Snaring a Kia EV6 GT for check is like scoring F1 race day pit passes.
Demand for these speedy electrical GTs is off the charts, so automobile people take a look at you questioning what number of brown envelopes had been handed over so you can leap the queue.
For these on a ready checklist, right here’s what you may anticipate from the primary week of EV6 GT possession.
Our extra grown-up evaluate of the flagship Kia EV is right here. This report covers a number of the quirkier, real-life findings our household skilled over seven days of EV6 GT life.
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Day 1: Take a look at Me
Moonscape. That’s what they name this color. It’s an additional $3295, however this matte hero hue is peak ‘take a look at me!’ As if the neon inexperienced brake callipers weren’t sufficient.
Putting factor, this electrical SUV-cum-wagon. Not what I’d name fairly, however actually spectacular.
You first discover its fats rear arches. Then its stylishly built-in door handles, big 21-inch five-spoke alloys, clamshell bonnet and strikingly detailed LED lights in all places (I don’t wish to take into consideration their substitute value).
There’s critical intricacy to a lot of the physique design – particularly round its sculpted, gentle unbelievable rear finish. It’s as if Kia’s designers had been correctly let off the leash.
Theatrical inside too. The digital driver show and big infotainment display screen are a single, curved merchandise. Seems to be costly. Feels very properly completed.
Okay, 97 per cent battery life and 387km vary. Can I reside with that? There’s one thing much more reassuring when getting within the $72,590 Kia EV6 Air and seeing 528km vary remaining.
Modify seats. What? A deal with? The place’s my electrical management? It’s a $100,000 Kia wealthy with cabin luxe, so I’m shocked I have to transfer my seat with a little bit of plastic, even when the adjustability motion’s pretty.
The automobile’s synthetic sound’s been turned off, so I transfer into visitors in silence. Feels an enormous automobile. However stable, and desperate to get on with issues.
The Neon inexperienced ‘GT’ button on the steering wheel looms massive. On it goes and the soundness management turns off. Growth! That’s daft acceleration.
The ton is up in 3.5 seconds, which let’s not overlook is supercar speedy…. in an EV that’s a porky 2185kg. It’s mind-blowing, if not fairly within the re-wire mind territory of the Porsche Taycan Turbo S. It, quite amusingly, is $250,000 greater than this bonkers Kia.
It’s all freeway residence from right here. Eco mode and radar cruise on, it lives as much as its GT identify. Suspension damping’s first rate like this, with solely greater street bumps disturbing the calm with a bit backbone shake. Shouldn’t adaptive dampers be a factor on the EV6 GT?
After 130km of primarily freeway, the readout says 20.1kWh/100km. Already below par.
Day 2: License loser
The children need a check drive earlier than college. After all they do. You possibly can’t convey one thing residence trying like this and anticipate it to be ignored.
My eight year-old daughter snares the entrance seat first. Sadly, I realise too late her head is on the identical degree because the seat harness strap holes, that are plastic lined.
I flooring it for full acceleration insanity and her head is pinned on the seat. This implies her bonce hits plastic quite than gentle leather-based. Oops.
Children like EVs to sound like spaceships, quite than me who likes them to be silent. I am going into car settings by means of the display screen and there’s ‘Lively Sound Design’.
I put this artificial sound into ‘Enhanced’ and, as I put the shoe in as soon as extra, there’s fairly a low, throaty sound. It’s enjoyable when accelerating, however a bit droney when cruising.
There’s a cosmic whirr whereas I’m within the fun-packed GT mode, and I’m regularly blown away by the pickup of this factor. The efficiency and pace are unimaginable, and I’m fearing for the well being of my licence.
What an incredible getaway automobile. Velocity builds monumentally, but when I would like, it makes barely a peep whereas doing so. No one can hear you flying away from the scene at foolish knots.
I spend a lot of the day driving in GT mode so the economic system’s not falling. Common is now 20.4kWh/100km… nonetheless higher than the official determine.
Day 3: Feeling at residence
It’s the weekend so I get to make use of the GT as extra of a household workhorse.
Seats are fairly agency – extra sporty than basic grand tourer fashion. That stated, the Alcantara working by means of the seats and doorways feels very good.
