Snapshot
- EV6 GT lifts the bar dynamically
- Positioned above entry Air and GT-Line variants
- 430kW/740Nm EV6 GT asks $99,950 and does 0-100km/h in 3.5sec
The much anticipated 2023 Kia EV6 GT has arrived from $99,950 before on-road costs to serve as the new electric sporting halo model, joining the existing two-trim line up, comprising a choice of rear- or all-wheel drive and 800v ultra-fast charging capacity.
Read the EV6 GT review here
Or watch the walk-around video below
2023 EV6 pricing
Kia hopes to steal buyers away from the popular Tesla Model Y, the biggest-selling SUV in the sector.
The entry-level rear-wheel-drive EV6 Air opens at $72,590 (all prices shown are before on-road costs), featuring as standard the long range 77.4kWh battery.
Step up to the rear-wheel drive GT-Line, and driving range drops slightly from 528 kilometres to 508km, while the price tag swells to $79,590.
There is also the all-wheel-drive, dual-motor GT-Line, which is capable of getting to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds, offers 484km and is pitched at $87,590.
The just-launched EV6 GT takes the top spot, asking $99,950 and bears the same 77.4kWh battery, but is equipped with more powerful electric motors (160kW/350Nm at the front, 270kW/390Nm at the rear) delivering a combined 430kW/740Nm and a 0-100km/h claim of 3.5-seconds. Range is down 60km from the GT-Line AWD at a claimed 424km.
Features
Even the entry-level EV6 Air is generously equipped. Standard equipment includes:
19-inch alloy wheels | Frunk LED lighting |
Low noise, low rolling resistance Kumho tyres | Cloth and artificial leather seats |
Long range 77.4kWh battery | Artificial leather steering wheel trim |
LED headlamps and tail-lights | Dual curved 12.3-inch displays |
Acoustic film windscreen | Wireless phone charger |
Athermic glass on windscreen and doors | Inbuilt navigation |
Flush door handles | USB chargers in front seat backs |
Power folding mirrors | 12v outlet in boot |
Rotary gear selector | Smart key and push button start |
Paddles for regen control | Dual-zone climate control |
LED interior lighting | Rain sensor |
Vehicle-to-load (interior) | Electrochromatic interior mirror |
Powered driver's lumbar support |
The EV6 GT-Line adds, or includes, as standard:
20-inch alloy wheels | 64-colour ambient mood lighting |
Laminated acoustic front door glass | Active sound design |
Privacy glass for rear doors and tailgate | Augmented reality head-up display |
Auto folding flush door handles | 14-speaker Meridian sound system |
GT-Line body kit | Power driver's seat with two memory settings |
Vehicle-to-load (exterior) | Heated and ventilated front seats |
Wide sunroof (AWD only) | Heated steering wheel |
Artificial leather and suede seats | Remote smart park assist* |
Stainless steel luggage sill | Smart powered tailgate |
*This function is not currently certified for use in Western Australia
The flagship EV6 GT adds, or includes, as standard:
21-inch alloy wheels w/ Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres | Electronic controlled suspension |
IFS LED head lights | GT body design with Neon Green brake calipers |
Sequential indicators | GT Mode button on steering wheel |
E-limited slip differential | Artificial leather and suede sports seats |
The Air model also incorporates a high percentage of recycled PET materials on the dash, door pockets, carpets, seat fabric inserts and inner bolsters.
No solid paint finishes will be offered, with the Air getting a choice of snow white pearl, aurora black pearl, runway red, yacht blue, steel grey and a new to Kia glacier paint finish.
The GT-Line also gets the first four colours, but does without steel grey and glacier, instead introducing a cost-option moonscape matte grey finish for the first time.
For the flagship GT, runway red is the only standard colour, with snow white pearl, auruora black pearl, yacht blue and moonscape carrying premium/matte paint options.
Engine, drivetrain and fuel economy
The rear-drive single motor installation generates a peal power figure of 168kW with torque rated at 350Nm, which is enough to get the EV6 to 100km/h in a crisp 7.3 seconds.
