Kia’s new EV6 electric vehicle is a gold star EV.
The issue with driving the EV6 is the danger that follows it. Don’t get me wrong, the vehicle itself is plenty safe. It’s the drivers in the adjacent vehicles on the highway and in town trying to shoot photos and videos of the vehicle as you drive by. It looks unlike anything else on the road. An aggressive front end gives way to a longer-than-expected profile and is wrapped up with a rear end that’s equal parts futuristic and eye-catching.
Kia says the EV6 will charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in 18 minutes. I wasn’t able to test this since the 350 kW charging station I encountered topped out at 260 kW. But even at that speed, I was back on the road quicker than I anticipated while charging from 25 percent to 90 percent. I had enough time to snap a few photos, get a drink from Starbucks, and that’s about it.For at-home charging, the EV6 has an 11 kW onboard chargerFor at-home charging, the EV6 has an 11 kW onboard charger.
Previously, I’ve driven the eAWD GT version with its dual motors, 320 horsepower, 446 pound-feet of torque and 0–60 time of 5.2 seconds. It’s outstanding, but for day-to-day driving, the RWD GT is more than adequate.Tackling corners, the EV6 handles wonderfully for a vehicle its size. Excessive body roll and tire squeal were only encountered when really pushing the vehicle.
As for its range, Kia says the RWD GT has a range of 310 miles via a 77.4 kWh capacity battery pack. The company hasn’t revealed whether that 77.4 number is the gross capacity or usable capacity. During a range test of mixed driving environments of highway driving with the cruise control set at 70 miles per hour, driving around residential and suburban streets, and hitting the back roads of the region, I was able to get 310 miles of range.
This has to do with the size of the EV6, which is the same length as a BMW 3 Series. It might not seem that large in photos, but that’s a trick of the eye caused by the wheels being pushed towards the edge of the vehicle. When you get inside, it’s spacious and airy, with room for five if the folks in the back are on the thin side. Four adults will fit comfortably without any problems.
Sadly, it doesn’t work with Google or Apple Maps. The vehicle does support both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay — just don’t expect floating arrows to help you as you drive.