2021 (71) Kia EV6 236kW GT Line 77.4kWh 5dr AWD Auto

The EV6 brings Kia to another level as an EV maker. Jonathan Crouch looks at the updated version.

Ten Second Review

Kia is stepping up a gear in its EV offensive with this updated version of its stylish EV6 battery-powered mid-sized performance saloon. This car has smarter pavement presence, a now-bigger 84.0kWh battery and an uber-sophisticated cabin which challenges the premium makers for style and quality. There's even a super high performance GT derivative. This is, in short, a car that rivals still need to take very seriously indeed.

Background

Prior to the 2021 arrival of this EV6, Korean maker Kia's offerings had been worthy, sensible, good value and, whisper it, rather dull. But that changed with this car's introduction. The idea here was to reinterpret full-electric technology for the affordable part of the mid-sized market in a sporty, desirable fashion. As with rivals like the Polestar 2 or Tesla Model 3. That was quite a challenging brief for a manufacturer not previously positioned as a premium brand, but Kia went about it with enthusiasm. The brand developed an all-new E-GMP platform for this EV6, shared with its close cousin the Hyundai IONIQ 5. And introduced a top EV6 GT high performance model for the very top of the range with a Porsche Taycan-like performance. By 2024, with competition fiercening, it was time for a mid-term update, which brought us the car we look at here.

Driving Experience

The big news with this update is provision of a larger 84.0kWh battery pack (up from 77.4kWh before). As you'd expect, this improves EV driving range, now rated at 361 miles for the volume rear-driven variants (33 miles better than before). It's a best of 339 miles for the dual motor version. Performance remains eager. The 225hp motor of the rear-driven model takes this Kia to 62mph in 7.7s. With the AWD EV6, that rear electric motor is joined by a smaller 74kW motor at the front, boosting total output to 320bhp. That provides for 62mph in 5.3s and nearly twice the amount of pulling power - 605Nm - on the way to the 114mph top speed that all versions of this Kia share. The car doesn't actually feel that fast on first acquaintance, which for us is a good thing, the delivery of torque and speed pleasantly linear and combustion-like. If you want an EV6 that does kick you in the back away from rest, Kia will attempt to sell you a top GT model with a twin motor output uprated to 577bhp and a thumping 740Nm of torque. You don't really need that GT model's manic speed - rest to 62mph in just 3.5s en route to 162mph; and you don't really need its standard adaptive damping system either because the passive 'frequency selective' mechanical springs that feature on standard EV6s (which can't be upgraded) combine with the multi-link independent rear suspension to produce an actually very well judged quality of ride over poor surfaces. There are three drive modes ('Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport'), none of which improve the rather gloopy feel of the steering. But the six available brake regeneration settings (most operable by the steering wheel paddle shifters) are effective and careful use will get you somewhere near the quoted combined cycle drive range figures.

Design and Build

If you happen to be familiar with the original version of this EV6, then you'll probably notice the changes made to the distinctive 'Opposites United' styling of this updated model. At the front, Kia's 'tiger face' has again been re-interpreted for the digital era; the smarter adaptive headlights are inspired from those of the larger EV9, part of a nose made more aggressive by expanded front grilles. The sportier theme is continued at the rear where the contrasting gloss black panel is now split into three distinct segments, all with sharper edges. Kia's also made the B-pillars thicker, strengthening the body for extra crash safety. As before, above this sits a prominent wing-type roof spoiler that channels air downwards towards a raised lower spoiler, which sits atop the car's unique rear light cluster. And the side profile displays a crossover-inspired silhouette and a character line runs along the bottom of the doors, curving upwards towards the rear wheel arches to visually elongate the profile of the car. Wheel sizes are either 19 or 20-inches. There aren't many cabin changes: the pair of 12.3-inch screens now sit in a new surround, the steering wheel's been redesigned, there's a new dash pad and some of the plastics on the centre console have been updated. Oh and the infotainment system now offers a wireless version of 'Apple CarPlay' and 'Android Auto'; that's about it. As before, the 'Relaxation' seats you get above base trim (which recline right back almost flat) are slim, lightweight and contemporary, and clad in modern, visually interesting and robust fabrics created using recycled plastics - equivalent to 111 plastic water bottles. Thanks to a relatively long 2,900mm wheelbase, cabin space is similar to many mid-size SUVs. There's comfortable space for two adults on the rear bench and out back, there's a decently-sized 520-litre boot, extendable to 1,300-litres with the rear backrest folded. This is added to by a front trunk beneath the bonnet which provides up to an additional 52-litres of stowage space for 2WD models and 20-litres for AWD models.