The performance and cabin room are each standout, and construct high quality exhausting to fault. My son says the steering wheel seems to be prefer it’s a gurning face, which I now can’t un-see.
Below the centre console is a huge storage space, ideally suited for telephones, iPads or perhaps a bottle of wine.
My spouse says she’s not bonded with the inside. She suggests it feels extremely masculine, there are too many “cosmic Tron graphics” and never sufficient color or design aptitude touches. “It’s not heat and fuzzy, extra a tough, electrical future,” I’m advised.
The boot’s not as cavernous as I used to be anticipating, contemplating the just about wagon-type rear finish. If you wish to hold the tyre mobility equipment and energy cable baggage within the boot, this additionally eats into house. No frunk on supply, both. Not glad.
However rear seat house is great. The chairs are huge, supportive and do the cozy/agency bit properly. Each head and leg room are beneficiant for adults (a 3rd one in right here is pushing it), and claustrophobia’s stored at bay with the glass roof.
I’m mystified why these rear seats can’t slide on runners – one thing that’s turning into more and more commonplace in new automobiles, and ups the flexibility whenever you demand extra boot house.
Rear seats additionally don’t recline – one other luxurious this automobile misses out on.
There’s a 240V home socket below the rear seats. Very cool and ideally suited to cost telephones, your laptop computer, espresso machine, widescreen TV and even bar fridge. Alternatives galore.
Day 4: Juicing Up
Regardless of all my driving enjoyable, I’m nonetheless returning just below Kia’s official consumption determine. I mustn’t be attempting exhausting sufficient.
Regardless, driving vary is all the way down to double digits, so it’s off to a public charger early on a Sunday morning to spice up vary quickly. First effort? The 50kW charger close to my house is (nonetheless, after three months) out of service, awaiting substitute components.
Off to the pricier (however working) 50kW Evie public charger. The Kia can deal with 230kW cost pace, however I’ve no extremely speedy charger inside 70km of my residence, so 50kW it’s.
After 1hr 15 minutes (I am going buying) I’ve gained 58kWh and it’s value me $25. Importantly, I’m again to 100% cost and 376km vary.
This a part of city has some crummy roads, and I actually really feel the GT’s agency, at occasions crashy experience. It’s so stiff it’s not that gratifying on the town, though it’s right here the place most eyeballs are drawn to this placing Kia.
I get residence and see a chook has crapped on my ultra-expensive paint possibility. I determine leaving it there to prepare dinner within the solar could be a Very Dangerous Thought, however I’m happy to find the paint floor appears to repel it simply, and it wipes away rapidly. No harm.
Day 5: Let’s discover some corners
My motoring writing colleagues had stated compelling issues when testing the EV6 GT on a race observe. I’ve not acquired that chance, however I reckon I’d be reluctant to trace something weighing the 2185kg this Kia does.
I guess the brakes would take a pasting, and people 21-inch Michelin Pilot Sport 4s aren’t going to be low-cost to switch after a number of observe periods.
Some enjoyable again roads? Very a lot up for that.
I set out and get amongst the twisties. Brakes are very responsive, however a touch synthetic feeling when doing the delicate accelerator/brake transitions.
In GT mode the traction management actually allows you to occasion. This can be a correctly tail glad huge beast, however that’s a heavy rear finish that flicks out behind you. Warning is suggested whenever you mash the throttle with some lock on.
As I push on there’s the anticipated understeer when carrying pace into turns. Lifting off brings in again into line, however in a barely stuttering manner. It feels unnatural to me, I lose confidence and don’t love the expertise. However I’ve used this street so many occasions with enjoyable little light-weight automobiles, and there’s simply not that kind of pleasure with this huge GT. It actually does really feel its weight.
Thats stated, exit pace out of a nook is completely earth shattering. If speedy acceleration quite than satisfying really feel by means of a flip is extra your factor, you’ll like it.
Ballistic because the EV6 GT is, it’s simply not a observe automobile. I provide you with an ideal plan. I’d pay $27k much less for the rear-drive EV6 Air (and get higher experience consolation and higher EV vary), and with the cash I’d save, purchase a late mannequin observe automobile. Mazda MX-5. Hyundai i30N. Renault Megane RS. Thats kind of factor.
