Kia EV6: seems Kia’s deadly serious
Hyundai’s Ioniq 5 is a fine new EV. As is Kia’s variation on the same theme
Kia’s EV6 is striking in any context, but it looks as unreal as a spaceship against the churches and fields of Chippenham. Its bodywork gleaming in the Wiltshire sun, our prototype test car is like a visitor from a more advanced civilisation, and it’s equally futuristic under the skin.
Like the Hyundai Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6 uses the group’s E-GMP platform, an infinitely customisable EV framework that can deliver two- or four-wheel drive, along with 800-volt fast charging and vehicle-to-load capability too. The EV6 has the same wheelbase as a Kia Sorento SUV, but within the modest overall length of BMW’s 3-series compact saloon.
As we slip along a mix of residential streets, motorways and B-roads, it’s clear the EV6’s sporty looks aren’t just for show. Behind its ‘Digital Tiger Face’, Kia engineers have tuned the platform to give their first bespoke EV real bite.
The EV6 is stiffer than the Ioniq 5, with firmer rebound damping and thicker anti-roll bars front and rear, so it’s relatively flat and squat mid-corner, even without adaptive dampers.
The brakes cope well with having to juggle the needs of energy regeneration and stopping a 2.5-tonne skateboard, offering a welcome level of feel. The steering, however, is heavy and a touch lazy at the straight-ahead position in our development car, but good enough to give you the confidence to sling the EV6 into corners at ever-increasing speeds.
A 77.4kWh battery and two motors make 321bhp across both axles, though most of the work is done by the 221bhp rear motor. That’s more than enough power to make things interesting. The 0-62mph sprint time is a lively 5.2sec, the range an impressive 314 miles.
In Normal mode, the right pedal action is smooth in a way familiar to drivers of combustion cars, but Sport mode brings the snappy acceleration we’ve come to expect from EVs, and marries it to an aggressive synthesised sound. It’s the mode you flick on for launching away from the lights, rather than smooth, relaxed driving. Eco mode softens response even more.
Inside, the Kia is refreshingly logical. Dual 12.3in screens sit above a panel of frequentlyused heating and media controls, and on the steering wheel are buttons for the volume and cruise control.
This drive in a prototype makes it clear the EV6 has serious potential. Dynamically good for a 2.5-tonne crossover, the Kia is well polished, from its intuitive, sustainable interior to its e-GMP skeleton. Add those starship looks, as well as the promise of more powerful and longer-range powertrains – including a 577bhp GT model – and it could be even better than its Ioniq 5 twin.
First verdict
Another very promising electric newcomer from Korea, with much to enjoy beyond its striking looks and impressive stats #### #