Some cars are just special. It’s special when you know a manufacturer has put its heart and soul into designing it just perfectly, now that it embodies a very unique design but also the interiors are roomy. You know a car is special when the talking point is not the plethora of technology it packs – and which it actually does – but it’s the acceleration times that are associated with its name. You know a car is special when you look at it, and just one thing comes to your end, I wanna drive it!
Well, we all know you folks are smart enough to guess how much we love cars, and how much we adore the car you see here today, the Kia EV6. Oh, and yes, one more thing that makes it special is that it is not an SUV, and it still demands more attention than a typical box on wheels with an angry design. Leave the anger to the birds, it’s high time now. Now before we make any more bad puns, here’s our Kia EV6 overview right below.
Design
The Kia EV6 sports a unique low-slung design which gives it a very futuristic look, and it does turn heads while on the move. Kia has recently added a facelift to the portfolio, which sports a newer design with minimal updates across the car.
The major update up front is the use of new Star Map LED headlamps – which feature a hook like DRL – with a new LED light bar spanning the gap between them. The new headlamps ensure the car looks more aggressive and thanks to the sportier bumper up front, the overall front end looks menacing and you’ll know this means serious business. It is also part of the fact that Kia only offers the EV6 in India in the sportier GT trim.
The swooping profile of the car remains unchanged, and it looks fantastically beautiful. Kudos to Kia for adding a new design to the alloy wheels, which only enhances the overall look of the car from the side. The alloy wheels continue to be 19-inches in size and follow a similar Star pattern as the rest of the design highlights.
The rear end sees minimal changes thanks to the new sportier bumper with huge chunks of gloss black inlets on both ends which merge with a sizable diffuser at the bottom. The rear profile of the car may draw opinions for the design looks a bit similar to some other SUV from a brand that sells performance vehicles, but it still fits the overall design of the car very well so we will not nit pick any further.
The platform of the car, of course, remains the same and it’s built on the E-GMP skateboard platform, with its advanced 800V electrical architecture, shared with the Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Interior
As is the case with facelift models, the cabin of the Kia EV6 retains the familiar design but there are some minor changes for a better experience inside the cabin. The most prominent update here is a new three-spoke steering wheel, which replaces the older two-spoke unit, and looks slightly more conventional than the older one. As is the overall theme outside, the updated steering unit looks sportier, however it will take some time to not picture the older unit in this cabin, for we think it looked more contemporary than this one.
Apart from that, the dashboard gets new textures, and both the infotainment and instrumentation screens get new software and a user interface. These small updates do add a bit of flair to the cabin, and makes it a bit more refreshing and in line with the newer global Kia models.
As for the rest of the stuff, the front seats still remain to be extremely comfortable and roomy, replete with multiple adjustment features. A standout feature for the front seats is the zero-gravity mode, allowing the occupants to fully recline and relax when the car is stationary. This has been retained from the older model.
The rear seat is also quite spacious, which means there’s enough room to accommodate three adults with ease. Knee and headroom is ample, and the bonus here is that the backrest reclines for additional comfort. The only downside here, however, is that the thigh support is compromised due to the high floor, and window blinds have been given a miss. Boot space, on the other hand, stands at a respectable 490 litres, but the compartment is shallow. There’s also a frunk, though it’s small at 20 litres.
Battery and Charging
The EV6 continues with the same dual-motor setup, producing 325 hp and 605 Nm. As associated with this performance-centric EV, the claimed 0-100kph time is 5.3sec (just 0.1sec slower than before).
With this facelift, the Kia EV6 gets a new, larger 84 kWh Nickel Manganese Cobalt (NMC) battery, replacing the older 77.4kWh unit. This new battery is not only more energy-dense but also lighter. The WLTP range has increased to 581 km, up by 53 km. When it comes to charging, the EV6 supports ultra-fast DC charging at speeds of up to 350 kW, allowing it to go from 10 to 80 percent in just 18 minutes.
Driveability
Thanks to almost perfect calibration, the Kia EV6 feels very natural to drive. Unlike EVs we have seen in the past, the power is served in a progressive manner rather than in one big chunk, which aids drivability. There’s excellent traction thanks to the standard all-wheel-drive system Multiple drive modes alter the car’s behaviour – Eco, as the name indicates, softens responses to maximise efficiency, while Sport sharpens everything up. There’s also an Individual mode that lets drivers customize settings to their preference.
The Kia EV6 strikes a good balance when it comes to ride and handling. Speaking of handling first, it feels confident and composed around corners with good grip levels. The steering does weigh up when the car is driven in Sport mode, however that does not mean it offers a connection or feedback from the road.
We were impressed with the ride quality since the EV6 maintains good ride comfort despite riding on large 19-inch wheels. It can feel a touch firm at lower speeds but settles nicely as you go faster, delivering a pliant and absorbent ride, as is the case with stiffer suspension setups. There are some vertical movements at higher speeds, but they’re well-contained.
Price and Verdict
The Kia EV6 facelift price in India is set at Rs 65.97 lakh (ex-showroom), which is owing to the fact that the car is brought here via the CBU route. It is available in five different shades but in a single fully-loaded trim.
Outstanding looks, an exceptionally well made interior and a never-ending equipment list is what works in favour of the Kia EV6. However, it’s the price that makes it a difficult recommendation, since this is a price where we also see luxury carmakers selling their fancy SUVs. The Kia EV6 facelift might be a fantastic vehicle overall, it just needs to be priced right.