Day 6: Straightforward to reside with
I’ve determined to save lots of GT mode for brief bursts of enjoyable.
I go away the automobile in Regular, and benefit from the regeneration feeding power again into the battery with the ‘iPedal’. In most Stage 3 regen it comes to an entire cease whenever you raise off the throttle – it’s sensible doing the one pedal driving stuff on the town.
But it surely’s a nicer automobile to drive on one or zero regen. You are feeling a touch of retardation, but it surely simply coasts like a traditional automobile.
I attempt to get on once more with the Lively Sound. Dynamic’s fairly a low, cyborg-type factor. It gives the look of energy, and is tolerable.
The children desire Cyber – a decrease pitched futuristic electrical noise – or Customized the place you select from the completely different tunes and alter quantity to go well with. I urge sufficient, and revert again to no noise. I discover all of it a bit bizarre if I’m trustworthy.
The Kia’s cabin is fantastically insulated, and I like city driving in close to silence. Wanting on the single-piece driver show and infotainment display screen – a sensible curved merchandise – actually provides to the expertise. You are feeling you’re in a particular and exceptionally high-tech providing.
At night time the cabin has a beautiful ambient gentle glow, with a mini disco for the footwells, doorways and throughout the sprint. Pretty consideration to element.
A 360-degree digital camera is far wanted because it feels an enormous automobile to park, and its styling doesn’t supply ideally suited visibility by means of the glass.
Kudos too to a aspect view digital camera – exhibiting your blind-spot – which pops up in your central display screen whenever you put the indicator on. All automobiles ought to have this.
I strive residence charging in a single day as I’ve acquired to return the automobile the following day. With 64 per cent battery remaining (and 253km vary), my 2.2kW cost price by means of my storage’s regular family socket has the automobile telling me it’s 15hr and 40 minutes till we get again to 100 per cent.
This highlighting why a house wall field have to be in your buying checklist whenever you get an EV.
Day 7: Farewell, you loopy factor
As a every day driver, the EV6 GT has examined my again’s tolerance for agency suspension, and my capacity to not lose my licence.
Even so, I’m rattling impressed. Principally for the particular feeling cabin and acceleration that actually defies perception.
This can be a Kia in spite of everything, and right here we’re with supercar efficiency, all for below $100k.
As a household of 4 it’s a superb dimension, however all of us agree the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is simply that bit extra sensible with its higher boot load house and extra versatile again seats.
It’s private desire, however I’m additionally extra drawn to the Ioniq 5’s retro seems to be than the extra extrovert EV6 GT.
But when being observed is your factor, good grief this electrical Kia does the job.
I’d most love this EV6 GT for an across-Europe household epic, with a good quantity of unrestricted autobahn thrown in. It’d be a marvellous grand tourer.
Efficiency is otherworldly, but it surely’s not a sportscar. It’s enjoyable, however not in a manner that would rival a bit light-weight different. It assaults corners extra with a sledgehammer than an artisan’s precision device… however many consumers might very properly desire that.
We end with a median of 20.1kWh/100km throughout virtually 700km. Extremely, regardless of removed from sympathetic use, that is beneath Kia’s 20.6kWh/100km declare.
Its circa 400km vary (in the event you steer clear of the GT button) proved correct and ample for our household life. That stated, I stand by my perception I’d be happier with a comfier, rangier EV6 Air after which purchase a enjoyable petrol toy with the cash saved.
However the EV6 GT is a particular factor: design, cabin class and three.5-seconds to crack 100km/h.
I shall miss it. However my licence is glad handy it again.
Kia EV6 GT specs
Value: $99,590 plus on-road prices
Fundamentals: EV, 5 seats, 5 doorways, massive SUV, AWD
Vary: 424km (WLTP)
Battery capability: 77.4kWh
Battery guarantee: 7 years/150,000km
Power consumption: 20.6kWh/100km (WLTP)
Motors: 1 entrance (160kW/350Nm), 1 rear (270kW/390Nm), mixed outputs 430kW/740Nm
AC charging: 10.5kW, Sort 2 plug
DC charging: 230kW (approx), CCS Combo plug
0-100km/h: 3.5 seconds (claimed)