Kia EV6 – What you need to know

Let’s be honest, when electric vehicles started popping up on our roads almost two decades ago they were pretty daggy looking and didn’t go very far or fast.

How times have changed.

Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle, the sleek Kia EV6, packs futuristic looks into a large, practical five-seater SUV body in either rear- or all-wheel drive, offering zero-emissions motoring across three variants.

It’s a game changing, irresistible combination for many buyers and demand for the EV6 has well and truly outstripped supply.

The entry-level ‘Air RWD’ has a single rear-mounted motor driving the rear wheels, as does the mid-level GT-Line RWD.

Two electric motors – one driving the front wheels and the other driving the rear wheels – make the top spec GT-Line AWD, as the name alludes to, all-wheel drive.

All three variants offer fast charging from as little as 18 minutes for up to 80 per cent, a 484-528km range (WLTP), up to 239kW of power and a 0-100km/h time starting as low as 5.2 seconds. Impressive performance then.

Combine that with a widespread collection of safety, comfort and convenience features, plus SUV versatility, and it is easy to see why it has sold like hotcakes since its debut.

So let’s go shopping for your car of the future and see which features and variant grabs you.

To slip behind the wheel of the 168kW single-motor Kia EV6 Air RWD will cost $72,590 plus on-road costs – a $4600 increase over launch pricing, which has been applied across the EV6 range.

It comes with the following standard features:
• 12.3-inch screen for gauges and trip computer
• 12.3-inch colour infotainment touch-screen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Satellite navigation
• Adaptive cruise control
• Front and rear parking sensors
• Reversing camera with dynamic guidelines
• LED headlights, tail-lights and daytime running lights
• One-pedal driving function

Six exterior colours make up the Kia EV6 Air RWD palette and five in the GT-Line. Premium paint is a $520 addition, with the matte finish Moonstone costing $3295.

Included in every Kia EV6 is a comprehensive suite of safety and driver assist technologies.

All models have traction and stability control, hill start assist, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, multi-collision braking and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) that detects vehicles, bikes and pedestrians.

There’s lane keep and lane follow assist, blind spot collision warning, lead vehicle departure warning and rear cross traffic collision avoidance.

Not stopping there, the Kia EV6 also has a safe exit warning function, driver alert monitoring, adaptive cruise control and seven airbags with a central front bag to mitigate head clashes between the front occupants in the event of a collision.

Parking sensors front and rear, a reversing camera with guidelines, auto on/off headlights and wipers, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror and auto high beam and dimming for the LED headlights are fitted to all models.

If you want parking collision avoidance assist when reversing, a 360-degree surround view monitor, blind spot view monitor and powered child-proof rear door locks, then head over to either the GT-Line RWD or AWD models.

And there is one feature you are going to want to show all your family and friends time and time again if you have the GT-Line model.

It’s remote smart parking assist and it lets you stand outside the EV6 and park it remotely.

The Kia EV6 has also received a five-star safety rating from ANCAP.

Dual 12.3-inch curved and colour screens grace the dash of the Kia EV6.

The central touch-screen is for infotainment with satellite navigation, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay smartphone compatibility, AM/FM and digital (DAB+) radio and a six-speaker audio system.

Another 12.3-inch curved digital display serves as the instrument cluster, which features a speedometer, power and charge gauges, energy flow, range, AWD distribution (where specified) and the driving mode being employed.

Step up to the GT-Line and you also get an augmented reality head-up display and a 14-speaker premium Meridian sound system.

Slipping into the Kia EV6, the first thing you notice is the flat floor and the single floor pedal to operate the electric car. It’s called i-Pedal and it lets you both accelerate and brake.

It works like this: in i-Pedal mode the regenerative braking is increased so that when you take your foot off the accelerator the brakes operate strongly enough to bring the Kia EV6 to a standstill.

Is leather trim on the wish list? The entry-level Air makes do with a combo of cloth and artificial leather whereas the GT-Line models feature black suede and vegan white leather with white stitching, giving the cabin a striking look.

The driver’s seat in the Air is power-adjustable in six ways with power lumbar support, but the premium relaxation front seats in the GT-Line are both eight-way power-adjustable.

Heated and cooled a must? The front seats are heated and ventilated only in the GT-Line models.

What about a heated steering wheel? You can have this feature but, again, only in the GT-Line variants.

As for storage, you get four cup holders and four bottle holders, two of each for both rows, a centre console with an arm rest lid and a front storage tray with a 12-volt power outlet and three USB chargers. There are another two USB chargers in the second row.

Rear privacy glass? Only on the GT-Line models, with solar glass used on the rear windows and tailgate of the Air.

All models get solar glass on the front door windows, and all come with an acoustic film on the solar windscreen.

A sunroof? You can have a powered full-length tilt-and-slide sunroof with a sliding cover but only if you stump up for the GT-Line all-wheel drive.

Climate control? No need to ask as all models have a dual-zone system with auto defogging and an air filter as well.

For added handiness a powered tailgate gives access to the cargo compartment with its retractable cover and 480-1270L cargo area (rear seat up/down). There’s an additional front ‘boot’ of 52 litres in the Air and 20 litres in the GT-Line models.

LED lights are employed at both ends, including day running and the rego plate light and there’s a choice of 64 ambient interior light colours.

Completing the high-tech look are 19-inch alloy wheels on the Air and 20-inch alloys on the GT-Line models.

Adding to the practicality of the Kia EV6, it has the ability to tow up to 1600kg braked or 750kg unbraked, with a maximum tow ball weight of 100kg.

Getting behind the wheel of an EV is a new experience for many of us. To reduce stress and create familiarity, the Kia EV6 has many common features such as four drive modes (Eco, Sport, Normal and Snow) as well as the less common two brake modes (Eco and Sport).

Is all-wheel drive a must? Then head to the EV6 GT-Line and its dual electric motors pumping out a healthy 239kW of power.

The Kia EV6 Air and GT-Line RWD both use a 168kW/350Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor that drives the rear wheels.

They draw energy from 77.4kWh lithium-ion battery that offers a driving range of up to 528km in the Air and 504km in the GT-Line RWD.

The GT-Line all-wheel drive variant boosts its output with an extra 74kW front axle-mounted electric motor, with the two motors combined producing 239kW/605Nm. The GT-Line AWD model has the same-capacity battery but a slightly lower range of 484km.

A single-speed reduction gear transmission is used in all Kia EV6 models.

Standard charging takes seven hours and 20 minutes using an 11kW charger, but fast charging up to 80 per cent capacity takes 73 minutes with a 50kW charger and a mere 18 minutes using a 350kW charger.

All models carry a portable AC trickle charger that slowly replenishes the battery.

The Kia EV6 blends futuristic looks with SUV versatility and EV cred.

Fast recharging, slick performance, a host of creature comforts and up-to-the-minute safety and driver assist tech make it a complete and desirable package.

While some may find the all-wheel drive and two motors too hard to resist, I’d happily put my signature on the ownership papers of a rear-wheel drive GT-Line, with added safety and comfort features.

How much does the Kia EV6 cost?
Air RWD – $72,590
GT-Line RWD – $79,590
GT-Line AWD – $87,590

*Prices exclude on-road costs