New All-Electric Kia EV6
Following on the heels of the Soul EV, the new Kia EV6 arrives as the Korean brand’s first battery electric vehicle built on a dedicated platform. While the successful Soul EV adapted the gasoline Soul into an appealing electric urban runabout, it was inevitably compromised in terms of packaging, range, and performance. The new EV6 is built from the ground-up to be electric, and its packaging and specifications make it one of the most appealing EVs on the market.
EV6 is built on the E-GMP modular platform that Kia shares with its corporate cousin, Hyundai. Designed to be flexible enough to expand across multiple vehicle segments – sedans, CUVs, SUVs – in a short time and with minimal complexity, it provides a very long wheelbase and wide stance to create maximum interior space with a flat-floor design for maximum flexibility.
Sustainable, High-Tech Interior
Inside, the EV6 makes extensive use of sustainable materials, including recycled plastic, 100% vegan leather, and long-lasting LED lighting. The ultra-slim front seats, made of super-strong “giga-steel” maximize the already-generous rear seat space and knee room. Cargo space is huge – 27.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up, and 53.5 cubic feet with them folded down, accessed through a power tailgate. A front trunk provides additional storage space form small items.
A full house of technology packs the EV6’s interior. Two 12-inch screens combine the instrument cluster and infotainment controls into one sweeping glass panel, while an available augmented-reality head-up display projects graphics in 3D onto the windshield. As you would expect, wireless phone charging, an available wi-fi hotspot, surround-view cameras, parking-collision avoidance, and remote parking functions are all present. The EV6’s maps and infotainment systems can be updated over the air, without having to visit a dealership, and “connected routing” uses the cloud to calculate the optimal route using real-time maps, predicted traffic based on historical information, and AI to learn the preferred routes of users.
Up to 310 Miles of Range
EV6 comes in a variety of configurations, power outputs, and EPA estimated ranges. The lineup kicks off with a 167-hp RWD model with a 58-kWh battery with 232 miles of range; a RWD model with 77.4-kWh battery produces 225 hp with 310 miles of range. AWD choices include a 77.4-kWh 320-hp model with 274 miles of range and a 576-hp GT model.
Beyond its range estimates, and thanks to E-GMP’s 800-volt architecture, it can also charge incredibly fast. Indeed, the EV6 can take full advantage of the current best-in-class 350-kW chargers on the market, and can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes – or recoup 68 miles of range in just five minutes. A vehicle-to-load (V2L) function that allows it to serve as a power source on wheels. Uses can include running camping or outdoor equipment, tailgate parties, powering necessities at home during a power outage.
What has us most excited about the EV6, though, is its design, which looks like nothing else on the road. Combining classic sports car inspiration with high-tech cues, modern CUV elements and a coupe-like profile, it is long, low, and wide, with sweeping curves, an aggressive face, and a distinctive rear light bar.
In short, the EV6 is very, very cool – leveraging the many benefits of its advanced platform to offer a level of tech, excitement and convenience that should please its owners for many years.
*EPA-estimated ranges, actual mileage may vary.
