. Kia claims the GT is good for 0-60 mph in just 3.4 seconds and has a top speed of 161 mph.

Moving up the drive modes from Eco to Normal to Sport to GT heightens accelerator-pedal response, to the point where it’s very immediate in the GT mode. GT mode also unlocks the car’s full 576 hp; it’s limited to 429 hp in Normal and Sport, and 286 hp in Eco. GT mode offers the most aggressive acceleration response, but Normal and Sport modes also provide effortless acceleration that’s more than enough for everyday driving. Drive more conservatively, and the EV6 GT turns into a docile EV that can get decent efficiency; I observed 3.5 miles per kilowatt-hour during one 36-mile stretch of highway and rural two-lane-road driving, which is similar to the 3.3 miles per kWh that an EV6 GT-Line got during a highway range test as part of our Model Y comparison.

The EV6 includes adjustable regenerative braking and a one-pedal driving mode that are controlled by paddles on the steering wheel. When one-pedal driving is active, vehicle speed is controlled by the position of the accelerator pedal alone; let off on the pedal, and the car slows immediately. This turned out to be an unexpected performance feature, as it helped manage speed when entering a corner.

At the Track

I also drove the EV6 GT on a road course and drag strip adjacent to Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and both places further showcased the car’s handling and acceleration performance.

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the EV6 GT’s road course manners was just how willing, in GT mode, the rear end is to step out if you’re not careful getting back on the accelerator pedal when exiting a corner — there’s a looseness that you don’t always see in modern performance cars, let alone electric SUVs. The rear motor is powerful — it contributes 362 hp to the car’s total output — and GT mode dials back the stability system’s willingness to intervene (it can be turned off completely, too). The resulting tail happiness added a bit of unexpected fun when pushing the SUV on the track. If you really want to let it all hang out, there’s a Drift setting that uses the rear motor to create oversteer when cornering.

The EV6 GT will get around a tight road course reasonably well thanks to its well-controlled body motions and stout power, but you can feel the car’s considerable heft — particularly when mashing the brake pedal before entering a turn. The car’s beefier brakes — the front ventilated discs measure 15 inches, while the rears are 14.2 inches, and there are quad-piston front calipers — do a good job shedding speed, but you can tell they’re working hard.

The drag strip revealed just how strong the EV6 GT’s dual-motor drivetrain is, as the SUV consistently ran quarter-mile times in the 11.4-second range at around 118 mph. We’ve tested the Model Y Long Range with its Acceleration Boost unlocked versus a Genesis GV60 Performance, as well as a Ford Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition, at our home drag strip in Union Grove, Wis., and the EV6 GT was faster than all of them. I was particularly impressed with the EV6 GT’s ability to sustain its acceleration during the latter half of the quarter-mile; the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition, by comparison, loses a considerable amount of steam, resulting in unimpressive quarter-mile performance.

A Familiar Cabin — For Better or Worse

Apart from the new front sport seats and some distinctive green accents, the GT’s cabin is very similar to the GT-Line version of the EV6 with mostly black trim and suede-style accents. It looks stylish and sporty, and the various controls are easy enough to use.

The front sport seats are a good addition overall, as their bolstered sides do a good job holding you in place during fast corners, but they’re not perfect. For one, the seats have manual as opposed to power adjustments like the GT-Line, and though they’re heated, they lack adjustable lumbar support and ventilation, which are also GT-Line features. The seats’ overall lack of amenities seems out of place in an SUV with a starting price north of $62,000. What’s more, the seats’ hard cushioning wasn’t particularly comfortable; most seats in the cars I test agree with me, but the EV6 GT’s are a notable exception.

There are other comfort shortcomings, too, that are also present in other EV6 models and are particularly relevant if you’re taller than 6 feet, as I am. Front-seat headroom is especially limited in moonroof-equipped trim levels like the GT where it’s standard and, in the backseat, you sit with your thighs elevated at an uncomfortable angle because the seat cushion and floor are close. The rear backrest reclines, which improves overall comfort somewhat, but the combination of a black headliner and short side windows make the backseat feel a bit closed-in.

