Kia says it is taking “electric performance to another level” with the GT-badged hot version of its new EV6 electric flagship, which will top out a range comprising two- and four-wheel-drive variants with a choice of different battery sizes.
The dual-motor EV6 GT sends 577bhp and 546lb ft to both axles, and is expected to get from 0-62mph in just 3.5 seconds and reach a top speed of 162mph, making it not only the quickest Kia yet built, but also more powerful and faster than the Porsche Taycan 4S.
Lower down the range, the EV6 is available in either rear-wheel-drive form with a 77.4kWh battery giving 316 miles of range, or with four-wheel-drive and a smaller 58.0kWh power pack, which will likely give a range of around 250 miles. The two-wheel-drive version uses a 226bhp motor on the rear axle and is capable of 0-62mph in 6.2 seconds, while the non-GT four-wheel-drive version ups power to 321bhp and packs 446lb ft for a 0-62mph time of 5.2 seconds.
The EV6’s powertrain line-up can be expected to be adopted by the closely related Hyundai Ioniq 6, which will arrive later this year as a performance-focused electric saloon to rival the Mercedes-Benz EQS and Audi E-tron GT.
The EV6’s E-GMP platform, which it shares with the recently revealed Hyundai Ioniq 5, is equipped with 800V charging architecture. This will allow charging from 0-80% capacity in as little as 18 minutes, depending on battery size, and can take on 62 miles of range in less than four and a half minutes. The EV6 is also equipped with a ‘vehicle-to-load’ function which can supply up to 3.6kW of power to external devices - including other EVs - and, with more than 35% charge, has a towing capacity of 1600kg.
Range-maximising features include an innovative heat pump which “scavenges waste heat from the car’s coolant system” to ensure that, at temperatures of -7degC, the EV6 offers 80% of the range it would at 25degC. Adjustable regenerative braking is fitted across the range, too, with paddle shifters behind the steering wheel allowing drivers to choose from six different modes.
Kia has also given new details of the EV6’s headline tech features, including an augmented reality head-up display which shows ADAS alerts, speed data and turn-by-turn navigation instructions. The latest iteration of Kia’s connectivity package features, too, with inbuilt EV-specific functions, as does a raft of advanced driver safety aids.
The South Korean-built EV6 will be available in the UK from October 2021, with prices starting at £40,895 for the EV6. The EV6 GT-Line starts at £43,895, while the top-of-the-line GT will come with a significant premium, of £58,295. A pre-reservation process opens from today.
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And only £58,000 for a Kia? Bargain!! I'll have two!
What a dissappointment!! Another desireable but unaffordable electric car. I thought when I first saw this Kia it was going to be about 30k max and with the rapid charging ability could be a game changer for the electric car revolution. Why does it have to be so fast? I am just looking for an electric car with a comparable range to an ICE car, and 18 minute charging would be fine but it doesn't need to go faster than say 8 secs 0-60. I think when someone produces this for 20k, then the world will start seriously considering electric cars, rather than ICE. I know a Kia Niro and MG ZS are getting close but they cant be charged in anything like 18 minutes. I wish the motoring industry would concerntrate on this lower end of the market, or maybe they know there is'nt enough profit in it?
Peugeot e-208 can be charged up in 30 minutes. That's not far off 18 minutes?
Frustrating that the focus is on the high-end 'halo' models at the moment. I'm hoping that Kia will introduce a version of the EV6 that slips under the £35k barrier.
No use referencing the 0-60 performance of cars to Porsche or any other manufacturer of powerful ICE cars. I was saying that this would mean the end of esoteric performance car brands as electric performance will be relatively easy to come by, either by remapping the existing electric motors or fitting uprated electric motors to your average car for better performance especially if the owner is willing to sacrifice range for performance. Unless the finer points of handling and ride are what you are after, the legacy brands will be losing at least one of their USPs.
Exactly. I was actually reading a review of the Porche Taycan recently, and it was painfully evident that the motoring journalist was at a loss on what to say about the performance (not handling) characteristics. It is as he was saying "I am not going into details on engine, power, etc, it does much anymore"...