“Wow.” This is the real word that survived my lips when I first engaged in sports mode on EV6. It can be used to describe most of my experience with a vehicle during the first drive event.
Kia's move from the entry-level car manufacturer with the help of Teluride SUV continues with its latest offer. EV6 reflects the development of not only the brand, but also its EV Prasad. EV6 is a large-to-an-appointed vehicle called Kia a CUV (crossover utility vehicle) with a SUV location and a sedan's driving trend. Everything about it is more than you guess.
While other vehicle manufacturers say about their move for EVS with their first vehicles over the years, that has been in the game for a few generations. From an electric version of the soul to Nero EV, the Korean vehicle manufacturers are busy. Recently, the Hyundai Motor Group (the original company of Kia) introduced an EV architecture called e-GMP (Electric Global Moduler platform). EV6 is the inaugural KIA on that battery and powertrain system, while Hyundai has its own IONIQ 5.
In pictures, both vehicles look smaller than whatever they experience in real life. The reality is that the EV6 has the same wheelbase similar to teluride at 114.2 inches. Vehicles are thanked to the wheels pushed to the edge of the vehicle. So when it may look like a compact hatchback, it is actually close to the dimensions of a medium-sized sedan, which is 184.3 inches-is only one inch and half smaller than the BMW3 series.
Everything about it is more than you guess.
Its real -life size is not only surprising. Frankly, the EV6A has to provide much more likely than the expected of most people than the EV6AA. While driving the GT trim level all-wheel-drain and rear-dry drive versions in Northern California, it is clear that the Korean automekar is set to take both automotive upstarts and traditional OEMs.
At the core of this performance is the powertrain technology that has developed over and beyond vehicle manufacturers such as Mercedes in many ways. The most impressive part of e-GMP is that it is an 800-volt architecture, which means it charges quickly. The vehicle will support charging up to 350kw at the compatible DC fast-charging stations. It is currently faster than anything on the road and only matches Hyundai Ionic 5. Kia says that it will charge a fee of 10 to 80% within 18 minutes at 350 kW charging station.
Fast. Perhaps very fast.
He is sitting around. On the road, the GT trim is quickly accelerated that the number does not fully capture. The AWD version has a 320 horsepower and a torque of 446 pounds, which gives 60 times a 60 time of 5.1 seconds to the AWD version-RWD GT in two seconds 7 seconds in 7.2 seconds compared to the version. This is not the fastest EV I have ever operated, but this initial blow can push you back to your seat in such a way that Woakeswagen ID4 and Chevy Bolt are not just.
While carrying on the Northern California switchback, I faced a little more body rolls than anticipating on a vehicle with that power. For 90 percent of the drivers, this is a non-day; Kia provoked us on technical mountain roads with more switchbacks than most people in a month. But for those who are looking for a hot hatch, which match its cornering, the EV6 is not enough. This is close, though.
As you guess, the RWD version of the vehicle had more overseaser than the AWD version. Even when I found tires to break free free, the security system was in a hurry to set things correctly. And even with body rolls, I still enjoyed myself on the streets that were better suited to Kia Stinger than EV6.
So much place for activities
Inside, again, it is greater than your view. The vehicle seems huge. Large windows only increase the dimensions of the moderately sized vehicle. Long people should be rejoiced. More than six feet long, I usually have to push back to drive back the seat. In EV6, there was still a place for those long people to sit back on the back of the wheel.
Even the driver's seat was pushed back, I was still able to sit comfortably in the back and even a few inches between my knees and the front seat. The rear seats also recur to further increase the experience. The rear seat has space for three, but one of them must have a small baby for all three to make it for more than 30 minutes before teasing the elbow of their peers.
The cargo space is in the middle of the EV SUV field. With the back seats, the trunk has 24.4 cubic feet space. With the two seats below, it increases to 50.2 cubic feet space. It exceeds the Volvo XC40 recharge and is at a par with Kia Nero EV, but is less than IONIQ 5, ID4 and Mach-E.
Meanwhile, the material looked more luxurious than you. This is like the secret weapon of Kia and Hyundai: Feel the interior that you have paid more for your vehicle. Vegetarian leather seats were completely felt like a suede without killing the animal part. The dash and center console materials were equally impressive.
Given the interesting center of the vehicle, the layout of control took a few minutes to use. Hot seats and steering wheel control are at the end of the console. Once you find them, it makes sense. But, I will confess, I spent a few minutes, tried to find out their location.
A complicated feature is that the control room under a 12.3 -inch touchscreen switchs on a quick key to the infotainment system from climate control. Physical KNOBs serve triple duty in the form of temperature control, volume control and tuning control. It is a bit of a Nifty gimmick that gives the driver a physical button without too much dislocation. Although it can feel a little texture at the first time, I found that it is an extraordinary agreement in the world, with low and low controls available outside the infotainment system.
The infotainment system is no different from what we have seen on recent Kia and Hundis. It supports Apple Carplay and Android. There was no delay switching between facilities and home screens. Overall, it is nothing, but it works without forcing the driver to hunt for hidden features.
What is the fun-up display (HUD) like Mercedes EQS and S-Class. Yes, MercedesEV6 has enhanced the turn-by-turn direction arrows that appear and indicate you in the right direction because you reach a corner or interchange. In a roundabout (we managed to find something in California), arrows were a great help in navigating sphere intersections. In addition, like Mercedes, active with adaptive cruise control, hud will place a glowing line under the bumper of the vehicle, which is EV6 tracking. It is a good reminder that the sensors and computers of the car are doing their work.
go Go go
Kia is launching EV6 with six trim levels and $ 40,900 (including $ 1,215 destination fee) with a starting price. At least expensive version is called light. It will ship with a small battery and a target range of 232 miles compared to the rest of the lineup at 58.0 kwh.
The automaker will then divide the trim levels into air and GT. Both will have AWD and FWD variants, while wind will get the third “tech package” trim. All these vehicles will come with 77.4 kwh capacity battery pack. Kia will not share information about whether that capacity number was gross pack size or usable pack size. Hopefully, they will share that information in the future.
What do we know that RWD versions of that large -pack vehicles are targeting a boundary of 310 miles, and the AWD versions are at a distance of 274 miles.
But those numbers can be conservative. Hovering between 40 and 55 mph on a stable clip in the AWD vehicle, the vehicle told me that I was receiving 4.9 mile per kwh more than 4 miles per kWh efficiency. The AWD GT version I started the day with an estimated range of 290 miles, but left me at a distance of 254 miles at the end of the day with 88 percent capacity, rather than 241 miles rather than questioned 241 miles.
Later after some aggressive driving, I clearly reduced those numbers, but it is likely that both AWD and RWD will have a slightly higher range than Kia, which once they are allowing their way to make their way into the real world.
Right time, right car
The EV6 may not be longer as SUV, but its complicated design and hatchback gives it a long vehicle feeling in a package that drives more like a car than a utility vehicle. Its heft makes more body rolls than you with a hot-hatch, but it is not really going after that market, even though the AWD GT is early from the trim level line.
While the $ 40,000 model does not break at a distance of 250 miles of the range barrier, $ 47,000 rwd air will find you 310 miles from home without stopping. Best-in-Class 350KW charging also reduces the battery pack less than an issue, as the time spent on fast-charging stations will be much less than anything on the road. Also, the vehicle is eligible for $ 7,500 tax credit.
Once again, Kia is offering a vehicle that seems more expensive than its initial price with technology and features that are found on luxury class vehicles from Germany. It is doing all this in a package that cleverly strades the world of SUV and car, and has a design that stands out of the crowd.