Kia EV6 review – one of the best EVs on sale
"The Kia EV6 is one of the best electric cars on sale, with a great range and rapid charging"
Pros
- 300-mile+ range
- Fast charging
- Impressive tech
Cons
- Firm ride
- Rear headroom limited
- Expensive
Verdict – is the Kia EV6 a good car?
The Kia EV6 is a sporty electric hatchback with a range of well over 300 miles, impressive 350kW rapid charging and a range of motor combinations – including a 577bhp flagship GT. Its 2024 update has kept it competitive against rival EVs and we think it’s still one of the best to drive. All this makes it a potential favourite in the battle between the Skoda Enyaq, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Cupra Born and Tesla Model Y
Kia EV6 models, specs and alternatives
When the Kia EV6 was first launched it was the brand’s first car to be built as an EV from the ground up. A few years on and the EV6 has since been joined by a raft of new models including the Kia EV9 and Kia EV3, which have also been designed from the outset as all-electric vehicles as their names suggest.
The Kia EV6 arrived before the brand had adopted its latest ‘Opposites United’ design philosophy which already features on the newer EV9 and EV3. A facelift in 2024 has brought the new look to the EV6, too, with more angular headlights flanking its front end and replacing the more triangular units from before. The EV6’s design has always been striking, though, so the rear end has mostly been left alone aside from a slightly redesigned bumper.
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As a purpose-built electric model that can’t be had with a petrol or plug-in hybrid powertrain, the EV6 has some key advantages. Its low centre of gravity allows for better handling and a flat floor improves passenger and luggage space compared with EVs derived from combustion-engined models.
As you'd imagine, it's a close-run fight between the EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5 but even after we compare them back-to-back, the choice is likely to come down to personal taste. The Kia is more sporty looking than the boxy, retro-inspired Hyundai, and has a slightly more precise driving experience. The Hyundai is a bit more practical, with extra space in its back seats and boot.
The Kia stacks up well in its own right, however, with a competitive range figure and interior for the price, making it one of the best EVs in the £40,000-60,000 price bracket. The EV6 starts from just under £46,000 in Air trim. Above this sit GT-Line and GT-Line S versions, but unless you prefer their sporty looks, we’d argue they seem rather superfluous.
Three power levels are offered in the UK: a more affordable rear-wheel-drive model, an all-wheel-drive version with an extra motor up front, and a high-performance flagship EV6 GT – the latter of which is not yet available on the facelifted model but will be updated for early 2025. The facelifted models now come with an 84kWh battery up from the 77.4kWh unit of before. The rear-wheel-drive model produces 225bhp and has a range of up to 361 miles. The all-wheel-drive model offers more power, for a total of 320bhp but with a reduced range of 339 miles. The GT gets a supercar-rivalling 577bhp, but despite its ‘grand tourer’ image, has the shortest range at just 263 miles – this model still currently uses the pre-facelift 77.4kWh battery, however, so range should increase once it gets the 84kWh unit in early 2025.
We've tried all three versions of the pre-facelift car, and now we’ve had a chance to test the latest facelift all-wheel drive car in GT-Line S trim. We still suspect the rear-wheel drive version will be adequate for most buyers even though its 7.7-second 0-62mph time is 0.5 seconds slower than before – we think that’s quick enough for most and buyers will appreciate the longer range from the larger, heavier battery. It's very quiet, especially at town speeds, and feels slightly sharper than the equivalent Hyundai Ioniq 5. Not only does the EV6 look a bit more sporty thanks to its lower stance but its suspension is a notch firmer as well, improving body control but also transmitting a few more bumps into the seats.
As before, the EV6 feels like lots of fun on a twisty country road and we’d say it’s still one of the best electric cars we’ve driven because it’s very composed and agile. On the motorway it’s very quiet, too, with very little whine from its electric motor and good insulation from road and wind noise which makes it a good cruiser.
The EV6 GT is the most powerful production Kia to date, and with 577bhp it’s certainly not slow. It’ll get from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds and hit 162mph flat out. As well as adding a chunk of power, engineers have made changes to the suspension and brakes, amongst other things. Disappointingly, this version has the shortest range; the GT claims only 263 miles on a charge.
Inside the EV6, your eyes will be drawn quickly to the curved dual-screen setup for the instruments and infotainment, which spans the dashboard in a graceful arc. Materials are luxurious and the interior gives Volkswagen a run for its money in terms of build quality. There's ample space and lots of kneeroom even in the second row, although headroom does suffer somewhat because of the low roof. The 490-litre boot should come in handy, as will the 40-litre 'frunk' in the rear-wheel drive model.
