Kia EV6 – Driving impression of the 800 V electric car

Even the introduction of the Kia EV6 with its technical data was very promising. Delivery of the EV6 to dealers and customers will begin in October. At the invitation of Kia, we had the opportunity to get a first driving impression of the Kia EV6. In the video for the article we go into the most important points and in the article we summarize the technical data for you again.

Technical data Kia EV6

For the EV6, Kia uses the E-GMP platform on which Hyundai presented the IONIQ 5, for example. The technical data can be seen in my opinion:

				EV6	EV6 GT Line	EV6 GT
wheelbase				2,900 mm	2,900 mm	2,900 mm
length				4,680 mm	4,695 mm	4,695 mm
broad				1,880 mm	1,890 mm	1,890 mm
height				1,550 mm	1,550 mm	1,545 mm
Luggage room
Luggage space				520 liters
* EV6 / EV6 GT Line				* 2nd row seats folded: 1,300 liters
Storage volume at the front				2WD: 52 liters; AWD: 20 liters
Drive variants
platform				E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform)
EV6	Long distance version	AWD	power	239 kW (front and rear engine combined)
			Turning	605 Nm (front and rear engine combined)
	77.4 kWh battery	2WD	power	168 kW (rear engine)
			Turning	350 Nm (rear engine)
GT Line	Standard model	AWD	power	173 kW (front and rear engine combined)
			Turning	605 Nm (front and rear engine combined)
	58.0 kWh battery	2WD	power	125 kW (rear engine)
			Turning	350 Nm (rear engine)
EV6 GT	77.4 kWh battery	AWD	power	430 Kw (front and rear engine combined)
			Turning	740 Nm (front and rear engine combined)
Charging capacities
Supported charging infrastructure				400 and 800 volts
				(no additional adapters required)
800 volt fast charging				18 minutes from 10% to 80% of the battery capacity

The 800 volt architecture means that the KIA EV6 can be charged from 10 to 80 percent in 18 minutes, and a 100 km range can be recharged in less than 4.5 minutes.

That’s what we’ll only know from the Porsche Taycan so far. However, the EV6 is not only advancing in Porsche regions in terms of charging speed, but also in terms of acceleration values.

The GT version – which will unfortunately not be available until the end of 2022 – sprints to 100 km / h in 3.5 seconds and drives at a top speed of 260 km / h.

Design Kia EV6

The Kia EV6 is the first Kia car to be launched under the new logo and design. The logo looks much more modern and the new slogan: Movment that inspires, make it clear at first glance that Kia has big new goals.

“As Kia’s first all-electric model, the EV6 is a prime example of a progressive, human-centered design combined with electric propulsion. We firmly believe that the EV6 is an extremely attractive and relevant model for the new era of electric vehicles. Our goal was to create an unmistakable, effective design with the EV6 by combining sophisticated high-tech elements with pure and generous volumes, while at the same time offering a dedicated electric vehicle that defines our future. ” Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Chief Designer at Kia.

Personally, I think the Kia EV6 is one of the most beautifully designed cars on the market right now. Other manufacturers show concept vehicles that seem less progressive than the EV6. The rear, in my opinion, is clearly the chocolate side of the EV6. Unfortunately for me it is just incomprehensible why the LED rear strip is not left permanently switched on as a light signature. In the conversation with the designer on site, there was no answer to the question, but I am a little hoping to have initiated a thinking process that may change this in the future.

Personally, I also liked the layout in the interior. The cockpit is clearly driver-oriented and offers a few smart solutions. My highlight is the “hidden” air conditioning control.

The EV6 materials are designed to be sustainable. The dashboard is made of recycled PET bottles and there is no longer a real leather version, but a very high-quality “vegan leather”

The infotainment system offers Apple Car Play and Android Auto (unfortunately only wired). The biggest drawback for me is that, according to KIA, there are no OTA functions. That should actually no longer be the case with a modern electric car. I am curious whether the future Kia models will perhaps bring a new generation of infotainment with them.

Driving impression Kia EV6

In the video you get a good first driving impression of the Kia EV6. I drove both the RWD and the AWD variant. Both models move well and quickly. In fact, I was surprised how fast the Kia drives with just one electric motor. A CUV is of course not a sports car, so it is more likely to be the range that is decisive for many. Both models should achieve a range of over 500km. My assessment is that the AWD variant should have a little more difficulty getting close to the manufacturer’s value than the RWD variant, because accelerating in an electric car is just a lot of fun in the intermediate sprints.

Thanks to the 800V architecture and a value of 18 minutes from 10-80% SoC, the consumption and the range should be secondary.

The Kia EV6 made a great first impression on me and I would like to test it extensively. Due to the base price from € 44,900, the Kia EV6 sprinted from scratch to first place in my personal subjective electric car ranking list.

With the price / performance ratio, other manufacturers have to make an effort to bring something comparable onto the road.

The switch to electromobility definitely has what it takes to significantly change the ranking of manufacturers in the car market, and the Kia EV6 is clear evidence of this.