Market and Model

As before, all EV6 models feature the same battery, now 86kWh in size. And there's a choice of 'Air', 'GT-Line' and 'GT-Line S' trim levels, the latter two also available with an AWD dual motor drivetrain. Prices start from around £45,000 for the base 'Air' model, with £3,000 more necessary draduate to 'GT-Line' trim and around £8,000 more needed for 'GT-Line S'-spec. As before, the wild flagship GT model continues at the very top of the range. As you'd expect from a Kia, all models come with quite a lot of kit - dual 12.3-inch curved screens, full-navigation with Kia Connect media services, full-LED headlights and lots of camera safety technology. 'GT-Line'-spec gets you a sportier body kit, plus suede upholstery, LED ambient lighting and power operation for the driver's seat. Mid-range 'GT-Line' trim adds special styling, Dual LED headlights, rear privacy glass, powered front seat adjustment, faux leather upholstery and front 'Relaxation' seats which recline right back so you can take a snooze whilst charging. 'GT-Line S'-spec further adds 20-inch wheels, a sunbroof, artificial suede upholstery, a 14-speaker Meridian Premium Sound System, a Digital Key, a Head-up display, all-round parking sensors, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a 360-degree surround view monitor, a powered tailgate, extra drive assist tech and the option of a heat pump. All EV6 models come with plenty of safety kit; including lane Keep Assist, Lane Follow Assist, Intelligent Speed Limit Assist and Smart Cruise Control.

Cost of Ownership

You'll want to know about range capability and the answer is that this car's new long-range 84.0kWh battery can take the rear-driven version of this car up to 361 miles between charges. It's a best 339 miles for the AWD version - or 324 miles with 'GT-Line S' spec. As before, the EV6's E-GMP platform allows for 800-volt capability and the EV6 now accepts a higher DC rapid charging level of up to 258kW (up from 220kW). If you're able to charge in this fashion, your EV6 will be able to accept a 10-80% charge in just 18 minutes and 62 miles of extra range can be added in only four and a half minutes. The EV6 is also able to distribute charge to other vehicles at up to 3.6kW using it's Type 2 socket, as part of an incorporated 'vehicle-to-load V2L' function. We're not quite sure why you'd ever want to do that, but it might conceivably be useful to charge large appliances using the car's battery 'on an outdoor adventure' according to Kia. The EV6 is fitted with energy-recuperation technologies to maximise driving range. At the top of the range, this includes the option of Kia's latest-generation energy-efficient heat pump (standard on the GT), which scavenges waste heat from the car's coolant system. This ensures that at minus 7 degrees Celsius, the car can achieve 80% of the range that would be possible at 25 degrees Celsius. Also featured is the latest generation of Kia's smart regenerative braking system, which is operated by paddle shifters behind the steering wheel so drivers can quickly and easily slow the car and recuperate kinetic energy to maximise driving range and efficiency.

Summary

This EV6 took the technology that had impressed us with smaller Kias and evolved it to a level appropriate for a customer looking for a faster, more premium kind of mid-sized EV. The result with the EV6 was the Korean brand's most accomplished car to date and a model which today looks just as competitive as it did at launch, thanks to this well-judged package of mid-term updates. In terms of quality, style and technology, it can equal anything on offer from the German premium brands, yet do so at a more affordable price. Certainly, if you were about to sign for something like a Polestar 2 or a BMW i4, the EV6 is a car you should try first. We think you'll be surprised at what you find.