The sleek and distinctive Kia EV6 a true crossover
Kia’s EV6 is a new entrant into the $100,000 luxury crossover EV segment, but is it excellent enough to stand out? Damien O’Carroll finds out.
Kia’s first take of an EV on the Hyundai Group’s e-GMP platform is here, looks good and is selling strongly, but is it the default pick in the mid-size crossover EV segment now?
Outside
While Hyundai’s take on the medium e-GMP-based crossover, the Ioniq 5, is polarising with its chunky retro looks (full disclosure: I absolutely love them), Kia takes a sleeker, more futuristic approach with the EV6.
And it is an approach that blurs the lines between segments even more – is it a long hatch? Is it a tall-ish wagon? Or is it, as it is technically classified as, an SUV?
In reality, it is all of those things, but more importantly, it is whatever you want to call it. It really is a true crossover, a descriptor that has never really gained enough traction here to be considered a genuine segment all on its own.
Regardless, the EV6 is a roomy, sleek and distinctive vehicle and, while it can look a tad awkward from some angles, is generally an attractive and instantly recognisable car.
I do get the feeling however that the styling will date faster than the likes of the brilliantly retro Ioniq 5.
Inside
On the inside the EV6 is more conventional than the sleek exterior looks would suggest, but it is still dominated by the huge dash display and a very cool ‘‘floating’’ centre console.
The materials used are all of a high quality, but not quite up to the levels seen in the likes of the Ioniq 5 or even the Polestar 2.
However, the technology on show is easily up there with the best in the segment.
The interior will be surprisingly familiar to anyone who has spent time in high-end versions of the latest incarnation of the Sportage, with a lot of the switchgear (including the clever switchable touch panel that does double duty as audio and climate controls) shared between the two.
The seats are brilliantly comfortable and supportive, and everything is generally laid out sensibly and ergonomically.
Well. . . almost everything – it is ridiculously easy to accidentally turn on the heated seats when you rest your hand on the centre console to adjust the aforementioned audio/climate controls. But a sweaty bum on a hot day is really the worst that can come from that, I guess.
Worse is the rear three-quarter blind spot, however. The EV6’s aggressively raked rear window, high tail and thick D-pillars severely restrict rear vision. Luckily the side mirrors and backing camera are excellent, but taking a quick glance over your shoulder to check is pretty much pointless.
Under the bonnet
Our test EV6 was a GT-Line AWD Long Range, meaning it packed the 239kW dual motor setup, powered by a 77.4kWh battery pack.
Don’t mistake the GT-Line for the GT though – the full-blown GT isn’t here yet, but promises electrifying (sorry) performance. The GT-Line’s powertrain will still propel it to 100kph in 5.2 seconds.
This power translates into the exact strong and effortless on-road performance you would expect. The hefty 605Nm of torque makes itself known at pretty much any speed and makes driving the EV6 a thoroughly enjoyable experience, whether it be around town or on the open road.
Kia has also fitted the EV6 with a range of artificial ‘‘engine noises’’ if you feel the need for some aural accompaniment to the rapid progress. And while they are fun for a while (the Cyber sound is particularly amusing in a Jetsons kind of way), I quickly switched them off and just cranked the stereo up instead.
Kia claims a WLTP 3-calculated range of 484km for the GT-Line, and that seemed pretty realistic during my week with it.
On the road
Here is where the Kia ekes out a small but distinct advantage over the Ioniq 5 – it’s ride quality is noticeably better.
Although the Hyundai is superb in most aspects, its ride quality, particularly on the larger wheels of the up-spec models, is just a tad too firm, verging on harsh over some surfaces.
It is by no means awful, but it is an annoyance, and was the deciding factor when it came to our Top Cars winner last year, where the Polestar 2 just beat the Ioniq 5 for the overall title.
The Kia improves on the Ioniq’s ride quality significantly out on the open road, and while it too is a tad firm around town, it is better there too.
Handling wise, it is the same as its cousin, with the weight being well disguised the majority of the time, but coming into play if you really start hammering it.
Otherwise, it is a superbly competent handler that feels reassuringly surefooted and confident.
Verdict
The EV6 GT Line is a superbly realised package that offers up a tantalising alternative to the Hyundai Ioniq 5 in a similarly-priced package that packs slightly more power and a slightly bigger battery.
Its interior quality may not be quite as good as the Hyundai, but it is still up to the quality expected for the money asked.
Now that Kia has bumped its prices up a bit, making it on par with the Ioniq 5 now, it will largely come down to the few different standard features and the styling if you are choosing between the two.
Of course, the GT-Line’s price also puts it squarely up against both the topspec Polestar 2 ($104,900 for the dual motor long range and $114,900 for the dual motor long range performance) and the top-spec Tesla Model Y and Model 3 Performance models ($108,900 and $103,900 respectively).
For my money, the Polestar 2 would still take it, but they are all so closely matched that there really isn’t a wrong choice in the bunch.