Efficiency, Range and Charging

Like other performance EVs, the EV6 GT is less efficient and has a shorter estimated driving range than its less powerful siblings, but the difference is more dramatic than its competitors. The GT gets an EPA-estimated 79 mpg-equivalent combined and has an estimated range of 206 miles, but the most efficient AWD EV6 is rated 109 mpg-e combined with a range of 282 miles. The efficiency and range spread between regular and performance versions is closer for the Model Y, Mustang Mach-E and GV60.

The Model Y Performance’s 303-mile driving range is considerably longer than the EV6 GT’s, but the Kia’s 800-volt architecture supports faster DC charging, which is an advantage we observed during our comparison test of the Model Y and EV6. The EV6 GT also comes with 1,000 kWh of complimentary energy at Electrify America chargers to use within the first three years of ownership.

The GT’s 206-mile range is modest by modern EV standards, but it should still be more than enough for most daily driving needs, making home charging the more relevant consideration. All EV6s have a 10.9-kilowatt onboard charger that Kia says can recharge the battery in around 7 hours using a Level 2 charger operating at 48 amps. Like other EV6s, the GT has a 77.4-kWh battery pack, and in earlier testing, using a Wallbox Level 2 home charger operating at 48 amps, an EV6 added 11.2 kWh of energy in an hour, so Kia’s roughly 7-hour charging time estimate seems reasonable.

A Surprising Performance Value

There’s been some hefty price hikes recently on EV offerings from Tesla and Ford, to name two automakers, and the result has made models like the Model Y and Mustang Mach-E quite expensive, with the Model Y Performance starting at $71,440 and the Mustang Mach-E GT Performance Edition priced from $77,195 (all prices include destination).

Against this backdrop, the EV6 GT is a performance bargain with a starting price of $62,695. There aren’t any option packages to boost the overall price; the only extra-cost items are some available accessories and certain paint colors.

Finding highly anticipated performance cars selling at their sticker price without any dealer markups has long been difficult, and it’s a situation that’s been exacerbated with new-car inventory remaining tight coming out of the pandemic. Kia only plans to build 2,000 to 2,500 GTs a year for the U.S., so finding one for sale at its MSRP could very well be challenging. The thrills the EV6 GT offers, however, will make it worth your while.

Source: cars.com

Published in KIA
Tuesday, 28 December 2021 07:37

Kia EV6 hatchback review

"The Kia EV6 is one of the best electric cars on sale, with a great range and rapid charging"

 
 

Pros

  • 300-mile+ range
  • Fast charging
  • Impressive tech

Cons

  • Firm ride
  • Rear headroom
  • Smaller battery size not available in the UK

The Kia EV6 is a sporty electric hatchback with a range of over 300 miles, impressive 350kW rapid charging and a 577bhp performance version on the way. It's closely related to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which is our Best Family Electric Car for 2022. All this makes it a potential favourite in the battle between the Skoda Enyaq iV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Cupra Born and Tesla Model Y.

It's Kia's first purpose-built electric model that can’t be had with a petrol or plug-in hybrid powertrain. This gives it some key advantages, such as a low centre of gravity for better handling and a flat floor that improves passenger and luggage space.

There are currently two versions on offer in the UK, both of which come with a 77.4kWh battery. The more affordable option is rear-wheel drive and has a single motor with 226bhp, giving it a range of up to 328 miles. Spend around £4,000 more and you get an extra motor up front, increasing power to 321bhp and adding four-wheel drive but reducing range slightly to 314 miles.

We've now tried both, and the rear-wheel-drive version felt every bit as quick as its 7.3-second 0-62mph time suggests. It's very quiet, especially at town speeds, and feels slightly sharper than the Hyundai Ioniq 5. Not only does it look a bit more sporty thanks to its lower stance but its suspension is a notch firmer as well, improving body control but also transmitting a few more bumps into the seats. 

 
We think the cheaper version is the sweet-spot in the range, because while the all-wheel-drive model is faster in a straight line, it doesn't feel much more exciting to drive overall, has a shorter range and costs significantly more.

Inside, your eyes will be drawn quickly to the curved dual-screen setup for the instruments and infotainment, which spans the dashboard in a graceful arc. Materials are of a good quality too, casting doubt on the assumption Volkswagen still makes the best-quality mass market interiors. There's ample space and lots of kneeroom even in the second row, although headroom does suffer somewhat because of the low roof. A 490-litre boot should come in handy, as will a 40-litre 'frunk' in the rear-wheel drive model.

