Tech

Kia EV6 is the new benchmark for affordable electric vehicles


We get our first good look at the EV6 last March and, nearly a year later, finally sat in it, drove it and pressed every button in the cabin last week during a day-long press event in Northern California. This is the first Kia car produced under the company’s management Plan S’s new electrification strategy and nearly a dozen more new EV models are expected to join by 2026 – with Kia noting that “All dedicated Kia EVs will begin with the prefix ‘EV’, followed by a The number indicates the vehicle’s size and position in the lineup, not its chronological position in the launch span. ”

That's a picture of the Kia EV6

Hyundai Motor Corporation

And those are just cars built on the Hyundai Group (which owns Kia). E-GMP . Battery Push Platform. When the EV6 arrives in all 50 states later this spring, it will increase in price compared to those Ford Mustang Mach-E, the Volkswagen ID.4, the Tesla Model Y, the Ioniq 5 and Nissan Ariya – not to mention Kia’s Niro EV and its parent Hyundai, the Kona EV – maybe also Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra when they finally arrived.

The EV6 will be available in three trim levels: Light, Wind and GT-Line. Technically, there is a fourth edition, the First Edition, but the 1,500 pieces in that demo lot sold out in about 11 hours, so your chances of getting one for sale at your local dealer are pretty good. short.

Pictures of Kia EV6

Hyundai Motor Corporation

The EV6 Light is Kia’s introductory trim level, retailing for $40,900 and offering performance to match. Its 58 kWh nickel-cobalt-manganese battery pack powers a 168k W rear motor to produce 167 hp. That translates to an 8-second 0-60 with an electronically limited 115 MPH top speed and an EPA-rated range of 232 miles. In terms of efficiency, the Light will get you around 136 eMPG in the city (thanks, regenerative braking!) and 100 eMPG at highway speeds. Like its better-appointed brethren, the Light uses MacPherson struts up front and multi-link suspension at the rear.

Unfortunately, its powertrain can only handle the 400V charging architecture which extends the time it takes to fully charge. It’s not too terrible, mind you, with a full charge of the 50W DC fast charger taking just over an hour – and a cool 18 minutes if you’re lucky enough to get a 350W station. At home, using a 240V/48A connection (i.e. home charging case) it takes less than 6 hours to fully charge but with a standard 110V/12A outlet (same as what you plug your coffee maker into) I enter), it will disappear day. It would literally take more than a week of charging – 51 hours and 5 minutes to be exact, according to Kia’s figures – to use up the full capacity of the battery. You won’t see the same delay with the Wind or GT as they use the same 800V drivetrains we’re starting to see on higher-end EVs like GM’s Hummer EV, Porsche Taycan, Audi-Tron’s E and even Mach-E.

That's a picture of the Kia EV6

Hyundai Motor Corporation

Furthermore, the Wind (starts at $47,000) and the GT (starts at $51,200 and goes as high as $55,900) both offer a larger 77.4 kWh pack as well as the option to have both front and rear motors. rear, allowing AWD. You’re looking at a 310-mile range with a top speed of 7.2 seconds 0-60 and 117 MPH with RWD repeats; 274-mile range and 5.1 seconds 0-60 for AWD. The AWD scored 134 eMPG in the cities and 101 eMPG on the highway, although AWD’s performance is a bit noticeable, at 116 eMPG and 94 eMPG, respectively.

In terms of charging capacity, the Wind and GT will need 73 minutes to fully charge on a 50W DC connection (and again, 18 minutes with the 350W port providing about 217 miles of additional range), about 7 hours with the 240V plug, and a whopping 68 hours using 110V. They will also offer another possibility first for Kia, the V2L (truck) similar to Ford F-150 Lightning meaning you’ll be able to use the EV6 as a giant battery to power various accessories, 110V power tools and household sundries in the event of a power outage.

Pictures of Kia EV6

Hyundai Motor Corporation

Aside from trim levels and powertrain differences, the different EV6s are practically identical from the outside based on the common E-GMP platform. Each measures 114 inches in wheelbase (same as the Telluride SUV) with an overall length of ~184 inches. The crossover has a width of 74 inches and a height of 60.8 inches. The EV6 may look like a slim sports coupe from its promotional photos but in real life it’s a tough car – not as tall as the Mach-E but just wide and sporty 19-inch rims (accessories are optional on GT). It literally fills up a standard parking space, though Kia is offering a cool valet feature (optional on the Wind, standard on the GT) with the EV6 allowing you to line up the car with a parking spot , get out of the car and then use the key fob to bring it into the remote location.

