Kia EV6 – extending the boundaries

THE big guns at Kia knew they were onto a winner even before this summer’s mid-life revamp of its stylish electric crossover EV6 model.

Originally launched four years ago, the EV6 became the first Korean vehicle to win the European Car of the Year title in 2022 and has racked up more than 210,000 sales worldwide.

And the recent changes have made what was already a smart, spacious and deceptively large EV appreciably more desirable on several levels, not least because it is now able to go further and charge more quickly.

With a new 84.0kWh battery pack that is 8.5 per cent bigger than the previous generation battery in place, the EV6 now claims an extended range of up to 361 miles on a single charge.

And there are some fresh convenience features too, like over-the-air software upgrades, Remote Smart Parking Assist and a hands-on detection steering wheel set-up that can recognise whether drivers actually have their hands on the wheel.

Available in three trim grades of Air, GT-Line and GT-Line S and with prices from £39,235, the Kia comes in a choice of two powertrains – 225bhp rear-wheel drive single motor or 320bhp AWD dual motor. Both ensure swift performance.

Rear-wheel drive variants are capable of accelerating to 62mph in 7.7 seconds, with a top speed of 115mph, while all-wheel drive versions can hit the same mark in just 5.3 seconds and go on to 116mph.

Air and GT-Line rear-wheel drive models are credited with stretching to 361 miles on a single charge, while the rear-wheel drive GT-Line S comes in slightly less at 347 miles. The figure is 339 for the GT-Line all-wheel drive and 324 for GT-Line S AWD.

As for charging, no one likes spending too long at the charge point, though having a home wallbox goes a long way to solving that, and Kia has certainly moved the game on when it comes to the EV6.

With its peak rate raised to 258kW you can power up from 10 to 80 per cent in a matter of 18 minutes and gain up to 214 miles in just a quarter hour.

We could waste time just standing and admiring the EV6’s eye-catching design, though not everyone shares our views, but there’s no disputing the quality of its fixtures, fittings and usable space.

While all variants are trimmed differently the GT-Line comes in a dedicated black artificial leather and white colour scheme giving it the look of a killer whale in what is a really bright modern cabin with white inserts in the doors, centre console and steering wheel.

Everything inside is well ordered and accessible. For instance, the console between the front seats incorporates a deep lidded stowage box, there’s a mobile phone charging tray, a rotary dial for reverse, drive, neutral and park, the start/stop button and a pair of cup holders plus buttons for the likes of the rear-view camera and heated seat settings.

Extra stowage inside comes via bins in all four doors as well as smaller pockets higher up in the doors, flaps in the front seat backs and cup holders in the rear armrest.

Passenger space is top notch front and back and even a centre rear occupant can travel in comfort thanks to the generous width of the car and the fact that the centre seat position is flat – something you don’t find in most rival models.

Boot space is also favourable with 490 litres of available storage, extending to 1,290 litres with the rear seats folded and an extra 20 litres in the ‘frunk’ under the bonnet.

Tech sees a pair of 12.3-inch curved display screens across the dash, wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone compatibility, regen braking via paddle shifters and a reversing camera system with parking sensors as standard on every model.

Out on the road the EV6 is well composed and dynamically superior even if there is quite a heavy feel via the steering. But it’s spirited, comfortable and feels like a premium model – which at north of £48K for our tested model it most definitely is.

It’s also another example of how far Kia has come as a brand in a relatively short space of time, and with the promise of 15 electric vehicles to be launched globally by 2027 there’s a lot more to come.