EV6 stands out among electric SUVs
If there’s any justice, Kia will wish it had built a bigger factory to make EV6s. Affordable, fun to drive, efficient and looking like a prop from next season’s “Mandalorian,” there’s very little to criticize about the sleek electric vehicle.
The EV6 is Kia’s counterpart to the Hyundai Ioniq 5, which shares its drivetrain, platform and other major systems. The pair make a completing case that South Korea’s Hyundai-Kia behemoth is poised to be a leader in the market for electric vehicles.
The EV6 competes with EVs like the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Nissan Ariya, Tesla Y and Volkswagen ID.4. All those vehicles are called SUVs. They have different degrees of the height and profile people expect from SUVs, but none has meaningful off-road ability. They’re fine vehicles for everyday use, with varying degrees of performance and style. Anybody considering any of those vehicles for a five-passenger EV should check out the EV6 before buying any competitor.
But be prepared to wait. Kia’s assembly plant in Hwasung, Korea, should have a hard time meeting global demand for this winner, and U.S. dealers in states with generous EV incentives are likely to get the lion’s share of EV6s shipped here.
How much?
EV6 prices start at $40,900 for a 225horsepower rear-drive model with a 58 kWh battery that provides 232 miles driving range on a charge. Prices rise as you add a second electric motor on the front axle for more power, all-wheel drive and a 77.4 kWh battery that delivers an EPA rated 310 miles on a charge for RWD models or 272 miles with AWD. AWD EV6s have two electric motors that generate 320 hp.
The top model, the EV6 GT-Line AWD, starts at $55,900.
That’s a lot of variables to keep in your head, but that’s the beauty and complexity of electric vehicles: Like pickup trucks, they use a parts bin that can be combined in a variety of ways to deliver a wide range of prices and capabilities. Like the EV6, the base models of most EVs will probably have rear-wheel drive. It’s easy to attach a motor to the rear axle so there’s no driveshaft running through the cabin to reduce passenger space and comfort. From there, adding a second motor on the front axle for AWD, more power and performance is no big deal.
Most EV batteries sit under the passenger compartment. They’re relatively flat, so they don’t take up much space, and they’re heavy, so handling benefits from putting them as low as possible.
Lower-priced models will have smaller batteries, and as prices rise to deliver more range and performance, the batteries get bigger and fill more of the space between the front and rear
motors.
I tested a well-equipped rear-drive EV6 GT-Line with an EPA-rated cruising range of 310 miles and 225 hp.
It stickered at $52,190. All prices exclude a $1,215 destination charge. The EV6 qualifies for a $7,500 federal tax credit, with additional local credits in some states.
EV6 prices are generally lower than comparably equipped competitors.
Driving impressions
My EV6 GT-Line’s one-motor reardrive setup provided 225 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque. That may not sound like a lot for a vehicle with a 4,255-pound curb weight, but never underestimate the fact the electric motors develop all their torque immediately, unlike gasoline engines that have to rev up to get peak force to the wheels.
That immediate torque makes the EV6 surge forward when you press the accelerator.
Hyundai’s EV platform – the poetically named Electric-Global Modular Platform; E-GMP to its friends – contributes to good handling. The weighty battery – 816 pounds for short range, 1,052 pounds for extended – lies in the middle of the vehicle, between the wheels.
The steering is firm and responsive. The suspension absorbs bumps well and kept my EV6 level in quick maneuvers, starts and stops. The brakes are confident. Paddles mounted on the steering wheel allow the driver to select different levels of regenerative braking.
The front electric motor disconnects completely from the wheels when it’s not being used, reducing drag and increasing range.
Looks and features
At 60.8 inches tall, with a sloping roof and fastback, the EV6 doesn’t cut a particularly SUV-like figure. That’s good, as far too many SUVs are visually interchangeable until their logos come into view.
The EV6’s long roof suggests a roomy interior, a promise the interior more than keeps, thanks to a flat floor in the rear seat and roomy cargo compartment. The door handles are flush and pop out automatically when you approach with the key fob.
The instruments are clear and easy to read, thanks to high-definition graphics on a pair of 12.3-inch screens – one for the instruments, the other a landscapeorientation touch screen that’s in easy reach for the driver.
The controls rely heavily on capacitive, flat panel touch points. I’d prefer a couple more physical switches, but Kia uses a clever dual-purpose display that lets a single line of touch points double as controls for climate, audio and navigation.
The EV6 has one of the best charging systems on the market. Like most EVs, it will charge overnight at the 240v connections most owners have.