As you'd imagine, it's close between the EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 but even after we compare them back-to-back, the choice is likely to come down to personal taste. The Kia is more conventional and sporty looking than the quirky Hyundai, with a slightly more precise driving experience. The Hyundai is more striking and a bit more practical, with extra space in its back seats and boot. The Kia stacks up well in its own right, however, with a competitive range figure and interior for the money, making it one of the best EVs in the £40-50,000 price bracket. 

Kia EV6 hatchback - Range, charging & running costs

With a range of over 300 miles and ultra-rapid charging, the EV6 ticks all the right boxes

Kia EV6 range and charging 

In most markets there are 58kWh and 77.4kWh battery versions of the EV6 but UK customers are only being offered the bigger of the two for the foreseeable future. It's a shame a more affordable version isn't available but it seems likely the decision is based on demand. 

The bigger battery offers that headline figure of a fraction less than 330 miles with the lower-powered motor and rear-wheel drive. Choose the GT-Line version with four-wheel drive and range slips to a still-impressive 314 miles, or 300 miles for the GT-Line S with larger 20-inch alloy wheels. For comparison, the Tesla Model Y Long Range has a range of up to 315 miles but costs around £8,000 more. The Cupra Born 77kWh has a range of up to 335 miles.

Kia and Hyundai both appear to be near the top of the class when it comes to EV efficiency, and during a varied test drive on UK roads, motorways, city streets and the occasional A- and B-road blast, our test car returned 4.2 miles per kWh. This would indicate a real-world range of 325 miles, which isn’t far off the official figure, despite using all its various driving modes. In the all-wheel-drive version, a range of around 290 miles is more realistic.

Charging is class-leading, with Kia's 800-volt electrical architecture (the same voltage you'll find in a Porsche Taycan) providing speeds of up to 350kW if you can find a potent enough public DC charger. Do so, and it'll take the battery from 0-80% in just 18 minutes, making long journeys no issue at all. Using a home 7kW wallbox charger will take just under 10 hours for a 0-100% charge.

Insurance groups

The high performance and new technology found in EVs tends to see them placed in higher insurance groups than equivalent petrol or diesel models. The entry-level Air trim sits in group 34 out of 50, which is one band lower than the Hyundai Ioniq 5. With four-wheel drive and some extra power, the GT-Line sits in group 40. The Volkswagen ID.4 sits in groups 20-30, while the Ford Mustang Mach-E Extended Range is in group 37.

Warranty

Kia is well-known for its seven-year/100,000-mile warranty, which is still one of the best in the industry and can even be transferred between owners. If there are any issues with the EV6, owners are unlikely to have to spend money getting them fixed.

Servicing

Servicing should be much simpler for EV models because electric motors and batteries only require attention if anything goes wrong. Items like cabin air filters and brake fluid will still need attention, along with brakes, tyres and windscreen wipers.

 

Kia EV6 hatchback - Electric motor, drive & performance

It's no lightweight but you wouldn't know from behind the wheel

First impressions are also that the EV6 is slightly sharper to drive than the Hyundai, lending it a small edge if you fancy a sporty EV driving experience. It can cover ground quickly, with well-judged suspension keeping everything under control. The Kia's lower roofline also gives it a sportier feel than the slightly taller Hyundai.

We'd recommend against using Sport mode, however, because we found the increased throttle and steering response turn things up too much, making the car feel unruly. 

Kia EV6 electric motor 

There's currently a choice of a single-motor version with 226bhp and rear-wheel drive or a more potent model that has a front motor and four-wheel drive, helping deploy its 321bhp. We tried the entry-level version first, which is hardly slow, getting from 0-62mph in a respectable 7.3 seconds. 

The dual-motor car cuts this to 5.2 seconds and the top speed of both cars is electronically limited to 114mph. There still isn't the crazy hit of power you'll experience in a Tesla Model 3 Performance or Porsche Taycan, but it feels urgent enough.

