Kia EV6 GT arrives in Australia for testing

The 2022 Kia EV6 GT has arrived in Australia for the final leg of its local chassis tuning program, before first deliveries of the high-performance dual-motor 430kW/740Nm electric SUV take place later this year.

Bringing 0-100km/h acceleration in just 3.5 seconds and a 260km/h top speed, the GT will become the flagship of the critically-acclaimed Kia EV6 EV line-up when it is released Down Under in the fourth quarter of 2022 – roughly November.

It will also be the most expensive Kia ever sold in this country, with a circa-$100,000 price tag to be confirmed closer to its launch. Fitted with the same 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery pack as lesser twin-motor Kia EV6 variants, the GT should be good for a 410km range when fully charged.

The unassuming Korean EV’s Aussie-market chassis tune was initially calibrated on German roads by the Kia Australia team, including laps of the legendary Nurburgring, and more recently around the Australia Capital Territory to improve rough-road compliance.

Chassis refinements included the hydraulic tuning of the shock absorbers and the motor-driven electric power steering (MDPS) system, both of which were fine-tuned in Germany on both road and track, before rough-road testing was completed in Australia.

But the German element of the tuning phase almost never happened, as Kia Australia’s product planning boss Roland Rivero recently told carsales.

“EV6 GT? I can tell you a funny little story about it. Initial tune is always at the Namyang proving ground [in Korea]. It’s always been the way.

“But unfortunately it was in a little bit of an accident, so we had no car. So we went to Germany and tuned it [another car] in the Nurburg area,” he said, confirming track testing on the legendary Nurburgring road course.

“We’ve got the tech centre right on the Nurburgring and the main big tech centre in Russelsheim about a two-hour drive towards the [Frankfurt] airport. We based ourselves in the Nurburgring tech centre,” he said.

“Despite the hurdles that confronted us, from the lack of availability of a test mule in Namyang to the impracticalities of COVID-19 restrictions in Korea requiring seven days of isolation, we negotiated an unprecedented new process of initial tuning in Germany and then fine-tuning in Australia,” said Rivero.

“We’ll always try and find a way to make it Australian-ised.”

Kia Australia’s ride and handling engineer, Graeme Gambold, explained the extra chassis tuning around Canberra has helped fine-tune the EV for local conditions.

“We had a solid platform to work with and spent time in both Germany and locally, ensuring the GT can cope with our harsher conditions. Compliance on rough country roads and importantly grip on uneven surfaces, which is more prevalent in Australia, has been addressed.”

Pricing for the Kia EV6 GT in Australia has not been announced but Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith recently told carsales there were already customer deposits for the car and that “dealers are telling people around the $100,000 mark”.

The Kia Australia boss said the localised chassis tuning that’s been a part of the brand’s genetic make-up since 2010 has improved consumer confidence in the brand.

“Tuning our vehicles to suit Australian conditions is a crucial feature in the local model line-up and can be significantly credited to the growth in our overall sales,” he said.

Demand has been strong for the Korean EV, which has attracted a wait list that stretches to 2024, in part due to a lack of supply, with around 600 EV6 vehicles set to arrive here in 2022.

Sister brand Hyundai is still yet to detail its first high-performance EV – the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N, which will be equipped with the same high-output 430kW/740Nm dual-motor powertrain as the Kia EV6 GT – but has confirmed the high-output electric SUV will be on sale in Australia in 2023.

Australian pricing and specifications for the new Kia EV6 GT will be announced in the coming months.

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