Opt instead for the dual-motor all-wheel-drive flagship and power is rated at 239kW with a peak torque of 605Nm.
With all versions using the 77.4kWh battery pack, the lighter Air version nets the longest driving range at 528km, with the bigger wheels and extra weight of the rear-drive GT-Line shaving 20km from that figure.
The range-topping dual-motor GT-Line nets 484km. Given that the equivalent Tesla Model Y Long Range is reported to feature a range of 507km, Kia has landed the larger EV6 in much the same ballpark.
The EV6 GT hero suffers a slightly hampered driving range, again, rolling on larger, stickier Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres, delivering a claime 424km of range.
Its high-output motors deliver a claimed 3.5 second sprint from 0-100km/h, with the GT harnessing clever tech like the new e-LSD and torque vectoring to elevate its dynamic capabilities.
The 800v fast charging capacity is also standard on every EV6 model. Unbraked towing capacity is rated at 1600 kilograms.
Local suspension tuning of the Sachs dampers has been conducted in order to provide a ride quality that's somewhere between the very soft Korean domestic market setup and the far firmer European setting.
Dimensions
One thing the EV6 does share in common with its Hyundai cousin, the Ioniq 5, is that it's a far larger vehicle in the metal than pictures originally suggested.
That said, despite running on a version of the almost infinitely tweakable E-GMP (Electric-Global Modular Platform), the wheelbase of the EV6 is a little shorter than that of the Ioniq 5. Not that you'd guess when climbing inside. It's genuinely large, with plenty of space for a six-footer to sit in the rear behind an equally tall driver.
There's a huge amount of internal stowage space, with generous door pockets, a flat floor, and possible the deepest glove box of any current production vehicle.
The wheelbase measures 2900 millimetres for all models, which is the same as a Porsche Taycan or, if you prefer, a Honda Odyssey – so the EV6 is generously cut. Overall length is 4695mm for the GT-Line variants and 4680mm for the Air, with a width of 1890mm for GT-Line and 1880 for the Air. Single motor models are 1550mm high, with the dual-motor GT Line being 5mm lower, and the GT being 5mm lower again at 1445mm.
Pop the hatch and you have 490L of luggage space, while dropping the rear seats nets you 1296L. The GT-Line and GT's 14-speaker Meridian stereo system, however, adds a subwoofer to the boot which eats up 10L of stowage space.
There's also a frunk up front, which delivers an additional 52L of stowage in the single motor models, while opting for the dual-motor trims that to 20L.
Safety
The Kia EV6 Air and GT-Lines were awarded Five Stars by ANCAP in 2022.
The flagship GT, however, currently stands unrated due to its new sports seats that require rehomologation and testing.
Safety features as fitted to the entry-level Air version include:
Automatic emergency braking (AEB) with junction turning | Intelligent speed limit assist |
Lane keep assist with lane following assist | Tyre pressure monitoring system |
Blind-spot detection | Front and rear parking sensors |
Rear cross traffic alert | Electronic parking brake |
Centre side airbag | Temporary tyre mobility kit |
Multi collision braking | Smart cruise control |
On top of that, the GT-Line also adds:
Blind-spot view monitoring |
Power child lock |
3D surround-view camera |
Warranty and servicing
The EV6 is covered by a seven-year/150,000-kilometre warranty, with seven-year cover for the battery pack.
Kia offers three different pre-paid servicing packages to the tune of three, five and seven years.
For Kia EV6 Air and GT-Line, these cost $594, 1089 and $1584, respectively.
The flagship GT suffers slightly increased servicing costs, which Kia indicates is due to the more laborious servicing required by the GT's larger performance brakes.
Kia's servicing plans for the EV6 GT cost $733 for three years, $1371 for five years, and $2013 for seven years.
Availability
All three Kia EV6 variants are available to order, though demand still outstrips supply.
At the launch of the Kia EV6 GT, Kia Australia expects to receive around 400 EV6 GTs throughout 2023, according to current shipping plans.
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