Like the Ioniq 5, the EV6 is a bigger (and heavier) car than it first appears in photos but it still gets up to the national speed limit in the UK with very little fuss and a sense of effortless performance. It also has instant punch if you put your foot down, providing plenty of confidence for overtaking slower traffic, even in Eco mode. 

A four-wheel-drive GT version is also on the way, which can get from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds and carry on to a top speed of 162mph. With 577bhp, this will be the most powerful Kia model in its history, with performance to rival a Porsche Taycan or Tesla Model X. It will have a range of up to 251 miles.

Kia EV6 hatchback - Interior & comfort

Attractive and well-appointed

Kia EV6 dashboard

The dashboard is focused around a pair of 12.3-inch curved displays, both of which are easily legible thanks to sharp graphics. One houses the instrument displays, while the second is a touchscreen for media, settings and navigation, with a ledge beneath it that comes in useful for steadying your hand while interacting with the display. Below this, there's a neat touch-sensitive controller that can be switched between the climate control and audio system with a swipe.

Its design and materials also feel in keeping with a car costing more than £40,000. Fabrics, gloss-black trim and chrome all look the part and, in keeping with the environmentally friendly theme, the seat upholstery uses the equivalent recycled material of 111 plastic bottles per car. A large, augmented-reality head-up display is also available to project useful information ahead of the driver's line of sight.

Equipment

Standard equipment levels are generous, with LED exterior lighting, 19-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors, folding door mirrors and automatic wipers from the off. There's also artificial leather seats, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, ambient lighting and dual-zone climate control. 

GT-Line adds front parking sensors, tinted glass, upgraded front seats which can fully recline, aluminium pedals and wireless smartphone charging. Upgrade to GT-Line S, and 20-inch wheels are added, as well as a powered tailgate, a panoramic sunroof, heated rear seats, a 14-speaker Meridian stereo and the head-up display.

Kia EV6 hatchback - Practicality & boot space

It's a good size and can even deliver power to other electrical devices

Kia EV6 interior space & storage

The electric Kia has a flat floor, with no transmission tunnel, helping make the interior spacious and uncluttered. There's lots of room in the front seats and you won't feel too hemmed in by a large centre console or towering dashboard, with plenty of forward visibility.

A smooth floor helps three passengers sit across the back seat too, and there's little chance of them banging their knees on the front seats. Headroom isn't quite as good as in the Ioniq 5, though, because of the lower roofline. If you regularly carry tall adults in the back, the EV6 might not be the best choice. 

Boot space

The boot is a useful shape and there's a variable-height floor, so you can decide if you want a smooth loading lip or maximum space. Its 490-litre volume should be more than enough for most owners but it's a shame there aren't more useful features like hooks and a set of cargo nets to help secure items as you drive.

Rear-wheel drive models also get a 52-litre 'frunk' storage area under the bonnet, which is perfect if you want to carry charging cables, a wet umbrella or muddy boots away from the interior. Pick a four-wheel-drive version and this space shrinks to a less-impressive 20 litres.

Kia EV6 hatchback - Reliability & safety

Kia scores highly with owners and the EV6 is loaded with safety kit

Kia EV6 reliability

Both Kia and Hyundai have built up solid reputations as some of the leading proponents of EV technology, and models have sold in large numbers around the world. Hopefully this knowledge will have helped inform lots of decisions to make Kia’s first ground-up electric car even better.

Kia is certainly flying high in our 2021 Driver Power owner satisfaction survey, placed only behind Porsche. It was near the top in every category, and boasts superb scores for reliability and build quality, along with the use of their infotainment. Not only that but owners also told us their Kias were fun to drive and stylish.

Safety

As something of a technology flagship for the brand, the EV6 is bristling with safety features. Even the standard version gets autonomous emergency braking, which looks out for cyclists and pedestrians, as well as other vehicles. It also has a navigation-based smart cruise control system that can assist with driving in heavy traffic. GT-Line cars add blind-spot warnings, supplemented by semi-autonomous parking, highway driving assist, an augmented reality head-up display and a system to help avoid collisions while parking.

(https://www.carbuyer.co.uk/kia/ev6)

Published in KIA
Monday, 22 November 2021 05:17

New Kia EV6 AWD review

The RWD version of the Kia EV6 impressed us, but can the AWD model do the same? 