The EV6 has a damn comfortable interior. Its cabin is eerily quiet with the doors closed and windows open. There’s a total of 102 cubic feet of space inside the EV6, 24.4 of which is dedicated to storage in the rear cargo area (50.2 cubic feet if you fold the seats down). You have plenty of head and leg room regardless of whether you’re sitting in the front or rear, although you may need to sag a bit to fit three sets of shoulders on the backseat. On the plus side, there’s no central drive shaft running under the cabin (thanks, e-motor!) So there’s no hump to suffer if you’re sitting in the middle.

Pictures of Kia EV6

Hyundai Motor Corporation

Kia has also spread USB and USB-C ports throughout the front and rear seating areas, so you won’t have to stretch too far to plug in. selector). My only taboo with the seating arrangement is a minor one: the front seats have rather complicated headrests that tend to obscure forward-facing views for those in the rear, and vice versa. , blocking a noticeable part of the rearview mirror.

However, the blind spot really isn’t a concern given how many cameras Kia has fitted into the car. For example, when you turn on your turn signal, a live video feed from the side-view mirror pops up on the driver’s instrument cluster so you don’t cut across a cyclist or merge into the path of the first vehicle. drag. You also get 21 different ADAS (driver assistance) features including a rearview camera for parking, lane keep assist, lane departure warning, automatic high beams and forward collision avoidance.

Pictures of Kia EV6

Hyundai Motor Corporation

I’m particularly impressed with the EV6’s Level 2 autopilot on highways, Highway Driving Assist 2. Simply click the appropriate button on the steering wheel and the adaptive cruise control will automatically center the vehicle in its lane, maintaining course and speed even through turns. There were a few times when the system and I (and the car in the next passing lane) disagreed slightly when a turn in the road started or ended but as long as I kept the wheel, minor road changes were fine. . serious problem.

If anything, minimizing my need to keep my eyes on the road allowed me enough time to figure out how the rather confusing central infotainment system works. The EV6 is equipped with a 12.3-inch TFT color touch screen navigation screen that is attached to the center console. It offers AM/FM/Sirius radio running through a Meridian audio system, Bluetooth connectivity, a WiFi hotspot, and Android Auto/Apple Carplay – ugh, the phone has to be physically connected to turn on Carplay/Auto? Really? This is what we are doing in 2022?

That's a picture of the Kia EV6

Hyundai Motor Corporation

I’m a fan of the physical volume and temperature controls that Kia has incorporated into the design, not too fond of the secondary, lower touchscreen that alternates between the quick selection bar for menus vehicles, navigation and climate. The problem is that the function toggles space between the menu selection screen and the dedicated climate control menu isn’t well defined or really demarcated in any meaningful way (to be honest, I think that’s the case). is the button for the hazard lights until a Kia PR rep shows me otherwise) so unless you know specifically what you’re looking for or tap it at random, there’s no direct way to change the cabin temperature, adjust the fan speed or activate the dehumidifier – or vice versa, quickly access the navigation map or the Radio. And asking the onboard virtual assistant for help to do so is like talking to an (or even more) incompetent Siri; There isn’t a single statement that can make this thing understand the words I’m coming out of my mouth.

That's a picture of the Kia EV6

Hyundai Motor Corporation

There’s one feature that really stands out to me, the easy to use secondary touchscreen’s learning curve, and that’s the AR display. It is absolutely brilliant. I talked about using Kia’s AR back in 2019 when I drove the Niro EV. That car appears to be a proof of concept with a small pop-up display mounted on the steering wheel. Instead, the EV6 is a more finished and polished product projected directly onto the front windshield with incredible clarity. The vehicle’s speed, the ramp’s speed limit, the status of various cruise control features, and the upcoming turns all appear to be floating a car stretch of road ahead of you. It’s a great, streamlined alternative to, in my opinion, the overly busy layout of the driver assembly. Information can be a bit difficult to read with sunglasses (especially polarized ones) but beyond that, the display is easy to understand regardless of whether it’s bright or dark outside and can be adjusted to your height and viewing preferences. driver. .

Of course all these tech bells and whistles would be up for debate if it were to be treated like the tattered old Elantra I used to drive. Thankfully, the EV6 is not. It’s not as aggressive as the Mach-E, nor as agile through turns as the Polestar 2 – it’s certainly not as ostentatious as the Model Y – and the EV6 doesn’t have to be. Kia, from what I gathered from the company’s pre-drive presentation, is positioning the EV6 as a Z-generation family sedan, a Taurus SHO for the younger generation, and I applaud them. Swirling through the hairpins on the 175 and opening the throttle along the quiet stretches of the 101 is fun and all but this car isn’t built for racing – it won’t suck the fillings out of your teeth your bike when you step on the gas, you won’t ride a street bike inside through the turns in it. What EV6 will do is help get your ankle sufferers to soccer practice before you run errands around town in the afternoon – maybe even take the whole family away for the weekend – and do it in comfort, style and safety.

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