2021 Kia EV6 redefines boundaries of electric mobility with inspiring design
15The dual-motor EV6 GT sends 577bhp and 546lb ft to both axles, and is expected to get from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 162mph, making it not only the quickest Kia yet built, but also more powerful and faster than the Porsche Taycan 4S. Lower down the range, the EV6 is available in either rear-wheel-drive form with a 77.4kWh battery giving 316 miles of range, or with four-wheel-drive and a smaller 58.0kWh power pack, which will likely give a range of around 250 miles. The two-wheel-drive version uses a 226bhp motor on the rear axle and is capable of 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, while the non-GT four-wheel-drive version ups power to 321bhp and packs 446lb ft for a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds.
The EV6’s powertrain line-up can be expected to be adopted by the closely related Hyundai Ioniq 6, which will arrive later this year as a performance-focused electric saloon to rival the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Audi E-tron GT.
The EV6’s E-GMP platform, which it shares with the recently revealed Hyundai Ioniq 5, is equipped with 800V charging architecture. This will allow charging from 0-80% capacity in as little as 18 minutes, depending on battery size, and can take on 62 miles of range in less than four and a half minutes. The EV6 is also equipped with a ‘vehicle-to-load’ function which can supply up to 3.6kW of power to external devices - including other EVs - and, with more than 35% charge, has a towing capacity of 1600kg.
Range-maximising features include an innovative heat pump which “scavenges waste heat from the car’s coolant system” to ensure that, at temperatures of -7degC, the EV6 offers 80% of the range it would at 25degC. Adjustable regenerative braking is fitted across the range, too, with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel allowing drivers to choose from six different modes.
Kia has also given new details of the EV6’s headline tech features, including an augmented reality head-up display which shows ADAS alerts, speed data and turn-by-turn navigation instructions. The latest iteration of Kia’s connectivity package features, too, with inbuilt EV-specific functions, as does a raft of advanced driver safety aids.
The South Korean-built EV6 will be available in the UK from October 2021, with prices starting at £40,895 for the EV6. The EV6 GT-Line starts at £43,895, while the top-of-the-line GT will come with a significant premium, of £58,295. A pre-reservation process opens from today.