Verdict

The Kia EV6 is a terrific electric car, but we’re not convinced that it’s worth spending the extra money on this dual-motor version. It’s faster in a straight line but not really any more involving or capable on twistier roads – so you’re left with a model that commands a price premium, while offering reduced range compared with the rear-drive edition. That’s the EV6 we’d go for.

There was a time, not too long ago, when the idea of a Kia costing even £30,000 would have been hard to comprehend. But the Korean brand has matured greatly over the past decade, to the point where there is currently a very healthy order book for its Sorento large SUV – a car that could cost you more than £50k.

There’s a sense of quiet confidence about Kia’s new electric flagship, the EV6, breaking the same price barrier. EVs still cost more than their combustion-engined counterparts anyway, and the market is also very “green”, with brand equity and image playing a lesser role. Perfect fodder, really, for a company like Kia, complete with the hi-tech backing of the Hyundai group.

We were pretty impressed with the EV6 when we tried it in rear-wheel-drive form in the UK earlier this autumn. Now it’s time to decide whether it’s worth spending the extra money (not far off £10,000 more, in fact) for more power and performance with the four-wheel-drive variant.

The EV6, of course, sits on E-GMP, the same bespoke pure-electric platform as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Genesis’s forthcoming GV60. That means 800V electrics, which equates to ultra-fast charging; there’s some debate about the actual speed, but all you really need to know is that when it’s hooked up to a 350kW charger, the EV6 can replenish 80 per cent of its 77.4kWh usable battery in just 18 minutes. We’d struggle to drink a nuclear Costa latte coffee in that amount of time.

The raw stats, of course, are shared with the rear-drive EV6. But this GT-Line S edition has a second electric motor on the front axle, boosting the total power and torque figures from 226bhp and 350Nm to a meaty 321bhp and 605Nm. The top speed remains at 114mph, but the 0-62mph time is now a punchy 5.2 seconds, a gain of more than two seconds over the rear-wheel-drive edition.

You can feel the difference, too; there’s still not the sledgehammer delivery of force that you get in a Porsche Taycan; that will presumably come with a hilarious-sounding, 577bhp version of the EV6 that’s due in 2022. But there is more urgency about the full-size, five-seat crossover in this format; let’s call it genuine shove to match the instant electric torque delivery.

 

In a straight line, then, the GT-Line S AWD will certainly deliver that all-electric one-upmanship at traffic lights. Around the corners, though, the chassis – while still better tied down than the Ioniq 5’s – is rather less happy with the increased potential. The system struggles to cope with the motors’ responses, giving you an inconsistent delivery that makes it hard to drive smoothly.

 

Elsewhere, the cruising experience is similar to that of the two-wheel-drive version, albeit with a teeny bit more electric whine because, well, you’re closer to the front motor than you are to the rear.

And of course, the addition of that extra unit in a car with the same battery capacity means a reduction in range – from 328 miles down to around 300. Our experience suggests you’ll get north of 290 miles without much compromise in your driving style, though, which is solid. Hyundai-Kia’s battery-management algorithms remain among the best in the market.

Inside, there are a few harder plastics but the overall finish is excellent, and the technology fitted is right up there with the best in class. There’s a pair of 12.3-inch curved displays, accommodating digital instruments and then a slick, responsive infotainment system.

The cabin itself has room for five adults, albeit with slightly reduced headroom in the rear compared with the Ioniq 5 – a trade-off, certainly, for the EV6’s more coupe-esque roofline. The boot capacity is 490 litres – more than enough for a family’s everyday needs – and you can alter the floor height. There’s also a “frunk”, a plastic storage box under the bonnet, but the additional motor cuts its capacity on this model to 20 litres, compared with the 50 litres on offer in the rear-drive edition of the Kia EV.

Model: Kia EV6 GT-Line S 77.4kWh AWD
Price: £51,945
Motor/battery: 2 x e-motor, 77.4kWh
Power/torque: 321bhp/605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic, four-wheel drive 
0-62mph: 5.2 seconds
Top speed: 114mph
Range: 300 miles
Max charging: 350kW (0-80% in 18min)
On sale: Now
 
Published in KIA
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