Review of the new Kia EV6 GT 2022

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The new EV6 GT can be viewed in two ways: as an exclusive, expensive and specially designed Kia, or as a cheaper, more valuable, but almost entertaining car. Porsche Taycan competitor. It’s hard to ignore that the standard all-wheel drive EV6 represents better value for money, but for the few buyers willing or able to make the jump with this EV6 GT, they won’t be disappointed. hope.

The tram The war for power shows no signs of slowing down. Even relatively modest Family SUV now boasts speeds of up to 400bhp, matching extreme torque, large batteries and dual motors for all-wheel drive.

Next to increase the performance of the car is Kia EV6with this flagship GT model, which was awarded once by the brand’s former R&D director turned Executive Technical Advisor, Albert Biermann.

He’s the man we sat next to when we entertained passengers in a prototype version of this hot EV6 back in the spring. Although we couldn’t drive the car at the time, Biermann wanted to show off the GT’s outstanding all-round capabilities; “The idea with this car was to make it a fast car, but not necessarily a real performance car,” he told us. “That’s not what the EV6 GT is about; The clue is in the name. It’s a big fast travel home. “

But now, at last, we’ve been thrown the key to a late-stage prototype. It’s still as good as production-ready, though, so other than a very small rattle or squeak, these are representative of the cars that customers will take delivery of from October this year.

On paper, ThatIts flagship has a spec sheet worthy of much more expensive machines. In fact, with 577hp, 740Nm of torque and a 0-62mph time of just 3.5 seconds, it has numbers to compete with. Porsche‘S Taycan GTS; a car costing more than £100,000.

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that the EV6 GT is Kia’s most powerful production model to date. But a car with this much emphasis needs a specific setup, and the GT has adaptive suspension, a limited-slip differential and upgraded brakes.

At first glance, the EV6 GT looks no different from the standard car. The design is perhaps a bit more aggressive – large 21-inch wheels cover the new brakes, partially disguised by the acid green brake calipers. There’s a sharper body kit and redesigned bumper, plus contrasting stitching on the inside. But truth be told, that’s pretty much it.

Sitting behind the wheel, you’ll be greeted by further green details, including piping for the seats and a GT driving mode button on the steering wheel. That, as you’d expect, dials in Kia’s sharpest settings, serving up 577bhp and 740Nm of torque and relaxing the stability control for a more playful character.

But before exploring the potential of the EV6 GT, we’ll get a chance to test the saloon both on city roads and at higher highway speeds. It’s surprisingly comfortable around town; speed it up a bit and it’s still resolutely bound. It’s perhaps not as quiet as we might expect – both compared to regular petrol GT cars, as well as other long-range EVs – but the ride is pretty smooth, even when the road noise is thick noticeable difference on more rough surfaces; Bigger wheels and wider tires offer no benefit to the EV6 GT in this regard.

It’s also a bit disappointing to see a travel agency as large as this suffer so much when it comes to scope. There’s no escaping the fact that those looking to hit the big mile will be better served by the standard all-wheel drive vehicle – that version’s 314-mile maximum range is almost 20% greater than that of the standard all-wheel drive vehicle. GT. However, both cars can charge from 10-80% in just 18 minutes, so it won’t take you too long to get a full charge.

When scanning corners faster, the EV6 GT presents itself in brighter lighting conditions. Kia’s E-GMP platform is a great starting point, and the addition of 256bhp doesn’t hurt either.

Immediate power delivery. Put your foot in and the EV6 GT pins you to your seat, speed increases at an alarming rate.

Thankfully, Kia’s excellent i-Pedal setup allows driving with a genuine pedal. In fact, Kia claims that in its most powerful setup, when combined with conventional discs and cushions, the system can effectively send energy back to the battery at a faster rate (up to 300kW). ) compared to the fastest ultrafast chargers; GT’s maximum charging speed is 240kW.

Intuitive regenerative braking only adds to the thrill on narrower, more congested roads. Being able to adjust your input and not having to switch from accelerator to brake leads to seriously fast progress.

The well-weighted steering and reworked adaptive suspension mean that body control is judged to be impeccable. The GT is 9% softer at the front and 11% stiffer at the rear – improving on the front, and then dropping the pitch during hard acceleration, respectively; the car isn’t completely flat, but a small amount of movement only adds to the interaction. Quick change of direction is no problem at all.

Elsewhere, away from extraordinary power and performance, the EV6 GT remains a useful and practical family car. The boot is of decent shape and size, and has room for the charging cable at the nose.

The layout and cabin quality – even in this prototype – remains strong. While we wish the touch-sensitive climate control panel was a bit less of a hassle, the infotainment system is intuitive, the graphics are sharp, and the display is responsive. The digital driver display provides a wealth of information, and you can adjust the view to show the most important data.