Kia has revealed the EV6, its new competitor in the electric vehicle market and a very smart-looking crossover SUV that is based on the company’s new platform (which it shares with Hyundai) for battery electric vehicles (BEVs) – the Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP).

The EV6 will be available in three variants – Standard, GT-Line, and GT – and power will come from a choice of multiple long-range, zero-emissions powertrain configurations.

The Standard model comes with a 58kWh battery pack, the GT-Line with either a 58kWh or a 77.4kWh battery pack, while the EV6 GT features the long-range battery pack only. Two-wheel-drive (2WD) or all-wheel-drive (AWD) options are available across the range.

The 77.4kWh battery pack is paired with a 168kW electric motor powering the rear wheels, and for AWD models, a 239kW electric motor powers the front and rear wheels. The 58kWh battery pack is paired with a 125kW electric motor powering the rear wheels and for AWD models a 173kW electric motor powers the front and rear wheels.

The top-of-the-range AWD GT is equipped with 430kW dual motors and with 740Nm of torque, packs some significant punch. 0-to-100 km/h is reached in an exceptional 3.5 seconds, and top speed is 260km/h.

Kia claims good range numbers too, with the 2WD 77.4kWh EV6 able to travel over 510km on a single charge (on the WLTP combined cycle).
The E-GMP platform is equipped with 800V charging capability, meaning the EV6 can go from 10 to 80 per cent battery charge in 18 minutes. 100km of charge can be attained in less than 5 minutes.

A new vehicle-to-load (V2L) function is available, which means up to 3.6kWkW of power can be supplied to external devices. The system can even be used to charge another EV if needed, and with more than 35 per cent charge left in the battery, the EV6 can tow items weighing up to 1,600 kg.
Inside, and thanks to the platform layout available in battery electric vehicles, there is plenty of space, and the EV6 is packed with high-tech infotainment gadgetry and safety features.

The infotainment system includes 12-inch dual screens in a curved display that extends from the steering wheel to the centre of the car. It displays a digital cluster in front of the driver and infotainment system above the centre console.

There’s an augmented reality (AR) head-up display system, and the system displays alerts from the Advanced Driver Assistance System plus details of vehicle speed, and navigation instructions.

The latest version of Kia’s connected car system ‘Kia Connect’ is included, featuring a range of Kia real time services and over-the-air (OTA) updates. Kia Connect allows users to find locations and pricing of EV charging points, view their vehicle’s charging status, plan smart charging schedules and check the range radius based on the remaining charge.

Advanced Driver Assistance tech is top-notch and includes Remote Smart Parking Assist, Safe Exit Assist (which helps people avoid collisions with a rear side vehicle when exiting the EV6), Lane Following Assist, Highway Driving Assist 2 (which helps maintain a set distance and speed from the vehicle ahead when driving on a highway.

Reports suggest the KIA EV6 will be available in Australia at some point, with further details on model choice and price to come closer to that launch date.

VIDEO: The KIA EV6 | World Premier

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (April 2021)

15 April 2021