Believe it or not, Kia drew inspiration from the Lancia Stratos, of all locations, when designing the EV6, and truthfully, I can see it. The EV6’s wildly styled taillight design, which protrudes past the physique panels, bears greater than a passing resemblance to the Stratos’ wing. There’s some inspiration within the form of the cabin, too, as a chunkier rear pillar offers approach to a greenhouse that appears a bit like a helmet visor.The entrance finish is its personal beast, however it’s additionally pretty, because of some exaggerated shapes on the hood ending in an aggressive little nostril. Throw in my GT-Line tester’s particular 20-inch alloy wheels and a few Runway Red paint, and there is fairly the aesthetic right here. It’s a far cry from the blockier, virtually pixelated Hyundai Ioniq 5, and the Kia seems to be far much less SUV-ish than the Volkswagen ID 4.The EV6’s inside carves its personal path, as nicely. The floating heart console lacks the sliding functionality of the Ioniq 5, however I do not miss it. Instead, I’m appreciating simply how a lot crap I can depart within the huge lower-level tray and the sizable cubby below the armrest. The devoted spot for the wi-fi gadget charger is a pleasant contact, too. My tester’s seats are wrapped in a snug, grippy microfiber (a $295 improve) that performs nicely with the black-and-silver motif.The rear seats provide loads of house, too. I’m additionally an enormous fan of the local weather controls, which dwell in a contact panel beneath the multimedia display and may be swapped to manage the quantity and infotainment with a single faucet. Also not like the Ioniq 5, the EV6 has direct controls for the heated seats and steering wheel, making chilly mornings go away that a lot sooner.Out again, the EV6’s trunk affords 24.4 cubic toes of storage, which is sufficient for a number of suitcases or a complete lot of groceries. However, it is available in a number of cubes behind the Ioniq 5 (27.2 cubic toes), and each lag behind the VW ID 4 (30.3 cubic toes). There’s a frunk, too, form of; it is really a small field surrounded by different random {hardware}, and with only a couple cubic toes of capability, its presence neither makes nor breaks the automobile.
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The EV6 is not going to win any cargo-capacity awards, however the trunk is simple to load issues into, and it is greater than sufficient for a pair or a household on the develop. Andrew Krok/CNETThe Kia EV6 is offered in a single-motor, rear-wheel drive configuration with a selection of battery sizes, however my tester packs a further motor and the biggest battery on provide. Its 77.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery delivers juice to the 2 motors, producing a web 320 horsepower and 446 pound-feet of torque. With that a lot energy, it is no shock the EV6 can scoot, reaching 60 mph in lower than 5 seconds. It’s not exhausting to be the primary automobile away from each crimson gentle, and that torque may be accessed every time my proper foot needs, making each passing maneuver a breeze.Despite a curb weight north of 4,500 kilos, the Kia feels fairly gentle on its toes. The static suspension setup does an amazing job of protecting issues easy and composed, whether or not the automobile is placing down the freeway or heading into some curvy backroads. It’s fairly darn enjoyable to drive, with well-weighted steering and pedals which can be straightforward to modulate.However, in lots of situations, chances are you’ll solely want to make use of one pedal. Like the Ioniq 5, the Kia EV6 depends on a multi-stage regenerative braking system that may be adjusted by the steering wheel paddles. In its strongest setting, it permits one-pedal driving that does an amazing job instructing drivers the best way to present smoother and smoother inputs. Each car restart requires the motive force to re-enable one-pedal mode, however that is hardly a grievance.
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Ready to juice up? The Kia’s port is situated below the taillight, so hopefully it is a house you’ll be able to again into. Andrew Krok/CNETBeing smaller than the Ioniq 5 offers the Kia EV6 an effectivity benefit. Whereas the 77.4-kWh, AWD Ioniq 5 receives a 98-MPGe ranking from the EPA with 256 miles of estimated vary, the equally outfitted Kia EV6 bumps these figures as much as 105 MPGe and 274 miles. Both are extra environment friendly than the VW ID 4 AWD Pro, as nicely. The EV6’s onboard laptop measures effectivity in miles per kilowatt hour, and my private driving type elicited a mean of two.9 mi/kWh, not far off the EPA’s 3.1 mi/kWh.When it comes time to cost, the EV6’s underlying 800-volt structure is able to accepting as much as 240 kilowatts of juice, sufficient to ship the battery from 10% to 80% in simply 18 minutes. Most of the chargers round me prime out at 62.5 kW, although, which takes me from 50% to 100% in about an hour, and the lion’s share of that point is spent between 80% and 100%, the place the charging velocity will get progressively slower. Some people do not like how the charging port’s flap integrates into the taillight meeting, however I feel it is cool. Just ensure you again into the parking house.
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With the exception of what is on the twin shows atop the dashboard, the Kia EV6 bears little or no inside resemblance to the Ioniq 5. Andrew Krok/CNETAs for cabin tech, the 2022 Kia EV6 packs it in spades. A pair of 12.3-inch screens span half the dashboard. The gauge show on the left is just about a carbon copy of Hyundai’s, which isn’t a foul factor in any respect, because it does an amazing job displaying all of the pertinent data in a number of other ways. The display on the appropriate runs Kia’s newest infotainment system, which I fairly get pleasure from and which can also be shared between Genesis, Hyundai and Kia. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are customary, however they cannot be accomplished wirelessly, which is a little bit of a bummer. Further irritating the smartphone-mirroring expertise is the only USB-A port for information, which is situated close to the ground below the HVAC controls. There’s a USB-C port up entrance for quick charging, in addition to two USB-C ports for the rear, that are cleverly embedded into the entrance seat backs.Safety tech abounds, as nicely. The EV6 comes customary with Kia’s Drivewise suite of lively and passive driver aids. This covers computerized emergency braking, ahead collision warning, adaptive cruise management, blind-spot monitoring, parking sensors, distant parking help and lane-keeping help. The ACC will work at the side of its different techniques to carry the car in its lane and preserve tempo with site visitors, together with stop-and-go conditions, and it performs admirably for a hands-on setup.
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The EV6 oozes cool from each pore. Andrew Krok/CNETEven although Kia is thought for providing a number of the most value-laden autos in the marketplace, EVs are nonetheless an costly proposition and the 2022 EV6 isn’t any outlier. Base fashions begin at $42,115, together with $1,215 in vacation spot expenses. My tester, a top-of-the-line GT-Line AWD with the upgraded suede seats, waters the eyes a bit with an out-the-door value of $57,410. That’s a smidge costlier than the Ioniq 5 in comparable trims, and it is a number of thousand {dollars} greater than what you’d pay for a VW ID 4 AWD Pro S.Kia did a wonderful job with the 2022 EV6. Despite sharing lots of the identical bits as its sibling from Hyundai, the Kia stands aside with its styling, extra compact physique and barely boosted vary. The EV6 is nice to drive, nice to have a look at and its in-car expertise does not disappoint.