The EV6 is the first dedicated electric vehicle released by Kia in 2021. It gained popularity, selling over 210,000 units in the global market. Last May, Kia launched the all-new EV6, three years later, improving battery capacity and infotainment performance. I took the all-wheel-drive GT-Line model for a test drive over a distance of about 60 km.
The distinctive exterior is a characteristic of the EV6. While Hyundai Motor's electric vehicle Ioniq 5 emphasized bold lines to give a solid feel, the EV6 is a coupe-style sport utility vehicle (SUV). The all-new EV6 features Kia's 'family look' on the front, including daytime running lights (DRL), which creates a more dynamic impression.
The all-new EV6 is equipped with a new steering wheel applied since the EV3. The functionality is not significantly different from the existing steering wheel. The display has been changed from a combined form to a panoramic display.
The interior space of the EV6 is spacious. The wheelbase is 2,900 mm, making it sufficient for a family of four. The trunk can expand to a maximum storage space of 1,300 liters when the second-row seats are folded down. However, the car's height (1,550 mm) is not high, making car camping seem difficult.
As I started driving, a virtual engine sound spread throughout the vehicle. This feature provides the sound of an internal combustion engine's exhaust and similar sounds using virtual audio. The sound is generated considering vehicle speed, motor torque, and other factors, allowing the driver to adjust the volume. The smart connector option, only available in the EV6 GT-Line, includes a digital center mirror. Since it is a coupe-style SUV, the visibility through the rear window is narrow, but the digital center mirror offers a clearer and broader view.
Once I entered the highway and pressed the accelerator pedal, the speed increased rapidly, as expected from an electric vehicle. The 239 kW motor propelled the body, reaching 100 km/h in an instant. This is equivalent to about 320 horsepower in internal combustion engines. The GT-Line takes 5.2 seconds to accelerate from a complete stop to 100 km/h. The vehicle experienced minimal shaking, providing a feeling of staying glued to the road. The battery capacity has also increased to 84 kWh, allowing a range of up to 494 km (based on long range) when fully charged.
It is disappointing that the i-Pedal 3.0 is not equipped. Electric vehicles can drive using only the accelerator pedal, unlike internal combustion vehicles, thanks to regenerative braking (a technology that converts and recovers the kinetic energy generated during the braking process into electrical energy and stores it in the battery). Kia developed the i-Pedal 3.0, which allows for acceleration, deceleration, and stopping using only the accelerator pedal at all regenerative braking stages; however, this function is absent in the all-new EV6.
The performance is good, but the starting price of 68.5 million won is burdensome. Adding subsidies from the government, which amounts to 5.72 million to 5.99 million won, and a local government subsidy of 400,000 won based on Seoul, the vehicle can be purchased in the low 60 million won range. The trim that is not the GT-Line can be purchased in the 40 million won range.