The Kia EV6, EV6 GT-Line and EV6 GT are official, and in some regions they’re already available to reserve. Kia’s new flagship EV is based on the E-GMP platform, and looks to be a good-sized crossover that may just have a few sports car aspirations up its sleeve. But like all good EVs the Kia EV6 is packed with technology and genuinely useful features.
Not only can it let other EVs recharge from its battery, it can also offer some backup power in the event that your home suffers a power outage, offers an AR heads-up display, and can drive up to 60 miles after just five minutes of charging. Here’s everything you need to know about the Kia EV6, including price, release date, special features, and more.
Kia EV6
Release Date: October 2021 (UK), early 2022 (US)
Price: From £40,985, US price TBA
Power: 2 motor AWD
Battery Range: 316 miles
0 to 62 mph: 3.5 seconds
Smarts: AR heads up display, Level 2 autonomous driving features
Kia EV6: Release date and price
Kia has announced that the EV6 will go on sale in the U.K. from October 2021, though it won’t arrive in the U.S. until early in 2022. Some markets can pre-order the car already, but it’s still not universally available.
Pricing is a bit tricky. There’s no US figures currently, we’ll update this page when we have them. However, as a rough guide in the UK the EV6 is listed at £40,895 ($58,161 based on a straight currency conversion); the EV6 GT-Line is £43,896 ($62,170); and the GT is £58,295 ($82,725).
It’s interesting to note that U.K. pre-orders will come with an Ionity charging discount for 12 months. A 65% reduction in the standard will reduce the price in this period to just £0.25 per kWh. Reservations have a £100 ($141) refundable deposit with full payment sometime after May 2021.
Kia EV6: Design and features
It’s fair to say that the EV6 ticks the right boxes when it comes to design.
The outside of the EV6 is outfitted with stylish and modern LED lighting. A rear light system that crosses the whole trunk makes it clear that this car’s a bit different, without being totally at odds with everything else on the road. That interior is made from recycled and sustainable materials as well, including vegan leather.
Inside, Kia hasn’t fallen for that Tesla-like tablet design. Instead. it’s followed Porsche’s lead and use a proper display behind the wheel and another over the centre console. This is a more traditional approach to cabin design, which means it’s not quite as instantly jaw-dropping. It will, however, still look good in a few years time when the tablet screens have faded away.
There are plenty of physical controls. too, meaning you don’t have to operate everything from a touch screen. When migrating traditional car owners to electric, this is likely to be a big selling point for anyone who’s not into high-tech gadgets in their cars.
If cargo space is your thing (and why wouldn’t it be?) there’s between 27.7 and 53.5 cubic feet to work with, depending on whether you fold down the rear seats or not.
The EV6 is also set to come with an augmented reality heads up display, which projects key driving information onto the windscreen. That way you can check your speed, directions, and other information without taking your eyes off the road.
A lot of other popular features are making their way to the EV6 too, including wireless charging, 360-degree cameras, parking sensors, remote parking assistance, and a 14-speaker Meridian premium Audio system. There’s also a blue light filter on the infotainment and TFT displays, to help ease eye strain.
Kia EV6: Autonomous Driving Features
The Kia EV6 packs in a number of key safety features called “Highway Driving Assist 2” (HDS 2). This is a Level 2 autonomous system, which is not true driverless autonomy, but is still taking over some of the work during long trips.
HDA 2 uses a radar based system to “see” other cars during highway driving, and maintains the car at a set speed and distance from the car ahead. This system can also keep the EV6 centered in its lane, and is smart enough to detect upcoming curves in the road and reduces its speed accordingly.
What’s most interesting is that HDS 2 is also capable of recognising when another vehicle drives into close proximity, and adjusts the car’s path to avoid any possible collisions that might have otherwise occurred.
Also included is a blind spot monitor and collision avoidance systems, warning the driver if any cars are hiding out of sight. The EV 6 will also be able to change lanes by itself, provided the driver hits a button on the indicator lever. There’s also a forward collision avoidance system as well as both junction turning and junction crossing features to offer “maximum preventative safety when navigating junctions.”
Naturally the driver still need to keep their hands on the steering wheel while this features are active, and remain attentive of the road ahead in case they need to take back control.
Kia EV6: Range and charging
The big news with the EV6 is that it supports Kia’s 800V (350kW) ultra-fast charging system.
You’ll be able to choose from three versions of the car. There’s the EV6, EV6 GT-Line and EV6 GT. That high spec EV6 GT will only come with the long-range 77.4 kWh battery. The EV6 and GT-Line models will be available with either a 58 kWh or 77.4 kWh battery pack.
Kia says the rear-wheel drive EV6 with the long-range pack can go 510 kilometers, or about 316 miles. That’s based on the European WLTP testing standard.
The GT model will be all-wheel-drive only, while there’s a choice of AWD or rear wheel drive on the EV6 and EV6 GT-Line.
Given the size of this car, the range claim of more than 316 miles is pretty promising. What’s even better is the car’s ability to charge from 10% up to 80% in just 18 minutes. You can add around 62 miles of range in just under five minutes. If rapid charging isn’t necessary, the EV6 has an 11kW AC charger that charges from 10 to 100% in seven hours and ten minutes.
On top of this the Kia EV6 has the ability to charge other electric cars at 1.1kW speeds. Kia says this is the equivalent to using a 110v charger. That’s an exceptionally slow speed, so it should only be used when you have no more options.
Kia EV6: Key specs
The Kia EV6 GT model can go from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 160mph. The standard rear wheel drive can get to 62mph in 6.2 seconds and the AWD model can hit that all-important number in 5.2 seconds.
Kia also says that the EV6 will be able to act as a portable electricity supply for your life. It’s equipped with vehicle-to-load, which allows you to send power from the car directly into your home if you’re having a power outage. It can provide up to 3.6kW of electricity in this mode, enough to at least keep your fridge cool and some lights on.
Kia EV6: Launch video
Here’s Kia’s introduction video for the EV6 where you can see this exciting addition to the EV car world for yourself. Feel free to skip the corporate stuff and head to 1:47 for the actual car.
Kia EV6: Outlook
This is easily one of the most exciting new cars of the year. The design is invigorating and ready to match the ever-popular Tesla. The EV6 doesn’t fall into any gaudy traps with its styling; the front and rear are both modern but purposeful; and the interior seems to balance high-tech without resorting to endless tapping of a touch screen.
The fast charging, long range and option to use this car as a power source on a camping trip or during a power outage are thoughtful and likely to be genuinely useful. Kia may well have put together the ultimate electric car package here.
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